Nationality

British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens may join the Royal Navy or Royal Marines. However, certain career paths are only available to British citizens. See the link below for details.

Nationality Requirements for Career Options

Note:

1. A waiver of the above requirements may be granted by the Secretary of State for Defence for candidates who are British citizens at the time of application regardless of place of birth or former nationality.
2. In exceptional circumstances a waiver of these requirements may be granted by the Secretary of State for Defence to persons who are Commonwealth citizens or citizens of the Irish Republic at the time of their application regardless of place of birth or former nationality. Any person who seeks such a dispensation will have their case considered on its individual merits.
3. Only candidates holding British Nationality are eligible for the Submarine Service. No nationality waivers will be considered.

In addition, whether or not you are of UK origin, you should i(normally) have resided in the UK for a minimum of three years immediately prior to making an application. In certain circumstances, particularly when an applicant is of UK origin, or the country of residence is one where security checks can be carried out, a shorter period of residence may be accepted.

Gender

The vast majority of trades are open to both men and women, although a small number of areas are currently not available to women, e.g. Royal Marines, the Submarine Service and Mine Clearance Diving.

Age

To apply to the Royal Navy you must be no younger than 15 years, 9 months. On entry you must be no younger than 16 (17 for Officers) and no older than 36 (up to and including your 37th birthday). The maximum age for Officer entry varies according to specialisation.

i(Please Note:) if you are under 18, the consent of your parents or guardians is required. This will be asked for at the application stage.

Height

Height requirements vary for each of the Services. To be an Aircraft Handler you must be no shorter than 166cm and for other branches you must be no shorter than 151.5cm.

Qualifications

For many jobs there are no formal entry qualifications. If you have GCSEs (or equivalent) the range of opportunities is wider still. You need at least 5 GCSEs (or equivalent) and 140 UCAS points to be eligible to apply to become an officer. The 140 UCAS points now takes into account 'A' Levels, 'AS' Levels, Vocational Certificate of Education, Key Skills and 1-Unit Awards. (This is effectively equivalent to 2 good A level passes and 5 GSCE's if you received your 'A' levels before July 2001). If you are still unsure about whether you meet the minimum qualifications, contact your local Area Careers Liason Officer. See the individual job descriptions for details.

Criminal Record

• If you are awaiting a court appearance, in any other capacity other than as a witness, you may not be eligible to apply until the outcome of the hearing is known. Please check with your Armed Forces Careers Office.
• Spent and unspent convictions (including prison, young offenders institution or probation) for certain types of offence may mean that you are ineligible to apply for entry into certain branches or trades within the Armed Forces. If you have any doubts about which branches or trades fall into the above categories, please seek advice.
• Ex-Servicemen or Servicewomen discharged for disciplinary reasons will be ineligible to re-enter.

Health

• If you are a habitual user of illegal substances, you will not be eligible to apply. Random compulsory drugs testing is practised in the Armed Forces.
• The Armed Forces require anyone who joins to be medically fit to serve worldwide. New entrants to the Armed Forces undergo intensive training which is physically demanding and mentally taxing. New entrants must be of a robust constitution and free from disease or pre-existing injury to meet this challenge. If you do decide to apply and your application is accepted, you will be required to pass a full medical examination. Your application will be rejected if you fail to meet the minimum acceptable medical standard for entry. Before a Medical Officer examines you, you are asked to declare certain information about your medical history to identify obvious medical conditions for which rejection is automatic. Please note that your application will be rejected if:

a. You suffer from Epilepsy.
b. You suffer from Diabetes.
c. You suffer or have suffered from Asthma in the past four years.
d. You suffer from Colitis, Crohns Disease, or any other long standing bowel disorder or have had your spleen removed.
e. You have ever had a detached retina or corneal transplant.
f. You suffer from Rheumatoid Arthritis, or any other bone or joint disorders.

The above list is not exhaustive and you may find that your application is rejected due to other medical conditions, not listed, but which are subject to the discretion of the examining doctor or Service Medical Authorities.

Miscellaneous

• The Armed Forces value every individual's unique contribution irrespective of their race, ethnic origin, gender or social background. Your application will be rejected if you are, or have been, a member, supporter or associated with any group or organisation whose purpose includes incitement to racial hatred and violence.
• You must be aware that, should you be accepted for enlistment, you may be required to serve anywhere in the World.