Joining the Royal Navy

The Royal Navy takes people in as ratings, the non-commissioned sailors who make up most of the crew, or as officers, who lead and manage them. Ratings apply online, pass a recruiting test, a medical and a fitness test, then go to HMS Raleigh in Cornwall for initial training. Officer candidates are assessed by the Admiralty Interview Board and train at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth. After the 3.6% armed forces pay rise backdated to 1 April 2026, reported starting pay is £27,282 for new ratings and £35,926 for new junior officers.

Ratings and officers

Ratings do the hands-on work of running a ship, submarine or air station: operating weapons and sensors, maintaining engines and systems, cooking, communications, medical care, logistics and much more. Most people join as ratings, and many go on to become senior ratings and warrant officers. Some later commission as officers.

Officers take responsibility for divisions of people and areas of a ship’s work. They join through one of several branches, such as warfare, engineering, logistics, medical or aviation, and some need a degree in a relevant subject, especially engineers and medical officers.

The Royal Marines, the Navy’s amphibious infantry, are part of the Naval Service but have their own recruitment, selection and training at the Commando Training Centre in Lympstone. The physical requirements are much higher, so read the Royal Marines pages separately if that is your aim.

The branches and roles

The Navy’s main areas are:

• warfare, covering navigation, weapons, sensors, communications and intelligence
• engineering, covering marine, weapon and air engineering
• submarines, which recruit volunteers for both engineering and warfare roles
• Fleet Air Arm, the Navy’s aviation, including pilots, observers and aircraft engineers
• logistics, catering and supply
• medical and dental

Some roles carry financial incentives, especially in shortage areas such as engineering and submarines. Submarine service is voluntary and brings extra pay once qualified. It also means long periods submerged with no contact with home, which suits some people far better than others. Recruiters can put you in touch with serving personnel in a branch before you commit. Your aptitude test result and medical grading limit which roles you can choose.

How ratings apply

1. Online application, choosing preferred roles.
2. The Royal Navy Recruiting Test, an aptitude test of reasoning, literacy, numeracy and mechanical comprehension.
3. An interview with a recruiter and a medical.
4. The Pre-Joining Fitness Test, a run on a treadmill or track to a time set by age and sex.
5. Security checks and a start date for training.

Initial training at HMS Raleigh covers naval life, fitness, firefighting, damage control, sea survival, weapon handling and life at sea. You then move to specialist training for your role, which may be at another establishment and can last from weeks to more than a year. You are paid from the first day.

How officers apply

Officer applicants first meet a recruiter and complete an application, the recruiting test and a medical. Those who succeed attend the Admiralty Interview Board, a selection event with tests, a planning exercise, practical leadership tasks and an interview. Candidates need to pass a fitness test before starting training. The board looks for leadership potential and reasoning under pressure, so practise explaining your thinking out loud and working through planning problems against the clock.

Officer training at Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth covers leadership, navigation, seamanship and naval knowledge, with time at sea. Specialist training then follows. In some branches graduates join at a higher starting rank and pay than non-graduates.

Eligibility

The Navy sets limits on age, nationality, residence, medical fitness, eyesight and criminal convictions. British, Irish and Commonwealth citizens can apply, subject to residence rules, and some roles need higher security clearance that restricts nationality. Medical conditions such as asthma or previous mental health treatment are reviewed case by case. The recruitment website lists current rules for each role, and declaring everything at the start avoids delays.

Pay, pension and conditions

The Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body awarded 3.6% for 2026/27, backdated to 1 April 2026. The reported starting pay of £27,282 for other ranks (ratings) and £35,926 for junior officers comes from secondary reporting by the Forces Pension Society, and the MOD’s pay tables are the definitive source. Pay rises with rank and increments, and qualifying service at sea or in submarines brings extra payments. Armed forces pay covers rank scales, and the take-home pay calculator shows monthly take-home pay at the starting rate.

Royal Navy personnel are members of the Armed Forces Pension Scheme, which is non-contributory, so nothing comes out of your pay for it.

Life at sea means time away from home, shared accommodation and long working days on deployment, balanced by time ashore with leave. The Maritime Reserves recruit part-time sailors and marines who train alongside a civilian job.

For sea and rescue work as a civilian, HM Coastguard jobs covers the paid and volunteer roles. To compare the other services, see joining the British Army as a soldier and joining the RAF.