To help build trust on Upwork, we may ask you to verify your identity by uploading a government-issued ID, which usually only takes a few minutes. If verification is requested, you’ll have seven days to complete it through a secure link, or we may put your account on hold. Accepted forms of ID include passports, national ID cards, and driver's licenses, depending on the country. IDs must include details such as a photo, name, birthdate, and signature, and all but passports require an address. This article provides more information about accepted documents and ID images.
To build trust, we may ask you to upload a government-issued ID to confirm your identity.
In most cases, we’ll be able to verify your identity within minutes. Learn more about identity verification here.
If you’re asked to verify your identity, follow the link in the email you receive to begin the process. This is a secure and encrypted link that will remain active for 30 days. However, you will need to verify your identity within seven days or we will put a hold on your account.
Documents required
You will need to take a picture of your government-issued ID in order to verify your identity. The acceptable forms of ID vary by country and will be listed on the form.
- This ID must include your picture, signature, name, date of birth, and address, with the exception of passports, which don't need your address
- The documents we accept include passport, national ID card (NIC/CNIC), driver's license, NBI Clearance (Philippines only), tax ID, voter ID, postal ID, or any other valid government-issued photo ID that meets these criteria
Note that we cannot accept:
- Student IDs, employee IDs, library cards, handwritten IDs, temporary IDs, photocopied IDs, military IDs, and health cards
Tips for capturing the image of your government ID
- Take a photo of the front of your ID, without flash
- Capture the image from above, with your ID lying on a flat surface
- Ensure all four corners of your ID are showing
- Take the photo in color (at least 200 dpi)
- Upload your photo in PNG, JPEG, PDF, or BMP format
- Don't crop, rotate, touch up, adjust colors, or alter the images in any way
Your government ID should:
- Be the same person as your Upwork profile photo
- Match the address you have on file on your Upwork profile
Frequently Asked Questions
We encourage you to comply with applicable laws. In fact, we require it in our Terms of Service. That said, we don't have knowledge of any laws that make it illegal to provide identification to someone other than law enforcement. If there is a specific law, let us know––we’re happy to look into it.
Yes, our third-party vendor’s automated checks will review IDs in any language, and translators are available in the case that a manual review is required.
You may submit a request to Upwork related to the processing of your personal data. If you make such a request and reside in a location that provides a right to have Upwork delete your personal data (e.g., the EU, the UK, California, etc.), Upwork will respond and process your request according to its legal obligations. Learn how to make a GDPR request to Upwork.
