How to Get Verified on Instagram: Meta Verified vs the Blue Check (2026)

The blue tick next to a username is one of the most quietly coveted things on Instagram. It signals that an account is the real deal, it tends to come with a small bump in trust and reach, and for a long time it was almost impossible to get unless you were genuinely famous.

That has changed. There are now two routes to a verified badge, and for most creators and businesses only one of them is realistic. Here is how each works, what it costs, and what you actually need.

What is the Instagram verification badge?

A verified badge is the blue tick that appears next to an account’s name on its profile and in search. It tells people the account is authentic: that Instagram (or rather Meta) has confirmed this is the genuine account behind a given name, brand or business.

Worth being clear about what it does and does not mean. The tick confirms authenticity, not authority or expertise. It is not a quality award, and it does not mean Instagram endorses what you post. It just means you are who you say you are.

The two ways to get verified

This is the bit most older guides get wrong, so it is worth slowing down for.

Meta Verified (paid). A monthly subscription, launched in 2023, that bundles a verified badge with a few extras. It costs roughly £11.99 to £14.99 a month depending on your platform and region (subscribing through an app store usually costs more than the web). For the vast majority of creators and small businesses, this is now the realistic path to a blue tick.

Legacy verification (free). The old “we decide if you are notable enough” route still exists, but it is reserved for genuinely high-profile public figures, brands and organisations. If you are not already well known and written about, this is not the path for you, and no amount of polishing your profile will change that.

If you have spent any time searching “how to get verified on Instagram” and come away frustrated, this is usually why. People were chasing the free route when, for them, the paid one is the only one that ends in a badge.

How to get Meta Verified

The flow lives in Settings, and Instagram has moved things around more than once, so navigate by label rather than by memorising taps:

1. Go to your profile and open Settings (the menu icon in the top corner).
2. Look for Meta Verified near the top of the settings list, or search “verified” in the settings search bar.
3. Follow the prompts to choose your plan and confirm eligibility.
4. Verify your identity with a government ID whose name matches your profile name.
5. Pay the subscription and wait for the review.

To be eligible for Meta Verified you generally need to:

• Be over the minimum age (18+).
• Have a profile name and photo that match the ID you submit.
• Have a history of prior posting activity, so a brand-new, empty account will not qualify.
• Meet Instagram’s account standards (no recent serious violations).

One catch worth flagging before you subscribe: while you hold Meta Verified, you cannot change your username. So lock in the handle you actually want first. If your profile still needs work, our guide to optimising your Instagram bio covers the name, photo and details reviewers look at.

How legacy (free) verification works

If you genuinely are a notable public figure or recognised brand, the free route may still be open to you. You request it from within Settings (look for the verification or “request verification” option, again easiest to find via the settings search), then submit your full name and a form of ID such as a passport, driving licence or national ID card.

Anyone can technically apply. Getting accepted is the hard part, because Instagram weighs a handful of things and most of them are out of your control:

• Authentic. The genuine account of a real person, brand or entity. Meme pages and fan accounts need not apply.
• Unique. One account per person or business. Niche exceptions like language-specific accounts aside, you do not get two ticks.
• Public. Private accounts are not eligible.
• Notable. Well known and widely searched for, ideally with independent press coverage to back it up. Building a recognisable brand on Instagram is what moves the needle here, not follower count alone.
• Active. A real account that posts, rather than a placeholder.

If that list reads like a description of someone already famous, that is rather the point, and it is exactly why Meta Verified exists for everyone else.

How many followers do you need to get verified?

This is the question everyone asks, and the answer is the same for both routes: there is no follower minimum.

Meta Verified is a subscription, so eligibility is about identity and account standing, not size. Legacy verification leans on notability and press coverage, which often correlate with a big following but are not the same thing. Plenty of large accounts never get a badge, and some smaller, genuinely notable ones do. Followers help your case in the background. They are not a threshold you cross.

Can you change your username after verification?

Not freely, no.

With Meta Verified, changing your username is blocked while you are subscribed, which is why choosing the right handle before you sign up matters.

With legacy verification, changing your username can cost you the badge, and verification cannot be transferred to a different account. Either way, settle on the username you want before the tick arrives.

A few things that genuinely help

None of these buy you a badge, but they keep your account in the kind of shape that reviewers and the subscription checks expect.

Keep your profile consistent. Your name, photo and details should match the identity you are verifying. Mismatches are an easy reason to get knocked back.

Stay active and on-side. Post regularly and follow Instagram’s Terms of Use and Community Guidelines. Recent serious violations can sink an application.

Report impersonators. If fake accounts are passing themselves off as you, report them. Authenticity is central to the whole thing, and a clean, clearly-genuine presence works in your favour.

A blue tick lends an account credibility and can nudge a few more people to follow you. Just go in clear-eyed about which route applies to you. If a paid badge is not your priority, you can do plenty with the Instagram subscriptions feature and a profile worth following instead.