The ILR document checklist: what you need to apply for settlement
Applying for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) comes down to evidence. Every applicant needs the same core documents — your passports, your immigration status, proof of continuous residence and your Life in the UK test pass — and then a route-specific set on top, which differs sharply between a Skilled Worker and a partner on SET(M). The single biggest mistake is treating the checklist the online form generates as the full list. It is not: GOV.UK confirms you are simply "told which documents you need to provide when you apply," and the burden of proving you meet every requirement sits with you.
This is general information, not legal advice, and the exact documents vary by route and circumstances. Always check the current GOV.UK page for your visa before you submit.
- Qualifying period: usually 5 continuous years (2 or 5 years on some partner routes)
- Absences: no more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12 months
- Life in the UK test: required unless you are under 18 or 65 or over
- English language: usually B1 speaking and listening, or a degree taught in English
- The online checklist is a minimum, not the complete document list
The core documents everyone needs
Whatever your route, start by assembling these:
- Current passport (and travel document if you have one).
- All old/expired passports held during your qualifying period — they carry the entry and exit stamps that evidence your travel history.
- Proof of immigration status — your eVisa (UKVI account) or biometric residence permit (BRP) if you still hold one.
- Proof of continuous residence — evidence you have lived in the UK for the qualifying period.
- A dated record of every absence — departure and return dates for each trip abroad, so you can show you stayed within the 180-days-in-12-months limit.
- Life in the UK test pass — keep the unique reference number from your pass notification.
- English language evidence — a recognised B1 qualification in speaking and listening, or a degree taught or researched in English.
Skilled Worker route documents
If you are settling on a Skilled Worker, Health and Care Worker, T2 or Tier 2 visa, GOV.UK is clear that you must show your employer still needs you and that you meet the salary requirements. On top of the core list, prepare:
- An employer (sponsor) letter confirming you are still needed for the job and stating your current salary.
- Recent payslips (commonly the latest six months) to evidence your earnings.
- Bank statements matching those payslips, if requested.
- Evidence of your salary meeting the relevant threshold for your role.
Make sure your sponsor's letter and your payslips tell a consistent story — mismatches between stated salary, payslips and bank credits are a common cause of delay.
Partner / SET(M) route documents
If you are settling as a partner or spouse using form SET(M), GOV.UK says you must prove your relationship is genuine, that you have lived together in the UK since your last visa, and (on the 2 or 5 year routes) provide proof of income and where you live. Alongside the core list, gather:
- Relationship evidence — marriage or civil partnership certificate, and proof the relationship is genuine and subsisting.
- Cohabitation evidence — documents in both names, or addressed to each of you at the same address, spread across the period (bank letters, council tax, tenancy, utility bills, GP letters).
- Financial evidence — payslips, employment letters, bank statements or savings evidence showing you meet the financial requirement.
- Proof of address for the qualifying period.
If you have moved often or share few bills, start collecting cohabitation proof early — this is where partner applications most often fall short.
The auto-generated checklist is a minimum, not the full list. The online form tells you the basics, but you are responsible for proving every eligibility requirement — especially continuous residence. Build a dated absence record (departure and return dates for each trip, cross-checked against passport stamps) before you apply. Reconstructing five years of travel after the fact, when you are over the 180-day limit, is far harder than logging it as you go.
Put it together before you apply
Work backwards from your eligibility requirements rather than forwards from the form. List each requirement — qualifying time, absences, Life in the UK, English, salary or relationship — and attach at least one document to each. Scan everything to clear PDFs, label them clearly, and keep originals to hand.
The Life in the UK test is the one requirement you control entirely in advance. If you have not passed yet, that is the first box to tick — you can practise full mock tests free at britpass.app and walk in with your reference number ready.
For a fuller walkthrough of eligibility, timing and the application itself, see the ILR guide. If you are unsure which form applies, our note on choosing the right ILR form for a Skilled Worker visa breaks it down, and partners can use our SET(M) document checklist for cohabitation evidence to plug the most common gaps.
Get the core documents in order, layer the right route-specific evidence on top, and never treat the form's checklist as the finish line.