Selfie and Video KYC: How to Pass the Check and Protect Your Documents

A selfie or a short video in KYC is usually needed to link a real person to a document and to check that the image is being created now rather than reused from someone else's file. To pass the check, open only the operator's official channel, read the exact instructions, prepare a valid original document, ensure even lighting and shoot your face and the document without filters, glare or cropped edges.

Do not send extra photos "just in case". Before uploading, find out the purpose, the required fields, the recipient of the data and the available description of the retention period. Do not edit the mandatory part of the document and do not try to pass liveness with a pre-recorded video. If the check fails, save the rejection code and ask for the exact reason or for a manual review. Do not share your password, CVV, one-time code, seed phrase or remote access to your device.

How a selfie differs from video KYC

Names in interfaces are not standardized. In one service, a selfie check means a photograph of the face, in another it is a series of frames, and video verification may be automatic or carried out by an employee.

The FATF Guidance on Digital Identity lists a selfie, a photograph of a document, face recognition and liveness detection as possible elements of digital identity confirmation. FATF describes a model and risks for states and organizations, and does not prescribe a single format for every casino.

Why a live presence check is needed

A live presence check tries to tell a person in front of the camera from a pre-recorded video, a photograph, a mask or another substitution. The system may analyze movement, a sequence of actions or a comparison of the current image with the document.

The current British guidance GPG 45 version 1.0 describes liveness as confirmation that a real person is in front of the system. It also points to the need for protection against replay of a recording and other methods of substitution.

Do not try to guess the movement in advance. Follow only the prompts of the current session. A random sequence of words, a head turn or a change of angle may be part of a specific check but are not a universal requirement.

When an image becomes biometric data

An ordinary photograph of a face and a biometric template are not always the same thing. The ICO explains that a photograph becomes biometric data in the relevant legal sense when special technical processing is applied to it that allows a person to be uniquely identified or confirmed.

If a service compares features of the face from a selfie with the photograph in the document, such processing may count as biometric under the applicable data protection regime. The exact rights, legal basis and obligations depend on the country and on the role of each organization in the chain.

Before filming, find answers to these questions:

1. Who is the operator of the site?
2. Who provides the KYC technology?
3. For what purpose are the selfie and video used?
4. Is a biometric template created?
5. Where is the Privacy Policy published?
6. How is the retention period of original files and templates described?
7. Is data shared with other companies or other countries?
8. How can I request a manual review or contest an error?

If the answer is not in the interface, request it in writing. Do not invent a legal basis on the company's behalf.

Preparation before starting the camera

Check the address and the initiator

Open the site or app yourself. Compare the domain, the app name and the contacts with the operator's official page. Do not upload a passport and selfie through a link from an unexpected message if its origin is not confirmed.

If the check is performed by an external provider, its name should be explainable in the process or in the privacy documents. The mere presence of a logo does not prove that a page is genuine.

Read the whole instruction

Before you begin, find out:

• which document is accepted;
• whether an original is needed or a digital version is acceptable;
• which sides of the document are photographed;
• whether the document must be held next to the face;
• how much time is given for the session;
• which camera and microphone permissions are required;
• what to do in case of a technical failure;
• whether you can move to a manual review.

For operators under the UKGC, LCCP 17.1.1 requires telling the user before a deposit which documents or information may be needed, in what circumstances and how to provide them. This is a British rule, not a universal rule for every license.

Match your profile with the document

Compare:

• the full name and the order of its parts;
• the date of birth;
• the address, if it is checked;
• the document's validity period;
• the country of issue;
• the transliteration.

Do not change your profile just to match a guess. If there is a lawful change of name, several variants of transliteration or an error made at registration, first ask for the correction instructions.

Prepare the document

Use a document that the operator permits for your GEO. It must be physically intact and legible. Do not apply filters, do not change the text, do not redraw the edges and do not use an image from another device's screen instead of the original unless the process allows it.

The UK Gambling Commission describes verification as matching information against a reliable independent source and allows comparing the person with the photograph in the document. The specific set of documents is chosen by the operator according to the applicable requirements.

Prepare the place

A practical checklist:

• wipe the lens;
• turn on even light in front of your face, not behind your back;
• remove sharp glare from the document;
• choose a plain contrasting background;
• hold the camera still;
• shoot in color;
• do not cover your face with hair, shadow or an accessory;
• check that the connection is stable;
• close apps that may take over the camera;
• make sure the battery will last until the end of the session.

GPG 45 states that a remote image or video must be clear, in color and contrasting, and that the face must not be covered. These criteria explain well the common technical rejections, but a specific service may impose additional requirements.

How to pass the selfie check step by step

1. Start the check from the official account area

Do not copy the link into a group chat and do not forward it to another person. Some links may be single-use or tied to a specific session.

2. Allow only the necessary functions

If the process requires a camera, give camera access for the duration of the check. The microphone is needed only if the instructions involve voice or a video call. A request for contacts, files other than the chosen document or remote control of the device requires a separate explanation.

