Verifying your identity on Airbnb (2024)

At Airbnb, trust is the cornerstone of our community—where millions of people across the world place trust in each other as they travel or host stays.

A key part of building this trust is verifying the identity of our users. Our identity verification process is a series of steps we take to help ensure users within our community are genuine so that everyone can feel more confident using Airbnb. Every Host, co-Host, and booking guest must be identity verified to use our platform.

While no process is perfect, this aims to minimise fraudulent behaviour, promote safety and enable meaningful, real world interactions within our community.

Why we verify identity

Verifying the identity of guests and Hosts helps us to:

• Promote trust between guests and Hosts
• Uphold Airbnb’s community guidelines
• Reduce fraudulent behaviour
• Perform background checks when permitted by law
• Respond to, support and investigate safety and security issues
• Comply with applicable laws and regulations, including payments and tax laws

How identity verification works

We require primary Hosts, co-Hosts and booking guests to be verified for all stays on Airbnb. Certain Airbnb Experiences may require identity verification as well.

Verifying your identity means verifying certain personal information, such as your legal name, address, phone number or other contact details. In some cases, we can do this without any additional info needed from you. In other cases, we may need to ask for more information, as described below.

In the US, some users may be able to choose to use facial recognition technology – also known as facial recognition – to complete identity verification.

Don’t worry—any identity information you provide outside of your name won’t be shared with any Hosts or guests on Airbnb, and will be handled according to our Privacy Policy.

What info we ask for

• Legal name, address and/or other personal information: In some cases, personal info is all we need to verify your identity—but this depends on a few factors, including the country you’re located in or if we detect anomalies on our platform. We’ll collect your legal name during signup or verification, but you can always add a preferred first name that shows to Hosts and guests.
• Photo of your government ID: If we can’t verify you with the information above, or if a certain verification method isn’t available or effective in your country, we may ask you to provide a photo of your government ID. This could be a driver licence, passport or national identity card. You can learn more about the types of IDs permitted—as well as country-specific guidelines.
• Selfie: We may need to ask you for a photo of yourself in addition to the above photo of your government ID. Don’t worry—this selfie won’t be used on your profile or shown to other users. If you can’t provide a selfie that matches your government ID, you can contact us for an alternative verification method.

If you’re not able to be verified with this information, in limited circ*mstances, you may be eligible to provide other proof of who you are, like a marriage licence or court order, to complete this process.

When we ask to verify

Guests

As a guest, you’ll need to verify your identity when you book a stay or when you book an Experience where the host has required verification. Most users only need to do this once, and we’ll guide you through any steps you’ll need to take.

This typically happens during checkout—where we provide you with a specific deadline to finish. During this time, your reservation is pending and others can’t book your dates. We’ll also send you notifications—like emails, text message and push reminders depending on your preferences—to help you finish before the deadline. If you don't complete the process in this timeline, your reservation won’t be confirmed.

Hosts

If you’re getting started as a Host, you’ll need to verify your identity when creating a listing for a stay or Experience for the first time, or if you’ve been invited to be a new co-Host of a listing. While there’s no time limit for Hosts to complete verification, your listing won’t be published until you finish. This means you can’t accept bookings until after you’ve been identity verified. Similarly, as a co-Host, you’ll need to finish verification before you can accept your invite.

As a Host, we may ask you to go through identity verification periodically. If you don’t complete this when prompted, your calendar may be blocked until you do so.

Lastly, if you edit your legal name in your Account, we’ll also ask you to re-verify your identity. We may be able to do this instantly using information you’ve already provided us, such as your name and contact details—or you might be asked to complete other verification steps. When this happens, any existing trips you’ve booked won’t be affected, but you won’t be able to make a new booking until we verify that change.

As a Host, your existing bookings also won’t be affected, but your calendar will be blocked until you complete verification.

How long the process takes

After you submit your info, it typically takes us less than 1 hour to verify your identity. This may differ based on the country you live in and what info you provided.

Make sure the info you provide is valid, accurate and up to date. Otherwise, it could take us longer to verify you, or we might need to follow up and request additional info.

If you’re a guest making a booking—remember to complete verification by the deadline we provide you. During this time, your reservation is pending and others can’t book your dates. We’ll also send you notifications—like emails, text message and push reminders—to help you finish before the deadline.

