How to apply for naturalisation and organise the supporting evidence

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

Build the bundle for your route

Start with the current Form AN guidance ↗ and the requirements of your chosen basis. Group evidence by purpose: identity and names, permanent status, residence and travel, language and Life in the UK, marriage to a British citizen where relevant, referees and explanations of particular circumstances.

Make a table recording each requirement, supporting document, period covered and readiness. Resolve discrepancies in names, dates and numbers before filling in the form. For documents outside English or Welsh, check the required translation. Do not replace evidence of a fact with a long explanation when an appropriate official document is available.

Prove identity and residence

The AN guide lists accepted identity and name-change evidence, including passports and, where applicable, BRPs. Permission to use an old document for a particular procedure does not make it a valid travel document. Check the list and date limits at submission.

For UK presence, the guide describes passports and alternative evidence such as employer letters, payslips, P60s or educational records. Additional evidence is provided for passports without entry stamps. UKVI also explains ↗ that you need not request Home Office entry and exit records before applying; you must still give the best available account of your travel. Use the permitted attachment for absences exceeding the form's space.

Complete the form and review answers

Access the form through the official application page ↗. Saving an initial draft is not submission: submitting the completed application is the relevant step. Before doing so, recheck physical presence three or five years earlier, absences, status basis and good-character answers.

Arrange two eligible referees under AN rules and prepare your test references. Disclose the facts requested even if they seem unimportant; obtain professional advice if uncertain. Save the final application and attachment list before payment and submission.

Uploads, biometrics and further requests

GOV.UK describes the online process ↗: upload copies through the service or use available scanning at the appointment. Follow your actual document and biometric instructions; UKVI may reuse previous biometrics or require fresh enrolment. Do not post originals unless instructed.

Separate the government fee from any paid appointment extras, translation and representation costs. Check every file's legibility, then save upload and appointment confirmations. While the case is pending, monitor correspondence, respond by specified deadlines and report material changes. Uploading many irrelevant files does not compensate for missing essential evidence.