Naturalisation queries

[watway_as]

Hi
Our family (myself, spouse and child) have been on ILR for over a year now. I am planning to apply for naturalisation for the three of us with an intention of ultimately applying for the British passport.

I went through the naturalisation guide but still had a few queries so asking here:

1. Can the same referee vouch for all three of us or does it need to be a separate referee for everyone?
2. What checks does the Home Office carry out on the referees? I need to explain to the referees what they are signing to!! Any official documentation links to this would be helpful!
3. When we submit the naturalisation application, are we informed of the outcome or does the council contact us directly?
4. Do we have a say in deciding the naturalisation ceremony date? (Planning to be out of the country in Dec)
5. Once we have the naturalisation certificate, can we apply for British passport right away?

[CR001]

1. Can the same referee vouch for all three of us or does it need to be a separate referee for everyone?

Yes, provided they meet the requirements.

2. What checks does the Home Office carry out on the referees? I need to explain to the referees what they are signing to!! Any official documentation links to this would be helpful!

We don't know tbh.

3. When we submit the naturalisation application, are we informed of the outcome or does the council contact us directly?

UKVI informs you if approved or refused.

4. Do we have a say in deciding the naturalisation ceremony date? (Planning to be out of the country in Dec)

Some councils let you choose, some councils don't.

5. Once we have the naturalisation certificate, can we apply for British passport right away?

Yes.

[kamoe]

My two cents here:

2. What checks does the Home Office carry out on the referees? I need to explain to the referees what they are signing to!! Any official documentation links to this would be helpful!

As @CR001 said above, we don't know. But, if at all that is helpful, I understand most referees are never directly contacted by the Home Office in any way (at least ours were never contacted). Their signature is enough acknowledgement that they understand the requirements to be a referee and that they confirm they personally know the refereed.

Maybe not the answer you expected, but I'm saying this in case this helps to manage potential referee's expectations about what will happen/what they need to do after they sign the form: From their perspective, nothing.

Also, needless to say, I'm sure the Home Office checks that the passport number and holder details (names, DOB) check out.