Tips if you’re having trouble

• Check your messages:You may have been sent additional information via text, email or phone. If you think you missed a message from us, follow these instructions.
• Use your first and last legal name: Make sure the legal name you provide matches that in public records or on your Government ID. If your legal name is different, such as after a marriage or gender affirmation, you can contact our Customer Support team to verify an alternative legal name with a government-issued document like a marriage licence or court order. While you have to use a legal name for verification, you can add a preferred first name that shows to other guests and Hosts instead.
• Grant camera permission:The Airbnb app or your browser may need permission to access your camera. You can typically find instructions on how to provide these permissions to Airbnb by checking your browser or app settings. If you update these permissions and it’s still not working, try refreshing our app or webpage.
• Use high-quality photos:Take photos in a well-lit room, and check that the photos are clear, not obscured and fit within the frames we designate during the process. For selfies, religious head coverings are welcome—but please make sure that we can see your eyes, nose and mouth. Don’t worry—your selfie won’t be shown to other users on Airbnb or on your profile.
• Take a picture of yourself in the moment:If you’re asked to take a selfie, it must be taken of you at the moment of submission and not be a previous photo of you. Don’t worry—this won’t show on your profile or to other users on Airbnb.
• Use an original ID that’s not expired:Make sure the ID you provide is unexpired and an original—that means it’s not a photocopy, PDF or other digital copy. If the ID has two sides, such as a driver licence or national identity card, submit photos of both the front and back. Note that you might also need to follow country-specific guidelines, depending on where you’re located.

Where we display your identity verified badge

Once you’ve been verified, you’ll get an Identity verified badge. Your verified badge and status is shown across Airbnb as a red badge with a tick next to your profile photo. It’s also shown in your profile under [Your name]’s confirmed information. If you’re a Host, the label Identity verified may also be shown on your listing page in the Host section.

If you’re a Host who operates as a large enterprise, you may have created multiple accounts to help manage all of your listings. In these cases, your connected Host accounts may not always display an Identity verified badge even though the business operating the account has been verified.

Losing your identity verification badge

If you change your personal information, like your legal name, or remove your government ID from your account, you may lose your identity verified badge and need to verify again to book or host future guests.

Identity info your Host can ask for

Airbnb doesn’t share your government ID with a Host when you book. However, your Host may ask for a government ID after booking if they added information about what is required and why in their listing description at the time you booked—and only where required for legal or compliance reasons as outlined in Airbnb’s off-platform policy.

Some regions have laws that require guests to register with local authorities. This can be done directly with the local authorities—or at the accommodation by the Host on behalf of the authorities. In other words, if you’ve booked a stay in a region where this applies, a Host of a bed & breakfast, hostel, hotel or other accommodation on Airbnb might request this registration from you.

How we share and manage your data

We are a community built on trust. A fundamental part of earning that trust means being clear about how we use your information.

Only authorised Airbnb personnel and authorised third-party providers may access the information you submit, and all info is stored and transmitted in a secure manner. We share your identification information with authorised third-party service providers to help support the identity verification process—including such things as verifying your identity, authenticating your identification documents and performing background checks (where permitted under applicable law).

We delete your Government ID after a prescribed retention period relating to the purpose it was collected for has elapsed—unless we’re legally required to retain it. Note that after your ID has been deleted, we continue to retain some information from it—such as your date of birth—for the management of your account, legal compliance and general security purposes.

We handle the information collected during identity verification for purposes outlined in our Privacy Policy. Examples of the info we collect, and the purposes we may use them for are below.

• Personal information you have provided us with, such as legal name, address and date of birth:
  • Supporting our identity verification process as detailed above
  • Responding to and investigating safety and security issues to protect our users on the Airbnb platform and the wider community
  • Responding to and assisting law enforcement investigations; responding to information requests from public bodies
  • Upholding Airbnb’s community guidelines
  • Complying with applicable laws, which includes payments and tax laws
  • Detecting fraudulent behaviour
  • Doing background checks where permitted under applicable laws
• Your government ID or other identity-related documentation you have provided:
  • Supporting our identity verification process as detailed above
  • Responding to and investigating safety and security issues involving users of the platform and the wider community
  • Responding to and assisting law enforcement investigations
  • Complying with applicable laws, which includes payments and tax laws

Did this article help?