UK tax and benefits records check

You can use your National Insurance number to help confirm when you’ve been resident in the UK.

After you pay your fee in the online application form, the Home Office will do an automated check of UK tax and some benefits records. You’ll see the result straight away.

We use these records to help us work out whether you’ve been ‘continuously resident’ in the UK for more or less than 5 years. Continuous residence means you’ve been in the UK for at least 6 months for 5 years in a row.

In some instances, there will not be enough data for us to be able to confirm automatically that you’ve been here for 5 years in a row. This is not a problem. You can upload photos or scans of documents as evidence of your UK residence.

If you tell us that you want to provide evidence of your UK residence to add to your tax and benefits records, we’ll tell you which period/s of time you need to provide that evidence for (for example, 6 months of 2014 and 6 months of 2016). You won’t need to provide evidence for your entire UK residence – just enough to show whether you qualify for settled or pre-settled status.

Reasons that we sometimes won’t find enough data automatically include: because it isn’t possible to match you with government records (based on the information you’ve given), or because there were periods when you weren’t working or receiving benefits in the UK.

Submitting documents as evidence of residence

All the documents you submit as evidence must be dated and should have your name on.

You should only provide one piece of evidence to cover each month or longer period of time.

Use documents that cover longer periods of time wherever possible, such as bank statements, P60s or university certificates. These will confirm your residence for the entire length of time they cover, so you will need to submit fewer of them.

A document with a single date on will count as proof of residence for that month only, for example an electricity bill, official letter or GP appointment card.

Evidence that covers longer periods of time

Documents that cover a longer time period between 2 dates include:

• P60s (count as evidence for 1 year)
• P45s confirming previous employment that has now ended
• annual bank statement or account summary – they must show payments or spending in the UK for more than 6 months of a year
• council tax bills
• letters or certificates from your school, college, university or other accredited educational organisation – they must show the dates you enrolled, attended and completed your course
• invoices for fees from your school, college, university or other accredited educational organisation
• documents (showing a UK address) from a student finance body in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or from the Student Loans Company
• residential mortgage statements or rental agreements and evidence of payment
• letters from a registered care home confirming your residence there
• employer pension contributions
• annual business accounts
• employer contracts or letters confirming employment, and evidence that the employer is genuine (for example, their Companies House number)

Evidence that covers short periods of time

These documents count as evidence for 1 month if they have a single date on. They will cover a longer period of time if they have a start and end date.

• water, gas or electricity bills which show a UK address
• landline telephone, TV or internet bills which show a UK address
• domestic bills including proof of payment, such as for home repairs, vet services or insurance
• cards or letters from your GP or other healthcare professional confirming appointments you have made or attended
• letters from government departments, other public services or charities that show you dealt with them on a particular date (for example Job Centre Plus or Citizens Advice)
• passport stamps confirming entry at the UK border
• used travel tickets confirming you entered the UK from another country
• invoices for work you have done

Documents you cannot use as evidence

• photos and videos
• letters or references from family and friends
• greeting cards, for example birthday cards
• postcards sent or received
• personal scrapbooks