Documents required for naturalisation applications

This page provides details of the documents that you must send us to support your application for naturalisation.

You should send the original documents, not copies. You should provide translations of any documents not in English.

If you want us to return your valuable documents by secure post, you must enclose a pre-paid, self-addressed Royal Mail special delivery (or recorded signed-for delivery) envelope with your application. The envelope should be able to accommodate the size and weight of your documents, and should be insured to the appropriate level for the documents' value. If you do not enclose this envelope, we will return your documents to you by Royal Mail 2nd-class post. See the Royal Mail website for further information.

The documents required depend on the basis of your application. The list below has been split into 5 sections; you should ensure that you read all the sections that are relevant to you. If you do not send us all the documents that we need, we will write to ask you for them; this will delay your application.

You can download a document checklist (PDF 25K opens in a new window) containing details of the evidence we require. You should read the information below for details of the types of documents we will accept as evidence.

All applications

Evidence of your identity

You should provide:

• your passport; or
• your nationality identity card; or
• your Home Office travel document; or
• your Home Office entitlement card; or
• your Home Office application registration card; or
• your immigration status document; or
• your residence permit.

If you used one of these documents to prove your identity when you took the 'knowledge of life in the UK' test, you should supply the same document to support your naturalisation application.

Evidence of knowledge of English and of life in the UK

If you are applying from the UK, you should provide:

• your certificate of progression from one English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) level to another, with a letter from the college confirming that you completed an ESOL with citizenship course; or
• your letter confirming that you have passed the 'Life in the UK' test, stamped and signed by the test supervisor; or
• your confirmation that you met this requirement in order to obtain settlement.

If you are applying from the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you should contact the Lieutenant Governor for details of the evidence required.

If you are applying from any other country, you should contact your nearest British diplomatic post for details of the evidence required.

Exemption from the 'knowledge of English and life in the UK' requirement

You should provide evidence from your doctor that it is not a temporary condition.

Applications on the basis of residence in the UK

Evidence of lawful residence during the residential qualifying period

You should provide your passport. If you cannot provide your passport, you should explain why on page 13 of the application form. If you do not provide your passport, you should provide letters from employers, educational establishments or other government departments indicating your presence in the UK during the qualifying period.

If your passport is not stamped when you enter the UK (because you have the right of abode in the UK, or you are a national of Taiwan or the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus), you should send your passport and alternative evidence of residence. This evidence could take the form of letters from employers, educational establishments or other government departments to show your presence in the UK during the qualifying period.

Evidence that you are free from immigration time restrictions

You should provide:

• your passport showing permission to remain in the UK permanently; or
• the Home Office letter giving you permission to remain in the UK permanently.

If you came to the UK as an asylum seeker, you should provide evidence that you were not in the UK without permission between exhausting your appeal rights and being granted indefinite leave to remain.

If you entered the UK before 1971 and were not put under immigration time restrictions, you should provide evidence that you were freely landed as a Commonwealth citizen before 1971 or because you arrived as a child on your parent's passport.

Evidence required from European Economic Area and Swiss nationals

Evidence of your nationality

You should provide:

• your passport; or
• your nationality identity card.

Evidence of exercising treaty rights for 5 years

We require evidence to cover the relevant 5-year period. You should provide:

• P60 tax certificates; or
• an employer's letter confirming employment; or
• a benefits letter confirming job seekers' allowance claimed; or
• a benefits letter confirming incapacity benefit claimed; or
• documentary evidence confirming pension received; or
• a copy of your workers registration scheme certificate (if you are registered).

If you are self-employed or a businessperson, you should provide evidence from HM Revenue & Customs confirming that you have paid tax over the relevant period.

If you are a student, you should provide:

• a letter from the educational establishment confirming that you were enrolled on a course of study throughout the qualifying period; and
• evidence that you have comprehensive sickness insurance cover for you and your accompanying family members.

If you are self-sufficient, you should provide:

• bank statements covering the qualifying period to show evidence of funds; and
• evidence that you have comprehensive sickness insurance cover for you and your accompanying family members.

If you are retired, you should provide evidence that you are receiving a state pension.

If you have been unable to work due to ill health, you should provide a doctor's letter or medical report confirming that you have been unable to work. The letter or report should state whether you are likely to be able to return to work.

Applications on the basis of marriage or civil partnership to a British citizen

You should provide:

• your partner's passport or birth certificate; and
• your marriage or civil partnership certificate.

Applications on the basis of Crown service or of marriage to a British citizen in Crown or designated service

You should provide a letter from the relevant employer confirming:

• the date and place of recruitment; and
• the position held; and
• the extent to which it would be in the employer's interest for the application to be granted.

Applications from self-employed people

If you do not pay tax through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) arrangements, you should provide the most recent HM Revenue & Customs self-assessment statement of account.

Insurance that will cover the costs of the majority of medical treatment you may receive in the UK. You may have to show you have this insurance in order to be allowed to live in the UK as an EEA national or their family member. The documents that are accepted as showing you have comprehensive sickness insurance are: a private health insurance policy, a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) that has been issued by an EEA Member State other than the UK for people temporarily in the UK, or forms S1, S2 and S3. You may have to provide one of these documents when asserting a right of residence in the UK or a combination of these documents (including any previous versions) covering the relevant qualifying period when asserting a permanent right of residence in the UK.This is the length of time a person must have lived legally in the United Kingdom before qualifying to apply for naturalisation as a British citizen or for permanent residence. For naturalisation, the period is five years, or three years if you are married to or in a civil partnershp with a British citizen.Indefinite leave to remain (often known as 'ILR' and 'settlement') is permission to remain in the UK without any time restrictions on the length of stay. It is not the same as naturalisation as a British citizen and may, in specific circumstances, be ceased or invalidated, for example, if a fraudulent application is uncovered, if the person resides outside of the UK for more than 2 years or as a result of a criminal conviction that results in a Deportation Order coming into force.A school, college or university. Types of employment with specific employers which the Home Secretary has agreed may be treated the same as Crown service for the purpose of British nationality law. See Chapter 4 of the Nationality Instructions, under Law and policy. Working in the direct employment by the United Kingdom Government, the Northern Ireland Government, the Scottish Administration, the Welsh Assembly Government (from 6 November 2009) or, on or after 21 May 2002, the governments of the qualifying territories. (See Qualifying territory.) This does not include someone who is subcontracted on government projects or in the service of Crown servants, such as Royal Navy laundrymen or teachers working in schools on British bases.