BNO Visa Holders Can Now Use the ID Check App Instead of a Biometrics Appointment
23 Apr 2026
If you hold a British National (Overseas) or Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport, applying for or extending your BNO visa just got easier. Since 8 April 2026, a change introduced by HC 1691 allows eligible BNO applicants to use the Home Office's ID Check app to verify their identity — meaning you may not need to attend an in-person biometrics appointment at a visa application centre.
To use this option, your BNO or HKSAR passport must contain a chip and must either be currently valid or have expired within the last five years. If your passport meets these conditions, the app reads the chip to confirm your identity. This is a separate and distinct change from the earlier update that allowed Skilled Worker holders with existing biometric records to submit a facial image instead of attending a UKVCAS centre — the ID Check app route is specifically for BNO and HKSAR passport holders and uses your passport chip rather than previously enrolled biometrics.
This is a practical improvement for Hong Kongers applying in the UK or overseas, reducing the time and cost involved in attending a biometrics appointment. It does not affect your eligibility for the BNO route, your qualifying period toward settlement, or any other aspect of the application — it is purely a change to the identity verification process.
If you are planning a BNO visa application or extension, check whether your passport is chipped (most modern passports are, and will have a small camera symbol on the cover) and whether it is within the five-year expiry window. If it is, you should be able to complete identity verification through the app rather than booking a centre visit.
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