Why is my date of birth required for registration?

Your date of birth must be added your registration in order to access UK Biobank data. This is required in order to check your identity against international sanctions lists. Trained personnel carry out background checks on any researcher who applies for access. They review the researcher's professional history and look for evidence that they have carried out high-quality health-related research. They must be working for a legitimate research organisation with a track record of health-related research.

All researchers are checked against international sanctions lists. This ensures our data is used only by ethical, bona fide researchers carrying our research in the interest of public health.