Short answer first. Chevening asks for no documents when you apply. Its own FAQ states that no documents are required to be uploaded in order to submit an application. The paperwork arrives later, in one bundle, and only for candidates invited to interview: photo ID, the official undergraduate degree certificate, and two reference letters, uploaded at least seven working days before the interview.
The checklist, stage by stage
| Stage | Documents | The detail that matters |
|---|---|---|
| Submitting the application | None to upload | You give referee names and contacts; no files are required to submit |
| Invited to interview: identity | Photo ID (passport or national ID) | Upload at least 7 working days before the interview; bring the same ID with you |
| Invited to interview: education | Official undergraduate degree certificate or diploma | Transcripts will not be accepted in place of the certificate; originals do not need translation |
| Invited to interview: references | Two reference letters, in English | From your nominated referees; a reference not in English must be translated and notarised |
| If selected | An unconditional offer for one of your three courses | Due by the official offer deadline on Chevening's application timeline |
The trap inside the table is the education row. Most applicants prepare transcripts; Chevening wants the degree certificate itself and says transcripts will not be accepted as a substitute. The original certificate does not need to be translated into English. References run the other way: the letters must be in English, and a reference written in another language needs a translation notarised by an official translator. Referees are named in the application form, months before their letters are due, which is why the choice of referees is an application-stage decision even though the letters are an interview-stage document.
Why this page exists in a data series
Across our own dataset of 494 scholarships, reference requirements are the most commonly documented item, noted on 267 records, ahead of award amounts and deadlines. Paperwork, not eligibility, is where late applications die. Our Chevening timeline piece covers what happens between the stages; this checklist is the document layer underneath it, and the eligibility rules themselves are in our requirements guide.
Sources: checklist form modeled on ScholarshipUnion, Chevening Documents 2027: Application Checklist. All document rules from Chevening's official site: the education documents FAQ and the application timeline, read November 5, 2026.