diff --git a/app/v2/notifications/notification_schemas.py b/app/v2/notifications/notification_schemas.py
index ebf4b990d6..e5d0c2293d 100644
--- a/app/v2/notifications/notification_schemas.py
+++ b/app/v2/notifications/notification_schemas.py
@@ -195,7 +195,8 @@
         "email_address": {"type": "string", "format": "email_address"},
         "va_identifier": {"type": "object", "properties": {
             "id_type": {
-                "type": "string"
+                "type": "string",
+                "enum": VA_IDENTIFIER_TYPES
             },
             "value": {
                 "type": "string"
diff --git a/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_notification_schemas.py b/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_notification_schemas.py
index 75a9186d37..23651b9f15 100644
--- a/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_notification_schemas.py
+++ b/tests/app/v2/notifications/test_notification_schemas.py
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ def test_post_sms_request_schema_invalid_phone_number_and_missing_template():
                          }
 valid_va_identifier_json = {
     "va_identifier": {
-        "id_type": "foo",
+        "id_type": VA_PROFILE_ID,
         "value": "bar"
     },
     "template_id": str(uuid.uuid4())
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ def test_post_sms_request_schema_invalid_phone_number_and_missing_template():
 valid_email_and_va_identifier_json = {
     "email_address": "test@example.gov.uk",
     "va_identifier": {
-        "id_type": "foo",
+        "id_type": VA_PROFILE_ID,
         "value": "bar"
     },
     "template_id": str(uuid.uuid4())
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ def test_post_email_schema_invalid_email_address(email_address, err_msg):
 
 
 missing_id_type_json = {"value": "bar"}
-missing_value_json = {"id_type": "foo"}
+missing_value_json = {"id_type": VA_PROFILE_ID}
 missing_id_type_and_value_json = {"invalid_param": "invalid"}
 
 
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ def test_post_email_schema_invalid_email_address(email_address, err_msg):
     (missing_value_json, ["value"]),
     (missing_id_type_and_value_json, ["id_type", "value"])
 ])
-def test_post_email_json_schema_invalid_va_identifier(va_identifier, missing_key_name):
+def test_post_email_json_schema_missing_va_identifier_required_fields(va_identifier, missing_key_name):
     j = {
         "va_identifier": va_identifier,
         "template_id": str(uuid.uuid4())
@@ -361,6 +361,36 @@ def test_post_email_json_schema_invalid_va_identifier(va_identifier, missing_key
                 'message': "va_identifier " + key_name + " is a required property"} in error['errors']
 
 
+def test_post_email_json_schema_invalid_va_identifier_id_type():
+    id_type_not_an_accepted_va_identifier_json = {
+        "va_identifier": {
+            "id_type": "foo",
+            "value": "bar",
+        },
+        "template_id": str(uuid.uuid4())
+    }
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError) as e:
+        validate(id_type_not_an_accepted_va_identifier_json, post_email_request_schema)
+    error = json.loads(str(e.value))
+    assert len(error.keys()) == 2
+    assert error.get('status_code') == 400
+    assert len(error.get('errors')) == 1
+    assert {'error': 'ValidationError',
+            'message': "va_identifier foo is not one of [va_profile_id, pid, icn]"} in error['errors']
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("va_identifier_type", VA_IDENTIFIER_TYPES)
+def test_post_email_schema_id_type_should_only_use_enum_values(va_identifier_type):
+    id_type_as_enum_json = {
+        "va_identifier": {
+            "id_type": va_identifier_type,
+            "value": "bar"
+        },
+        "template_id": str(uuid.uuid4())
+    }
+    assert validate(id_type_as_enum_json, post_email_request_schema) == id_type_as_enum_json
+
+
 def valid_email_response():
     return {
         "id": str(uuid.uuid4()),