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Confirming your ID – How to upload your photo and document

Getting ready for college

If you haven’t already done so, you now need to upload some additional information which will make your enrolment much smoother when this takes place in August.

The information below is for applicants who have received an offer to study on a full-time course from September.

All applicants need to do this, even if you are, or have previously been, a student with us or if you are an adult learner. If you have an offer at more than one college, and are keeping your options open, we still need you to do this now; if you later choose not to enrol at Colchester Institute the uploads will be deleted according to our privacy notice https://www.colchester.ac.uk/policies/.

What do I need to upload?

A photo of yourself which will be printed on your College ID Card. This photo must show your face looking into the camera, with no fashion items (such as sunglasses, a hat or hood) and close enough to take up most of the image.
A photo of an official ID document, which is needed to verify your identity.

All students are required to wear a College ID card around the campus. This ID card also gives you access to the campus, car parks, gym, or paying for food and other products/services. You will be given more information about the use of your ID card at induction but the first step is to upload a suitable photograph.

We have produced the video further down this page to explain exactly what you need to do, and we recommend you watch this before uploading your photos. Further information on what your photo should look like, which ID documents you can upload and answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the FAQ at the bottom of this page

What should my ID photo look like?

Your photo will be used on your College ID card which you must wear around the campus. Just like a passport photo, your face needs to be seen clearly and you must ensure that you:

Remove any fashion items, such as hats and sunglasses
Face the camera and make sure the photograph is a clear image of your head and shoulders
Wear suitable clothing. This must be visible in the image
Take the photo on a neutral background
Do not use any filters (such as Snapchat or Instagram filters)

We suggest you find/take a suitable photo that you’re happy with before you log into your account to upload the photo.

How to upload a photograph for your College ID card

Click on the drop-down menu under Evidence Type and choose ‘Learner Photo’.

To upload the photograph you wish to use for your College ID card it must be stored on the device you are currently using. Please ensure that the photograph that you upload is either .JPG or .PNG otherwise it will not be valid.

Click on ‘Choose Files’, select the photograph you wish to upload, click ‘Upload’.

All items uploaded must be under 10mb and will be subject to our Privacy Policy.

Proof of Identity

As part of the enrolment/application process students are required to provide one official form of identity. This should be a photograph of one of the following documents.

Below is a list of acceptable forms of proof of identity:

Passport (please take a photo of the photo page)
Driving Licence
National Insurance Card/Official Letter confirming NI number
National ID card
Birth/Adoption Certificate

How to upload your proof of Identity

Click on the drop-down menu under Evidence Type and choose ‘XXXXXXX’

To upload your proof of Identity it must be stored on the device you are currently using. Please ensure that it is of clear quality, and that your name is clearly visible.

Click on ‘Choose Files’, select the file you wish to upload, click ‘Upload’.

Please note, you can upload multiple documents at once.

Once you have uploaded your documents, they will appear in the middle of this page. Please click on them to view and ensure that they are of clear quality.

All items uploaded must be under 10mb and will be subject to our Privacy Policy. You can upload the following file types:
PDF, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and JPG/PNG images (.DOC; .DOCX; .XLS; .XLSX; .PDF; .TXT; .JPG; .JPEG; .PPT; .PNG).

Frequently Asked Questions

I can’t log into my account

Please check you are using the correct username when trying to log into your account, do not use your full email address. Your username has been included in the emails that you have been sent by the admissions team during the application process. If you can’t remember your password, you can press the ‘Forgot your password?’ button which will allow you to reset your password online. If you are still having problems, please do not create a new account. Instead, please contact the admissions team on admissions@colchester.ac.uk or call on 01206 712777 and they will get your password reset for you.

Can I change the photo on my ID card later?

No you can’t. The photo that you upload to the system (provided it is suitable) will be used for your College ID card and can’t be changed at a later date so please make sure you upload one that you are happy with.

What ID documents can I upload?

As part of the enrolment/application process students are required to provide one form of proof of identity. This should be a photograph of one of the following documents. Below is a list of acceptable forms of proof of identity:

Passport (please take a photo of the photo page)
Driving License
National Insurance Card/Official Letter confirming NI number
National ID card
Birth/Adoption Certificate

Why do I need to upload a photo of my ID?

As part of our funding requirements Colchester Institute must see a copy of your ID so that we can verify your identity but please don’t worry, as soon as we have seen your ID and verified your identity we will delete the photo you uploaded. If you would like to read our Privacy Notice you can do this here: Colchester Institute Policies and Procedures

Why do I have to do this now?

We must have a photo of you for your ID card, and evidence of your ID to process your enrolment properly, our experience has shown that getting this information at an early stage really speeds up the enrolment process. In many cases we need to get back to students to check details and confirm information that is provided, so by doing this nice and early we can take some of the stress out later in the year.

Do I have to upload my photo and my ID documents?

Yes, this is part of the government requirements for funding. If this isn’t done now it will need to be done in the summer so we strongly recommend that you upload these as early as possible to save you time later in the year, and ensure your enrolment runs smoothly.

Is there a deadline?

Please upload your photo and your ID documents as soon as possible. We would recommend that you upload these before GCSE results day (Thursday 21st August) so that you are ready to complete the enrolment process once you have your GCSE results.

Why are you asking for my highest level qualification?

If you will be aged 19 or older on the 31^st August 2025, you will be asked to provide us with details of your highest level qualification. We are asking for this information so that we can determine whether you will be eligible for any fee waivers, and if not, what your course fees will be. Specific course fees will be confirmed later in the application process, but if you would like to find out about any fee exemptions, payment options, advanced learner loans or financial support please visit the Student Finance pages on our website: Student Finance

I’m already a student with an ID card, do I need to upload a new photo?

No you don’t have to, we’ll just use your photo from previous years. However, if you would like to upload a new, more up to date photo of yourself then you can do this. Even if you don’t upload a photo you will still need to upload the evidence of your official ID as this is a requirement every year.

Can I upload more than one ID photo?

No, please only upload one photo for your College ID card. If you upload more than one, the system will automatically default to the first photo you have uploaded.

What size and format should my uploads be?

Your photo for your ID card must be either .JPG or .PNG otherwise it will not be valid. For your ID documents, you can upload the following file types: PDF, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and JPG/PNG images (.DOC; .DOCX; .XLS; .XLSX; .PDF; .TXT; .JPG; .JPEG; .PPT; .PNG) All uploads must be under 10mb.

Let’s get started!

When you have watched the video below and are happy that you have the correct photo and ID document, please follow the link underneath and sign in to your account to start the process.