Does a referee for a child's British citizenship need to give personal details?

Yes — referees on a child's British citizenship application do give personal details. Each of the two referees provides their full name, address, occupation and how long they have known your child, and the referee who holds a British citizen passport is asked for their passport number on the form. So your reading of the requirement is correct: some personal information is unavoidable. But the important point is this: you are not tied to your child's school. If a teacher or the school will not share these details, you simply pick a different qualifying referee.

What each referee actually provides

On the MN1 form, each referee completes a short declaration with their full name, home address, current occupation and contact details, plus a statement of how long they have known your child and in what capacity. The referee who holds a British citizen passport also enters their British passport number, which the Home Office uses to confirm the referee's own identity and standing.

This is why your child's school flagged a concern — providing a home address or passport number does feel personal. That is normal, and it is the same standard applied across nationality applications, not something unusual being asked of the school.

You are not tied to the school

The MN1 rules only require that at least one referee has dealt with your child in a professional capacity. They do not require that referee to be the school, a class teacher, or your child's GP specifically. A teacher is just one common example.

Who can be the professional referee instead

GOV.UK describes the professional referee as someone who has engaged with the child in a professional role — for example a teacher, doctor, health visitor, social worker or minister of religion. More broadly, nationality guidance treats a referee of professional standing as covering a wide range of recognised occupations, including:

• GP or other registered doctor or dentist
• Health visitor or social worker
• Solicitor or accountant (not the person acting as your agent on this application)
• Civil servant
• Minister of religion
• Engineer
• Other members of a recognised professional body

The second referee can be a professional person or simply someone over 25 — provided they hold a British citizen passport and have known your child for three years.

A few people are ruled out: anyone related to you or to the other referee, the solicitor or agent representing you on the application, and anyone employed by the Home Office. A referee should also not have an unspent conviction for an imprisonable offence in the last 10 years.

If you genuinely cannot find a professional referee

GOV.UK builds in a fallback. Where a child cannot provide a professional referee — and you can show documents proving you tried — the Home Office may accept two referees who meet the criteria used for adult applications instead. Keep any emails or letters showing the refusal, in case you need to evidence your attempts.

For the wider checklist of who qualifies and the exclusions, see who can be a referee for a child's British citizenship application. If you are also handling an adult application in the household, referees for British citizenship naturalisation covers the equivalent rules, and the full process is in the British citizenship guide.

The bottom line

Referees do share personal details — that part is real, and the British-passport referee gives a passport number. But a school's refusal is not a dead end. The requirement is about role, not about a specific person, so you are free to ask another qualifying professional such as your GP, a health visitor or a minister of religion. Once your child becomes a citizen, the Life in the UK test comes later for their own adult applications — and britpass.app is built to make that part straightforward when the time comes.

This is general information, not legal advice. For a complex case, consider an OISC-regulated adviser or immigration solicitor.