Statutory Declaration for Immigration: What It Must Say and How to Get It Witnessed

A statutory declaration for immigration is a sworn written statement, witnessed by a solicitor, used to support a Home Office or UK Visas and Immigration application when the usual documents cannot show something on their own, such as how long you have lived at an address or the facts of a relationship. It is made under the Statutory Declarations Act 1835, and it carries legal weight because making a false declaration in it is a criminal offence.

When the Home Office asks for one

A statutory declaration tends to come up in a handful of recurring situations.

• A spouse or partner visa application where cohabitation needs confirming by someone outside the relationship, such as a landlord, neighbour or employer.
• An EU Settlement Scheme application where continuous residence cannot be shown fully through bank statements, payslips or tenancy records.
• A naturalisation or citizenship application where a previous name, date of birth or nationality on old records needs explaining.
• An appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber), where a witness statement needs to be formalised as a sworn document.
• A family member sponsoring an applicant, where the sponsor needs to set out income, accommodation or the history of the relationship.
• Replacing a document, such as a marriage certificate or old passport, that has been lost or destroyed and is needed to complete an application.

In each case the declaration is not the application itself. It fills a specific gap the caseworker or tribunal has identified, or that the applicant's solicitor expects will come up.

What the declaration must say

There is no single Home Office form for a statutory declaration. The wording has to be drafted for the particular application, written in the first person, dated, and clear about which facts are being declared and why. It should name the application or appeal it supports, with the Home Office reference number if one exists.

Because the content has to match what UK Visas and Immigration or the tribunal actually needs, most people draft the wording with their immigration solicitor or adviser first, then bring the finished, unsigned document to the video call for witnessing. StatDec Hub witnesses the declaration and confirms your identity. It does not draft the wording or advise on immigration law.

Who can witness it

A statutory declaration must be witnessed by one of the following.

• A solicitor
• A commissioner for oaths
• A notary public

A solicitor is the usual choice for immigration declarations and is accepted by the Home Office and the tribunal in the same way as a notary public or commissioner for oaths.

What to bring to the video call

You need the finished declaration, unsigned, and a form of photo ID: your passport or driving licence. If the application has a Home Office reference number, have it to hand in case the solicitor needs to note it on the record of witnessing.

Do not sign the declaration before the call. A declaration signed in advance has not been properly witnessed and will need to be signed again in front of the solicitor.

How the video call works

You join the call at the booked time with the unsigned declaration and your ID. The solicitor checks your identity, goes through the document with you, and watches you sign it live on camera. After the call you email the signed declaration to the solicitor, who countersigns it as witness and emails the completed document back to you, usually the same day. Nothing is posted, and you do not keep an uncountersigned version as a kind of original: the declaration is only complete once it carries the solicitor's countersignature.

Most calls take 10 to 20 minutes.

How much it costs

The fee is a fixed £100 per document, with no extra charge for booking the same day if a slot is available.

What happens after the call

You receive the countersigned declaration by email as a PDF. From there, submit it the way the Home Office, UKVI or the tribunal has asked for it, whether that is an upload to an online portal, an attachment to a case email, or a document sent with a paper form. Many immigration applications now accept documents uploaded electronically, but check the current guidance for the specific application or appeal, since requirements change and some caseworkers still ask for a physical copy to be produced later.

If you are not sure whether a remotely witnessed declaration will be accepted for your particular application, check with your solicitor or caseworker before the call rather than after.

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