Eligibility

Nationality:

British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens may join the Royal Navy or Royal Marines. However, certain career paths are only available to British citizens. Follow this link for details: Nationality Requirements for Career Options.

Note:
i. 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.

ii. 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.

iii. Only candidates holding British nationality are eligible for the Submarine Service. No nationality waivers will be considered.

iv. These waivers will only be considered for those applying to enter service as a Royal Marines Commando or in the Royal Navy Surface Fleet.
In addition, whether or not you are of UK origin, you should 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.

About you:-

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, i.e. Royal Marines, the Submarine Service and Mine Clearance Diving.

Age :

To apply to the Royal Navy you must be no younger than 15 years and nine 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 your specialisation.
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. To apply to become an officer, you’ll need 180 UCAS points and 5 GCSEs (A*-C) or Scottish Standard grades or equivalent, which must include English and maths. For direct graduate entry as an officer, you will need a degree or equivalent, at least 180 UCAS points and 5 GCSEs (A*-C), or Scottish Standard grades or equivalent which must include English and maths. If you’re still unsure about whether you meet the minimum qualifications, contact your local Armed Forces Careers Office. 

Criminal record:

If you’re 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’re a habitual user of illegal substances, you will not be eligible to apply. Random compulsory drugs testing is practiced 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 that 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’re 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:
• you suffer from epilepsy
• you suffer from diabetes
• you suffer or have suffered from asthma in the past four years
• you suffer from colitis, Crohns disease, or any other long standing bowel disorder or have had your spleen removed
• you have ever had a detached retina or corneal transplant
• 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, that are subject to the discretion of the examining doctor or Service Medical Authorities.

Are you ready to join?

If you have read this page and meet all of the requirements, then call 08456 07 55 55 or request more information here.