Choosing a referee
Before adding a referee to Vouchsafe, contact them directly to make sure they can help.
Who can be a referee
Not everyone can be a referee. Some people aren’t eligible, even if you know them well.
Can be a referee 👍
A referee should be someone you know well who can confirm who you are. For example:
- A friend
- An extended family member (not a parent, child, sister or brother)
- Your caseworker
- Someone you work with
- Someone in a recognised profession who knows who you are
Cannot be a referee 🙅
A referee can’t be:
- An immediate family member (parent, child, sister or brother)
- Someone you’re in a relationship with
- Someone you live with
Ask a referee to vouch for you
If you don’t have a passport, driving licence or other photo ID, you can still verify your identity with Vouchsafe by asking a referee for help. Here’s how:
- Open the email you received from Vouchsafe.
- Get the Get started button and follow the process on screen.
- When asked How do you want to verify your identity? Select Ask someone to vouch for you, then select Continue.
- Continue the process providing accurate information about the referee until you see Done for now.
If your referee doesn’t help
If you have asked for help from a referee in Vouchsafe, but they do not respond, you can choose someone else.
You will get an email reminder after several days with a unique link to do this, or you can do it any time from the "Done for now" screen.
Contact your referee in advance
Contact your referee in advance to make sure they’re available to vouch for you.
Questions to ask a potential referee
Before you add the referee’s details to Vouchsafe, it’s helpful to ask them:
- Are you happy to vouch for me?
- What is the best email address or phone number for Vouchsafe to contact you on?
- When do you think you will be able to vouch? (If you have a deadline.)
If it helps the referee to have some information in advance, share a link to our help article: Referee essentials.