At Airbnb, trust is the cornerstone of our community – where millions of people across the world place trust in each other as they travel or host stays.
A key part of building this trust is verifying the identity of our users. Our identity verification process is a series of steps to help ensure users within our community are genuine so that everyone can feel more confident using Airbnb. Every Host, Co-Host and booking guest must be identity verified to use our platform. While no process is perfect, this aims to minimise fraudulent behaviour, promote safety and enable meaningful, real-world interactions within our community.
As part of the identity verification process, we may ask you to provide us with personal information, such as a government ID. Government-issued IDs, such as passports or driving licences, are official records that contain standardised information, such as your legal name, your date of birth and a photograph, which help us confirm you are who you say you are. We may also ask you for a selfie to compare and match to your government ID photo. Don’t worry – your government ID and selfie won’t be shared with any Hosts or guests on Airbnb. All information we collect is handled according to our Privacy Policy.
Types of IDs we accept
Depending on where you live, we accept the following types of IDs during verification:
- National identity card
- Driving licence
- Passport
- State identification card
- Tribal Identification card
- Residence permits
Don’t use your IDs for uni, college, the library, a gym or similar. These aren’t government-issued – we can’t use them to verify your identity. We’re also unable to accept military IDs for the identity verification process.
How to submit your ID
When you are verifying your identity, we’ll guide you through an easy, step-by-step process. If you’re asked to submit a government ID, you’ll first take a photo of the front of your ID. Make sure that the photo is well lit and that you fit your ID within the frames we provide. You may be asked to turn your ID over and take a picture of the back as well. In some cases, we may next ask you for a selfie to match your ID photo. Once you’ve finished, hold tight – we’ll let you know when we’ve completed verifying your identity.
We recognise that sometimes you might not be able to give a matching selfie or that you don’t currently have a valid government ID listed above. In limited circ*mstances, you may be eligible to provide other proof of who you are, like a marriage licence or court order, to complete this process. You can contact us for an alternative verification method. For other troubleshooting, take a look at our troubleshooting guide.
Country/region-specific guidelines for IDs
For most countries and regions, you should provide a standard, unedited photograph of your ID. However, there are additional guidelines if you live in Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore or South Korea. For these countries, we ask that you cover specific numbers on certain types of ID, as described below. We recommend using a Desktop computer to add a black bar over required hidden info with a photo editing program, so other information on your ID remains visible.
Germany
If you’re using an ID issued in Germany, we ask that you cover the 9 digit document number (Serienummer) and the 6 digit card access number (Zugangsnummer) on your national identity card, passport or residence card. You may also apply a watermark to your ID, such as “Copy” or “Kopie”; however, please ensure the watermark does not cover other information.
You can find out more information on where to find your document and access number on the German government website.
In order to protect your personal information, we will cover this information and apply a “copy” watermark, if you have not done so.
Hong Kong
If you’re using an ID issued in Hong Kong (HKID), we ask that you cover the following information when submitting your ID:
- HKID with date of issue on or before 24 Nov 2018:
- cover the 7 or 8 digit HKID number at the bottom right-hand corner and the same HKID number on the laser image in the fineprint at the bottom left-hand corner
- HKID with date of issue from 26 Nov 2018 onwards:
- Cover the 7 or 8 digit HKID number at the bottom right-hand corner and the same HKID number displayed in the see-through window near the top right-hand corner.
For more information, check out the website of the Immigration Department of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China.
In order to protect your personal information, we will cover this information if you have not done so.
India
If you’re using an ID issued in India, make sure you don’t submit your Aadhaar or your UIDAI ID card or number when verifying your identity.
Indonesia
If you’re using an ID issued in Indonesia, we ask that you cover the following info when submitting your ID:
- National Identity Card (Kartu Tanda Penduduk/KTP): Cover the 16-digit ID number located in the front top-left corner.
- Passport: Cover the 8-digit passport ID in the top right corner of the Identity Information page
In order to protect your personal information , we will cover this information if you have not done so.
Japan
If you’re using an ID issued in Japan, you can submit a driving licence, passport or identity My Number card. When submitting a driving licence or passport, don’t cover any information. However, if you decide to submit an identity card, make sure you cover the 12 digits of My Number on the back of your card – located under the magnetic strip. You can find out more information on the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems website.
In order to protect your personal information , we will cover this information if you have not done so.
The Netherlands
If you’re using an ID issued in the Netherlands, we ask that you cover your 9 digit BSN (burgerservicenummer) and QR code. You may also apply a watermark to your ID, such as “Copy” or “Kopie”; however, please ensure the watermark does not cover other information.
You can find out more information on where to find your BSN and QR code on the Netherlands government website.
In order to protect your personal information, we will cover this information and apply a “copy” watermark, if you have not done so.
Singapore
If you’re using an ID issued in Singapore, we ask that you cover the following information when submitting your ID:
Driving licence:
- Front – Cover the Licence Number located at the top of the card.
- Back – Cover the barcode and Licence Number located at the bottom of the card.
Passport:
- Cover the Passport Number and NRIC Number located in the passport details page.
- Cover the Passport Number and the NRIC Number located at the bottom bar of the passport details page.
National Registration Identity Card (NRIC):
- Front – Cover the NRIC number located at the top of the card and the NRIC number located in the lion head emblem at the bottom-right of the card.
- Back – Cover the NRIC number and barcode located at the top of the card.
You can find out more information by checking the website of the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore.
In order to protect your personal information, we will cover this information if you have not done so.
South Korea
If you’re using an ID issued in South Korea, we ask that you cover the following info when submitting your ID:
- Identity card: Cover the last 7 digits of the 13 digit Resident Registration Number (RRN).
- Driving licence: Cover the last 7 digits of the 13 digit Resident Registration Number (RRN).
- Passport: Cover the 7-digit Resident Registration Number (marked as Personal No.) and the matching set of 7 digits in the machine readable zone. For passports issued after 21 December 2020, no redaction is required, as these do not include the RRN. You can find out more information on the passport guide web page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for South Korea.
In order to protect your personal information , we will cover this information if you have not done so.
