Identity verification in Ireland

Identity verification should answer a defined question with an appropriate level of confidence. It is different from identifying a claimed person, authenticating an existing account or deciding whether that person is eligible for a service.

For: Irish product, compliance, fraud, privacy, security and procurement teams. This is independent information, not legal, compliance or security advice.

Four terms that change the design

• Identification: establish or resolve which identity is claimed.
• Evidence validation: check that evidence is genuine, current and accurate.
• Verification: establish that the applicant owns or controls the evidence.
• Authentication: check that a returning account user controls an enrolled authenticator.

A complete proofing journey

1. Define the service decision and assurance required.
2. Collect the minimum suitable evidence and attributes.
3. Validate evidence and attributes against trustworthy sources.
4. Verify ownership through an appropriate method.
5. Bind the proven identity to an account or transaction.
6. Support notification, correction, recovery, redress and audit.

Method families

Irish services may use documentary evidence, passport-chip/NFC data, authoritative or credible data, face comparison, attended review, account control, wallet credentials or combinations. The correct comparison is what each method proves, which attacks remain, who it excludes and what data it creates.

From learning to buying

Use the methods comparison to define requirements, the fraud and privacy pages to set controls, the procurement checklist to structure a pilot, and the editorial directory only after the decision criteria are clear.

Evidence and limits

MyID separates enacted rules, official implementation material, testing and vendor claims. A source can establish what its publisher says; it does not prove that every product, deployment or interpretation works as claimed. Where Irish implementation remains unsettled, this page says so.

• NIST SP 800-63A-4 identity proofing
• Central Bank of Ireland AML/CFT guidance
• ENISA Remote Identity Proofing: Attacks and Countermeasures

Sources checked 22 August 2026. Re-check the linked primary material before making a consequential decision.

Next useful pages

• Methods compared
• Procurement checklist
• Provider directory