The Home Office has added postgraduate certificates to the qualifications that prove English for settlement and British citizenship. Version 31.0 of its knowledge of language and life in the UK caseworker guidance, published on 19 December 2025, says a person holding a postgraduate certificate (PGCert) from a UK university is treated as having the required level of English.
Key facts
- What PGCert accepted as English evidence; medical exemption rules clarified
- Published 19 December 2025 (caseworker guidance version 31.0)
- Who Settlement and citizenship applicants
- Still needed Life in the UK test pass, unless exempt
Overseas certificates and other limits
A PGCert from a university outside the UK can also count, but only if Ecctis (formerly UK NARIC) confirms that it is comparable to a UK qualification and was taught in English. Professional certificates that do not need an undergraduate degree for entry are not accepted. The other ways of meeting the English part are unchanged: a Home Office approved speaking and listening test (SELT) at the required level, a degree taught in English, or nationality of a majority English-speaking country.
A qualification only covers English. Applicants still need to pass the Life in the UK test unless they are exempt.
Medical exemptions clarified
The same update clarified what is needed to claim an exemption because of a long-term physical or mental condition. Applicants should send original, current medical evidence from a medical practitioner, including the completed medical waiver form, together with the reports that set out the diagnosis. If the form is missing, caseworkers are told to give the applicant a chance to supply it. Someone exempted at the settlement stage must ask again, separately, when applying for citizenship. The age exemptions are unchanged: under 18 or 65 and over for settlement.
What this means
If you hold a UK PGCert, you may not need to book an English test for settlement or citizenship: keep your certificate and transcript ready. If your certificate is from abroad, apply to Ecctis early, as the confirmation takes time. If you plan to claim a medical exemption from the tests, ask your doctor to complete the official form and attach full, recent reports. Read the caseworker guidance for the full rules.