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