Referee for British Citizenship Application
When applying for British citizenship by naturalisation, the Home Office requires two referees to confirm your identity and suitability. Their endorsement forms part of your online application and helps verify your personal details.
This guide explains who qualifies, who does not, and how to choose appropriate referees to avoid delays or refusals.
For immediate assistance with your citizenship situation, call our immigration advisors today at 020 4502 8582. We’re here to help you in person, via the phone, or online.
What is a Referee for a British Citizenship Application?
A referee is someone who will vouch for you. If you’re applying for British citizenship, you’ll need to provide two referees that can vouch for your character, and also confirm your identity.
A British Citizenship referee is someone who has known you for at least three years and can confirm that you are of good character. The referee should be able to provide evidence that they know you well, such as a written letter from them confirming their relationship with you.
One of the British Citizenship referees must also be a UK resident, over the age of 18 and not related to you in any way (including spouse/partner). If they are your spouse or partner, they cannot act as your referee. The other referee can be of any nationality with a professional standing or aged over 25.
Page Contents
- What is a Referee for a British Citizenship Application?
- What Does a Referee Have to Do?
- Eligibility Criteria for Referees
- What Does Professional Standing Mean?
- What Does a Referee Have to do?
- Will the Home Office check my referees?
- What if My Referees Are Not Accepted?
- How can London Immigration Lawyers Help?
What Does a Referee Have to Do?
Your referees are required to prove your identity for your British citizenship application. To do this they will need to provide some information about themselves and they must also sign a declaration.
They will need to provide the following information to you:
- Full name
- Address(es) for last 3 years
- Date of birth
- Profession
- Phone number
- Email address
- British passport number (if British)
- How they know you
You will then need to fill in the above information about them on your application form.
Your referees will then need to sign a declaration, at the top of the declaration form is a passport-sized photograph of yourself that should have your name and date of birth written on the back. Your referees must sign the declaration at the bottom of the form.
When your referees sign the declaration they will be confirming that:
- They are qualified to act as a referee
- The photograph above is a true likeness of you
- They understand each of the points in the “Requirements of a referee” section of the form
- To the best of their knowledge, the details given about you in the application are correct
- The details given about them as a refugee are correct
- They understand they could be fined up to £5,000, or go to prison for up to 3 months if they knowingly give false information
Who Can be a Referee for British Citizenship: Eligibility Requirements
Overview
The Home Office has criteria for who can act as a British citizenship referee:
- They must be aged 18 or older
- They must have no criminal record
- They must not be disqualified from acting as a referee
- They must have known you for at least three years
In addition to the above, the referees shouldn’t be your:
- Relative
- Related to your other referee
- Adviser representing you on your citizenship application
- Employed by the Home Office
One referee must be a person of professional standing, and this referee can be of any nationality. The second referee must be a British passport holder and be over 25 years old unless they are also a person of professional standing.
If you live outside the UK and do not know a British citizen passport holder who is either a professional person or over the age of 25, you may ask a commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the country in which you are residing may sign and submit the form provided that they meet all other requirements and that the consul deems it acceptable.
If the referees meet these criteria, they can apply for confirmation as British citizenship referees.
Referee Requirements for Child Applications
For child applicants, at least one of the referees must be a professional who has dealt with the child in a work-related manner, such as a teacher, doctor, healthcare worker or social worker.
If a child does not have a referee who can verify that he or she has worked with them in a professional capacity, you may accept two referees who meet the criteria for adult referees.
Who Cannot be a Referee for British Citizenship?
It is not possible for an applicant to be a referee for themselves. Also, your referee cannot be someone you are related to or is related to the other referee.
In addition, there are specific categories of people who are ineligible to act as referees:
- People who currently have a criminal conviction in the UK or abroad (or have had one in the past few years)
- People with mental health problems or learning disabilities that make it impossible for them to make an informed decision about whether or not they can act as a referee
- Anyone who has been excluded from being a British citizenship referee due to previous bad behaviour
If it becomes clear that you have included someone as a referee who does not meet the necessary requirements, your application may be delayed. To avoid this, make sure you only include eligible referees.
What Does Professional Standing Mean?
Professional standing is a term used to describe the level of education, experience and knowledge that a person has.
This term is used when deciding whether or not it is appropriate for someone to act as a referee in relation to British citizenship applications.
