Why YOTI might be unable to verify the candidates address

Modified on Mon, 22 Sep at 12:24 PM

[CF]

TABLE OF CONTENTS

How the scoring system works:
How they check the address:
International Address Verification
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If 'Yoti' cannot verify the candidate's address, they've advised Verifile that they'll score the candidate's ID (passport and driving license), scanned via the 'Yoti' app (which then transfers the information to the Verifile background screening form), to confirm the candidate's identity and address.

You can find the scoring number in the 'UK Digital Identity Check' via the Verifile client portal.

How the scoring system works:

Yoti has advised us that the scoring system used is in line with the Government's guidelines on how to confirm someone's identity, where they use various databases to do this.

Where the score is given, it is in relation to the levels of confidence (1. Low, 2. Medium, 3. High & 4. Very High).

Please see the scoring system below:

Score 1

The evidence will have a score of 1 if it contains at least 2 of the following pieces of information:

the claimed identity’s name
the claimed identity’s date of birth
the claimed identity’s place of birth
the claimed identity’s address
the claimed identity’s biometric information (these are measurements of biological or behavioural attributes, like an iris or fingerprint)
a photo of the claimed identity
a reference number

The evidence should come from an organisation or person that you know will:

Check the claimed identity when they issue the evidence
Make sure its process for issuing the evidence is not misused

Some examples of evidence that will have a score of 1 include an email, a PDF or a letter from a local authority.

Score 2

The evidence will have a score of 2 if it has everything it needs to get a score of 1 and includes information that’s unique to either:

the identity (for example, the name and a photo of the claimed identity)
that piece of evidence (for example, a reference number)

The organisation that issued the evidence must follow a published policy when checking the claimed identity.

If the evidence includes a name, it must show the person’s full name instead of any pseudonyms, aliases or nicknames.

If the evidence is a physical document, it must be protected by physical security features. These features will stop it from being reproduced without specialist knowledge or information.

If the evidence includes digital information, it must either be protected by:

cryptographic security features that correctly identify the person or organisation that issued it
processes that make sure only authorised users can create, update and access it

Some examples of evidence that have a score of 2 include:

a Home Office travel document (convention travel document, stateless person’s document, one-way document or certificate of travel)
a birth or adoption certificate
an older person’s bus pass
an education certificate from a regulated and recognised educational institution (such as an NVQ, SQA, GCSE, A-level or degree certificate)
a rental or purchase agreement for a residential property
a proof of age card recognised under the Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS)
a Freedom Pass
a marriage or civil partnership certificate
a gas or electric account
a firearm certificate
a ‘substantial’ electronic identity’ from a notified eIDAS scheme

Score 3

The evidence will have a score of 3 if it has everything it needs to get a score of 2, and:

It includes information that’s unique to both the identity and that piece of evidence
Whoever issued the evidence made sure it was received by the same person who applied for it, for example, it could be sent by secure delivery
Whoever issued the evidence checked the claimed identity in a way that follows a standard or regulation that’s been approved or recognised by the UK government, such as the Money Laundering Regulations 2017

It must also:

include the person’s official name instead of their initials or synonyms, for example, ‘Julian’ instead of ‘Jules’ (if the evidence includes a name)
be protected by physical security features that stop it from being reproduced without specialist equipment (if the evidence is a physical document)

The evidence must also include one of the following:

a photo of the person
biometric information that uses cryptographic security features to protect its integrity
cryptographic security features that can be used to identify the person who owns the evidence (this includes evidence with cryptographic chips and digital accounts that are protected by cryptographic methods)

Some examples of evidence that will have a score of 3 include:

passports that meet the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) specifications for machine-readable travel documents, such as a South African passport
identity cards from an EU or European Economic Area (EEA) country that follow the Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 standards
UK photocard driving licences
EU or EEA driving licences that follow the European Directive 2006/126/EC
a Northern Ireland electoral identity card
a US passport card
a bank, building society or credit union current account (which the claimed identity can show by giving you a bank card)
a student loan account
a credit account
a mortgage account (including buy-to-let mortgage accounts)
a digital tachograph driver smart card
an armed forces identity card
a proof of age card recognised under PASS with a unique reference number
a loan account (including hire purchase accounts)
a ‘high’ electronic identity from a notified eIDAS scheme

Score 4

The evidence will have a score of 4 if it has everything it needs to get a score of 3, and:

It includes biometric information
Cryptographic security features protect all digital information (including biometric information)
The cryptographic security features can prove which organisation issued the evidence
whoever issued the evidence proved the claimed identity by comparing and matching the person to an image of the claimed identity from an authoritative source

Some examples of evidence that will have a score of 4 include:

biometric passports that meet the ICAO specifications for e-passports, such as a UK passport
identity cards from an EU or EEA country that follow the Council Regulation (EC) No 2252/2004 standards and contain biometric information
a UK biometric residence permit

How they check the address:

For the UK criminal record check Yoti, would need to confirm the address as part of the process. If the check automatically failed and states 'Unable to verify the address'., It appears that 'Yoti' could not verify the candidate's address as they use a third party for the address check. If the address the candidate provides does not match their third party's database, they can't verify the address. However, this does not mean the candidate does not live there, only that 'Yoti' can't verify they do.

Another possible reason that 'Yoti' cannot confirm the candidate's address is that they simply could not match this candidate's details to the database of their address check provider. Not able to verify the address of the individual, as their details are not on the relevant database used to compare against, no match was found. In rare cases, this could be an issue with a third-party system. However, this is in extreme cases.

If they are unable to confirm the address, once the candidates submits their Verifile background screening form it will automatically tell the system that the identity or address cannot be confirmed, where the check will then automatically cancel and flag as 'red' to bring to your attention that ID must be confirmed via the system manually.

The digital process must be completed before the candidates submits their form, so if its required a new un-linked order should be placed.

However, please note that we cannot guarantee that 'Yoti' would be able to confirm the ID, as it would be the same information they are checking.

International Address Verification

Yoti doesn’t have a separate button or menu labelled “international address validation.” It all happens inside the standard Yoti identity check flow.

Here’s how it usually works:

Start the Yoti ID check as usual (either via their app or the web link the organisation gave you).
When you reach the address stage, enter your non-UK address exactly as it appears on an official document.
- Yoti then automatically routes that entry through Aristotle, their international address database.
- If your country is outside the UK, this is handled behind the scenes — there’s no visible toggle.
If Aristotle can confirm your address, you pass.
If Aristotle cannot confirm it, the Yoti flow usually:
- Prompts you to upload a document that shows your address, or
- Fails the automated check and tells you to resubmit/add extra documents.

⚠️ Important: Some employers/organisations add extra instructions into their own portals. If you are told to “verify international address,” it usually means “go through Yoti as normal; it’ll default to Aristotle if you’re not in the UK.”

If you’re not seeing that option, it’s because there isn’t a dedicated “international section” to click into — the process detects it based on your address/country entry.

Any issue with the process should be directed to Yoti support.

Yoti App Error Codes

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