For British citizenship applications in the UK, you must provide two referees who meet specific criteria [1][2]. Both referees must have known you personally for at least three years [3][1][4]. They cannot be relatives, your solicitor or agent, employed by the Home Office, or typically have an imprisonable conviction in the last ten years [3][1][4].

The first referee must be a professional person of any nationality [1][2]. Acceptable professions include accountants, bank officials, teachers, nurses, police officers, social workers, ministers of religion, and civil servants [1][2]. This person can reside anywhere in the world. The second referee must hold a valid British citizen passport and be either a professional person or at least 25 years old [1][2].

Both referees must confirm that your photograph is a true likeness of you and sign the declaration in your application [5][3][6]. They will need to provide personal details including full name, date of birth, addresses for the last three years, profession, contact details, and passport number if British [5][6][4].

For child applications under 18, at least one referee should ideally have dealt with the child in a professional capacity, such as a teacher, health visitor, or social worker [5][1]. If you cannot provide such a referee, you must explain why in your application [5][1]. If a child-specific referee is unavailable, two referees meeting the adult rules may be accepted if you demonstrate reasonable attempts to find a professional referee [5][1].