Referee Help

Selina001 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 30, 2025 10:40 am

Hi All,

Apologies if this has already been covered elsewhere — I have a few questions regarding the British Citizenship application process.

My husband recently received his Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), and thanks to all the amazing advice on this forum, we’re now preparing to apply for his British passport. You are applying for naturalisation first - then a British passport. They are two separate process.

We’re a bit confused about the referee requirements.

The standard reference isn’t a problem, but we’re unsure about the professional one. I checked the list of accepted professions on the gov.uk website, and driving instructors aren’t mentioned. However, I’ve heard that they’re sometimes accepted as referees. We personally know two instructors and were hoping to use one of them. My husband also knows a surgeon, but he’s based in Wales while we live in England — would that be an issue?

Are driving instructors considered acceptable referees? If driving instructors are not mentioned, they are not an accepted profession. Surgeon who lives in Wales is ok, the process can all be done digitally.

Also, do we need two separate referees? I came across something suggesting that if the professional referee holds a British passport, they can also serve as the standard reference. Is that correct? You need two separate referees, at least one of which must be a professional and the other one must be over 25 years old and British.

Lastly, aside from the gov.uk list, are there any other official or comprehensive guides that detail which professions are accepted as referees? No.

Thanks
S