3. Photograph the document

Place all the required edges in the frame. The text and photo must be in focus. Avoid glare on the hologram, but do not cover it with your finger. If the system asks you to tilt the document, follow the prompt of the current session.

4. Film your face

Look into the camera, keep a neutral expression and do not use a filter. Remove headwear if this is permitted by your medical and religious circumstances and by the process instructions. If necessary, ask about an alternative procedure in advance.

5. Perform the liveness action

Move only on the interface's command. Do not play a pre-recorded clip. If a prompt is unclear or conflicts with accessibility, save the screen without publishing personal data and ask for an alternative.

6. Wait for confirmation of receipt

Save the session number, the date, the time and the final status. Do not keep an extra copy of the selfie in an open photo folder if you do not need it as evidence. For a dispute, the status and the number are usually enough, rather than publishing the face again.

Why the check may fail

The table does not diagnose a specific system. Do not send dozens of attempts in a row: they increase the volume of sensitive data and may complicate the timeline.

What to do after a rejection

Send one structured request:

Account [ID], KYC session [ID], date and time [time zone]. I completed the steps [names] through the official channel. The final status is [status], code [code]. Please state the exact reason for the rejection, which element does not meet the requirements, the permitted correction, the response time and the availability of a manual review. Please do not request again files that have already been accepted without an explanation.

Save:

• the original KYC request;
• the name and URL of the official channel;
• the list of required files;
• the session ID;
• the time of each attempt;
• the rejection code and text;
• the confirmation of receipt;
• support's reply;
• the version of the Privacy Policy on the date of submission.

Do not attach a new full selfie or passport to the first complaint unless the operator has explained the secure channel and the need for a repeat submission.

How to protect documents and biometric data

Submit only what is necessary

The ICO formulates the minimization principle as adequacy, relevance and limitation of data to what is necessary. This is a British legal context. The practical question applies more widely: why is each file and each field needed?

Do not hide a mandatory field in the file for the operator without its written instruction. Masking may make the document unusable. But do not send the whole archive of documents either if the request concerns one specific confirmation.

Check the retention period

The ICO separately states that biometric and other personal data should be kept only as long as required for the purpose, and that periods should be defined. This is an obligation of organizations under the applicable British regime, not a promise of instant deletion on any user's request.

Ask whether the following are kept:

• the original selfie;
• the full video;
• a frame from the video;
• the biometric template;
• the technical log of the session;
• a copy of the document.

Do not give away access secrets

KYC confirms identity, but it does not require you to disclose:

• your account password;
• the CVV or a full PIN;
• a one-time code for logging in or for a transfer to another person;
• a seed phrase or a private key;
• remote access to your screen;
• your online banking password.

If an employee asks you to install a remote control program or to take a selfie in a personal messenger, stop and re-check the official route.

Keep only the necessary copy

Keep the original document in a safe place. Do not leave KYC files in a shared folder, a public link or a chat. For your own timeline, confirmation of the upload is more often enough than a duplicate of each biometric frame.

When to move to a formal complaint

Use the published Complaints procedure if:

• the submission channel is not confirmed by the official website;
• the purpose of the selfie or video is not explained;
• the same good-quality file is rejected without a reason;
• there is no safe alternative after a technical error;
• requests appear one at a time and contradict each other;
• the operator does not confirm receipt;
• the retention period and method cannot be found or clarified;
• support asks for access secrets or remote control;
• KYC is given as an explanation, but there is no check number or written status.

The further route depends on the license and the country. Do not send biometric data to a regulator or an ADR body without checking their instructions and whether it is necessary.

How IPU.bet can help

Under the Terms of Use, IPU.bet Player Support is an informational and organizational service. The team can help build a timeline, separate a technical rejection from a question about documents and formulate a request to the operator. IPU.bet does not perform KYC in place of the casino, does not approve documents and does not guarantee unblocking, a payout or the resolution of a dispute.

The IPU.bet Privacy Policy states that the platform by default does not collect full copies of passports, biometric data or selfies with documents unless the user submits them in the course of an inquiry. For an initial review, send a description, the session ID, the rejection code and an anonymized status. Do not forward a full selfie or video without a separate explanation of the need and a secure channel.

Help from IPU.BET

What to remember

A selfie and video KYC link a person to a document and may include a live presence check. Quality filming requires the official channel, a valid document, even light, a full frame, a clear face and following the prompts of the current session.

Security matters no less than quality. Find out the purpose, the recipient and the storage of the data, submit only what is necessary, do not edit mandatory fields and never give away access secrets. After a repeated rejection, record the ID and code rather than creating endless new attempts.

18+. Play responsibly. Gambling is not a way to make money.

Save the KYC request, the session ID, the status and the exact reason for the rejection. For help with a structured inquiry, open the IPU.bet inquiry form and submit only anonymized materials.