// Read fully before applying

General Guidelines

General Guidelines

For an online application you will need to take and upload a photo of an original document confirming your identity - we will not accept any copies or scans including screenshots, photocopies or photos of a screen. Your chosen referee needs to see an original document confirming your identity that you have uploaded and complete a Digital Referee Declaration Form.

For a paper or printed application you must show an original document confirming your identity to your chosen referee who needs to countersign a photocopy of it, your passport quality photograph and your application, then post everything to us in one envelope. Please do not send original documents.

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 have 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.

If you don't have an official document confirming your identity, use a referee confirming from official records.

Any person in the permitted list below who is currently employed can act as a referee validating original document(s), provided we can contact them at work, via email and on their work telephone number, during office hours at a registered business address. We have to verify their business details, which must be published/advertised in online professional business directories.

Referees 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) nor live with you.