HM Armed Forces Veteran Card

Posted on:

(as copied from HM Armed Forces Veteran Card: Overview – GOV.UK)

HM Armed Forces Veteran Card

Contents

  1. Overview
  2. Apply for a Veteran Card
  3. Get a digital version of your Veteran Card
  4. Replace a lost or damaged Veteran Card

Overview

An HM Armed Forces Veteran Card is a way to prove that you served in the UK armed forces. The card can make it quicker and easier to apply for support as a veteran. 

You’ll get your Veteran Card in your service leavers’ pack within 6 weeks of leaving the armed forces.

If you left the armed forces before December 2018, you need to apply for a Veteran Card.

If you’ve already got your card, you can get a digital version of your Veteran Card on your phone.

Who can get a Veteran Card

You can get a card if you were in the regulars or reserves for the:

  • Royal Navy
  • British Army
  • Royal Air Force (RAF)
  • Royal Marines

You may also be able to get a card if you served in:

  • the Royal Fleet Auxiliary 
  • the Merchant Navy – and you sailed in support of the UK armed forces
  • another group in the UK armed forces

You can check if you’re eligible when you apply for a Veteran Card online or call to request a postal form.

You cannot get a card if you served:

  • in the armed forces of another country
  • alongside the UK armed forces, for example in the Royal Canadian Navy or Royal Australian Air Force

What you can do with a Veteran Card

You can use a Veteran Card to:

  • prove your identity when you vote
  • get discounts at restaurants, shops, attractions and gyms
  • get travel discounts
  • claim National Insurance relief
  • prove your identity on domestic British Airways flights
  • get employment support
  • get housing support
  • register as a veteran with your GP
  • get support for your physical and mental health

Find out more about what your Veteran Card offers.

NextApply for a Veteran Card

View a printable version of the whole guide