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A referee must not:
- be related to you or in a personal relationship with you (cannot be a guardian, foster carer, spouse, civil partner, fiancé, boyfriend/girlfriend)
- live with you
The referee must be currently employed and be contactable at their place of work via email and on their work telephone number during standard office hours at their registered business address. We have to verify their business details which must be published/advertised in online professional business directories.
For an online application your chosen referee needs to complete a Digital Referee Declaration Form and, if you choose a referee validating original document(s), see and check an original document(s) confirming your identity.
For a paper or printed application your chosen referee needs to countersign your passport quality photograph, your application and, if you choose a referee validating original document(s), a copy of an official document(s) confirming your identity as being true to the original.
The referee must be one of the following:
Referees validating original document(s)
Referees validating original document(s) (also called Route 1) are professionals, who need to see and check an original document confirming your identity.
If the referee knows you personally the document confirming your identity can be one of the following:
- Adoption certificate
- Biometric Home Office photo ID
- Birth certificate
- Certified copy of a birth certificate
- Disclosure and Barring Service certificate (DBS)
- European National ID Card (must bear a recent likeness to you)
- Global or European Health Insurance Card
- Gender Recognition Certificate
- Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
- NHS Medical Card
- Passport (UK or International; must bear a recent likeness to you)
- Photo Driving Licence (UK or European; must bear a recent likeness to you)
- Proof of Age Standards Scheme card
- UK Marriage certificate which states applicant's date of birth
- UK Naturalisation Certificate.
If your referee doesn't know you the following photographic ID documents can be used:
- Biometric Home Office photo ID
- European National ID Card (must bear a recent likeness to you)
- Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
- Passport (UK or International; must bear a recent likeness to you)
- Photo Driving Licence (UK or European; must bear a recent likeness to you)
- Proof of Age Standards Scheme card.
If you are applying using a paper or printed application you must show an original document confirming your identity to your referee, ask them to countersign a photocopy of it and post it to us together with your CitizenCard application. Please do not send original documents - we only need the countersigned copies.
If you changed your name since birth and the document shows your old name, please show the original change of name document(s) - marriage certificate(s), change of name deed(s), Court Order(s) or Gender Recognition Certificate to your referee. Note that for a paper or printed application your referee needs to countersign the photocopies of your change of name document(s) and you need to post them to us together with the other documentation.
Permitted list of referees for process supported by document(s):
- Accountant
- Airline Pilot
- Articled Clerk of a Limited Company
- Assurance agent (of recognised Company)
- Bank / Building Society Official
- Barrister
- British Computer Society (BCS) - Professional grades which are Associate (AMBCS), Member (MBCS), Fellow (FBCS) (PN 25/2003)
- Chairman / Director of a Limited Company
- Chemist
- Chief Petty Officer
- Chiropodist
- Commissioner of Oaths / Notary
- Councillor (County / Local)
- Civil Servant (permanent)
- Dentist
- Designated Premises Supervisor
- Director / Manager of a VAT registered Charity
- Director / Manager / Personnel Officer of a VAT registered Company
- Doctor
- Engineer (qualified to a Degree in Engineering)
- Estate Agent
- Financial Services Intermediary (e.g. stockbroker or insurance broker)
- Fire Service Official
- Funeral Director
- Immigration Adviser (regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner)
- Insurance Agent of a recognised Company (permanent)
- Journalist
- Justice of the Peace
- Legal Secretary (members and fellows of the Institute of legal secretaries)
- Local Government Officer
- Manager / Personnel Officer (of a Limited Company)
- Member of Parliament
- Merchant Navy Officer
- Minister of a recognised religion
- Nurse / Midwife (RGN and RMN)
- Officer of the armed services
- Optician
- Paralegal - Certified Paralegal, Qualified Paralegal or Associate Member of the Institute of Paralegals
- Person with honours (e.g. OBE, MBE etc.)
- Personal Licence Holder (of recognised Company; e.g. Licensee of Public House)
- Pharmacist
- Police Officer
- Post Office Official
- President / Secretary of a recognised Company
- Prison / Probation Officer
- Salvation Army Officer
- Social Worker
- Solicitor
- Surveyor
- Teacher / Lecturer
(please ensure they are available during academic holidays as they must be contactable at their place of work)
- Trade Union Senior Official
- Travel Agent (qualified)
- Valuer / Auctioneer
- Vet
- Warrant Officer
Referees confirming from official records
Referees confirming from official records (also called Route 2) are professionals, who know you and can confirm your details against their official records held at their place of work.
Permitted list of referees matching details against their official records:
- your Doctor / Dentist / Nurse / Administrator at your GP / Dental Surgery
- your Teacher / Tutor / Head of Year / Administrator / Careers Adviser at your School / College / University
(please ensure they are available during academic holidays as they must be contactable at their place of work)
- your Social Worker
- your Certified Solicitor
- a Bank / Building Society staff member at your branch
- your Prison or Probation Officer
- your Jobcentre Plus work coach
- your Immigration Adviser registered at the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner
- if you are employed with any of the above referees, they can verify your identity from their personnel records
- if you are employed by a Public Authority / Government, your employer can verify your identity from their personnel records
- if you are employed by a Local Authority, your employer can verify your identity from their personnel records
- if you are employed by a UK business that has more than 250 staff, your employer can verify your identity from their personnel records.
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