An application for naturalisation as a British citizen must be endorsed by two referees. They confirm who you are and that they have no reason to doubt you are a suitable person to become a British citizen. Choosing the right two people, and checking them against the rules before you apply, is one of the simplest ways to avoid delay.
This page sets out the rules as they stand in the Home Office’s Form AN guidance (last updated 7 July 2026). If you are applying for a passport, you need a countersignatory or a digital referee instead, with different rules; see British passports.
The rules in short
- Two referees, each of whom has known you for at least three years.
- The first referee may be of any nationality but must be a professional person: for example a minister of religion, a civil servant, or a member of a professional body such as an accountant or a solicitor (but not a solicitor or adviser representing you in this application).
- The second referee must hold a British citizen passport, and must either be a professional person or be over 25.
- Neither referee may be related to you or to the other referee.
Who cannot be your referee
Neither referee can be:
- related to you, or related to your other referee;
- the solicitor or agent who is representing you in the application, including us;
- employed by the Home Office; or
- someone who has been convicted of an imprisonable offence in the last ten years.
The Home Office may check that your referees are qualified to act, that they have no unspent convictions and that their signatures and details are genuine.
Who counts as a professional person
The Home Office publishes a list of accepted occupations. It is long and it is specific: accountants, airline pilots, barristers, dentists, doctors, engineers, journalists, nurses, police officers, solicitors, teachers and trade union officials are among those on it. A job that sounds professional is not necessarily on the list, so check your referee’s occupation against the current list before you ask them.
If you live overseas
If you live abroad and do not know a British citizen who is qualified to act, the guidance allows a Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the country where you live, to act as a referee. They must have professional standing in that country, have known you for three years, and the Consul must consider their signature acceptable.
If the application is for a child
For a child, one referee should be a professional who has dealt with the child in a professional capacity: a teacher, a health visitor, a social worker or a minister of religion, for example. If a child cannot provide such a referee and you can show that you tried, two referees who meet the criteria for adult applications can be accepted.
Common mistakes
- A referee who has known you for less than three years.
- A second referee who is not British, or whose British passport details do not match the application.
- A referee who is on the list of professions but is also a relative of you, or of the other referee.
- Using the solicitor or adviser who is preparing the application.
- Asking referees at the last moment, when the rest of the application is ready.
A warning on accuracy
It is a criminal offence to give false information knowingly or recklessly on a nationality application, punishable under section 46(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981 by up to three months’ imprisonment or a fine of up to £5,000, or both. Make sure each referee reads what they are confirming.
How we help
We check your referees against the current guidance before you apply, and prepare the whole application. See naturalisation as a British citizen and good character. A consultation costs from £99.
