Abstract The Kolmogorov complexity of a string is the minimum length of a programme that can produce that string. Information distance between two strings based on Kolmogorov complexity is defined as the minimum length of a programme that can transform either string into the other one, both ways. The second quantised Kolmogorov complexity of a quantum state is the minimum average length of a quantum programme that can reproduce that state. In this paper, a second quantised information distance is defined based on the second quantised Kolmogorov complexity. It is described as the minimum average length of a transformation quantum programme between two quantum states. This distance's basic properties are discussed. A practical analogue of quantum information distance is also developed based on quantum data compression.