If any required part of the application is missing or incomplete, it will not constitute a complete application, and you will need to contact the applicant and request the information that is missing.
You can also require additional evidence where you consider it necessary to verify identify, or to determine an applicant’s entitlement to register.
In some cases, an applicant may not be able to give you their date of birth, National Insurance number or nationality. If they are unable to provide this information they must, as part of the application, provide a statement of the reasons why.1
Where an applicant is under 16 years of age there is no requirement to provide their National Insurance number.
Where no statement is included, you cannot assume that the person cannot provide this missing information and should contact the applicant and ask them to supply it.
The application will be on hold until the required information has been returned. The missing information does not need to be provided in writing – it can be provided over the phone, via e-mail or in person. You must, however, keep a written record of the missing information that has been provided, and ensure that is transferred to the written application.
If unable to state their nationality, you can require the applicant to provide evidence about their nationality and immigration status in order to determine whether they are a qualifying Commonwealth citizen. This includes, if applicable, the applicant’s biometric immigration document issued in the UK. The fact that you may require additional evidence of an applicant’s nationality, and may request checks of a person’s immigration status against Government records is included on the registration application form.
Where the required information has not been provided but the statements of reasons are completed (and their identity could not be verified using local data matching) you can use the exceptions process to verify the applicant’s identity.
You should keep a record of any incomplete applications or applications where you have requested further information, so that you can follow up with the applicant if they do not respond to your initial request for information. You should give the applicant a date to respond by with the information requested.
Where you do not receive a response within a reasonable time (the 28-day maximum, but potentially earlier if there is an election), and you consider that the person is resident and may be eligible to register, you must give them a new invitation to register. 2