Who can act as a referee for British naturalisation

Katerina Galkina · EN · 07/10/2026

You need two eligible people

A naturalisation application must be endorsed by two referees. They must meet Home Office rules and know the applicant; any two acquaintances holding British passports will not necessarily qualify. The exact conditions appear in the Referees section of Form AN guidance ↗.

The first referee may have any nationality but must be an accepted professional person. The other must hold a British citizen passport and either be a professional person or be over 25. Each must have known you for at least three years. Check the combination of requirements for both before requesting declarations.

Check the restrictions

A referee must not be related to you or the other referee, be your solicitor or agent for the application, or work for the Home Office. The guidance also addresses convictions. Check the professional category against the list linked from AN guidance ↗, rather than an everyday understanding of “professional”.

Use a short checklist for each candidate: length of acquaintance, nationality and passport where required, occupation and prohibited relationships. Do not ask someone to declare that they have known you for three years if you met recently. Paying an unfamiliar person for a signature does not meet that requirement.

Agree the details and complete the declaration

Explain the purpose and obtain consent before supplying contact details. Give the referee the current form or declaration generated by your application and the Home Office instructions. They should read their statements, check the applicant's details and sign and date where required.

Check the name, occupation, contact details and any requested passport information. Ensure scans are legible and retain originals as instructed. Do not use an old group-shared form if the current application generates a different document. Naturalisation referees and the person confirming identity for a first passport perform different procedures.

If you cannot find a suitable referee

Consider longstanding colleagues, employers, teachers and professional acquaintances; remember the first referee need not be British. If a difficulty remains, seek clarification from UKVI or a regulated immigration adviser for your situation. Do not substitute an explanation that you know nobody without checking the accepted procedure.

Tell referees that the Home Office may verify their details or contact them. Agree that they will notify you of contact changes while the application is pending. Keep their personal information within your application records and use an agreed channel rather than a public discussion.