British Citizenship Referee Profession List
The following professions are eligible to act as a British citizenship referee:
- accountant
- airline pilot
- articled clerk of a limited company
- assurance agent of a recognised company
- bank or building society official
- barrister
- British Computer Society (BCS) – professional grades which are Associate (AMBCS), Member (MBCS), Fellow (FBCS) (PN 25/2003)
- broker
- chairman or director of a limited company
- chemist
- chiropodist
- christian science practitioner
- commissioner for oaths
- councillor: local or county
- civil servant (permanent)
- dentist
- designated premises supervisors
- director or manager of a VAT-registered charity
- director, manager or personnel officer of a VAT-registered company
- driving instructor (approved)
- engineer (with professional qualifications)
- fire service official
- funeral director
- insurance agent (full-time) of a recognised company
- journalist
- justice of the Peace
- legal secretary (members and fellows of the Institute of legal secretaries)
- local government officer
- manager or Personnel officer (of a limited company)
- member of Parliament
- member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces
- Merchant Navy officer
- minister of a recognised religion
- nurse (RN, SEN or holder of a BA in nursing)
- officer of the armed services (active or retired)
- optician
- paralegal (certified or qualified paralegals, and associate members of the
- Institute of Paralegals)
- person with honours (such as OBE, MBE and so on)
- personal licensee holders
- photographer (professional)
- police officer
- Post Office official
- president or secretary of a recognised organisation
- Salvation Army officer
- social worker
- adviser
- surveyor
- teacher, lecturer
- trade union officer
- travel agency (qualified)
- valuers and auctioneers (fellow and associate members of the incorporated society)
- warrant officers and chief petty officers
What Does a Referee Have to do?
Referees must provide the Home Office with specific information about themselves and sign a declaration. The declaration must include the following information:
- Full name
- Address(es) for the last 3 years
- Date of birth
- Telephone number
- Email address
- Profession
- British passport number (if British)
- Details about how they know you
By signing the declaration, the referees will confirm that:
- The referee is qualified to act as a referee for your application
- The photograph attached accurately depicts the applicant
- They have read the “requirements of a referee” section of the form
- They have read the application and are signing it so that, to the best of their knowledge, all details given in it are correct
When the referee has completed the declaration, they can send it either in hard copy or electronically to the person processing your citizenship application.
Will the Home Office check my referees?
The Home Office may contact your referee if there is a problem with their information. If you provide two good referees, there should be no reason why you would not get British citizenship.
The best way to ensure that this happens is to make sure that your referees are aware of what they’re signing and that they provide the correct information to the Home Office.
If the referee is unable to provide the requested information, or if there are any inconsistencies in what is provided, you should be contacted by the Home Office so that you can make amendments.
In the event that you provide false information, you could be liable for up to three months in prison or fined up to £5,000 or both.
Overseas applications
If you are applying to become a British citizen from overseas and you do not know a British citizen passport holder who is either a professional person or over the age of 25 then you may be able to get someone else to sign the referee declaration form.
You can have another person sign the form providing that they are either a commonwealth citizen or a citizen in the country that you are living in. They must also meet the other requirements and the Home Office must deem their signature as acceptable.
What if My Referees Are Not Accepted?
If your referees are not accepted, you have the option to resubmit a different set of referees. You can request that your application be reviewed again by sending in a new set of referee forms with the same supporting documents.
If you cannot provide an alternative referee, your application for British citizenship can be refused by the Home Office.
How Can London Immigration Lawyers Help?
Yes, we know just how difficult it can be to apply for British citizenship by naturalisation which is why we offer citizenship application services that will see our expert UK immigration lawyers be there to support you throughout the entire application process.
Just a few of the ways that we can assist you with your application include:
- Assessing whether you are eligible to become a British citizen
- Filling in the citizenship application form on your behalf
- Helping you to meet all of the requirements for citizenship, including preparing you for the Life in the UK test
- Helping you to put together a substantial portfolio of documents to support your application
- Helping you to find adequate referees for your application and assisting your referees with the declaration form
- Answering any questions you may have about the application process
As well as citizenship by naturalisation, we also assist with a variety of other British citizenship applications including British citizenship by birth and British citizenship by descent.
For more information about how we can help you to become a British citizen, get in touch with our team today on 020 4502 8582.
Legal Disclaimer
The information provided is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, the law may change, and the information may not reflect the most current legal developments. No warranty is given regarding the accuracy or completeness of the information, and we do not accept liability in such cases. We recommend consulting with a qualified lawyer at London Immigration Lawyers before making any decisions based on the content provided.
Last modified on December 12th, 2025 at 1:28 pm
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