Naturalisation

In order to be naturalised as a British citizen, you will need to meet certain statutory criteria with regard to your immigration status, length of residence in the UK, future intentions, knowledge of the English language and life in the UK, and good character.  The requirements for British Citizenship by Naturalisation vary slightly depending on whether you are married to a British citizen or not.

Apply for UK Citizenship: Not married to a British citizen

If you are not married to a British citizen (or do not wish to rely on your marriage to a British citizen) the Home Office must be satisfied that:

• You were in the UK on the day five years before the date of your application;
• You have not been absent from the UK for more than 450 days during the intervening five year period;
• You have not been in the UK in breach of the immigration laws at any time during that five year period;
• You have not been absent from the UK for more than 90 days during the 12 month period immediately preceding the date of your application;
• You are not subject to any limit on the period for which you may remain in the UK and have not been subject to any such time limit at any time during the 12 month period immediately preceding the date of your application;
• You are of good character;
• You have sufficient knowledge of the English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic language;
• Your intentions are that if your application is successful your home (or principal home) will be in the UK.

Apply for UK Citizenship: Married to a British citizen

If you are married to a British citizen, the Home Office must be satisfied that:

• You were in the UK on the day three years before the date of your application;
• You have not been absent from the UK for more than 270 days during the intervening three year period;
• You have not been in the UK in breach of the immigration laws at any time during that three year period;
• You have not been absent from the UK for more than 90 days during the 12 month period immediately preceding the date of your application;
• You are not subject to any time limit on the period for which you may remain in the UK at the date of your application;
• You are of good character;
• You have sufficient knowledge of the English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic language.

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances.  You may want to speak to an immigration lawyer for expert advice.

To discuss your application for British Citizenship by Naturalisation with one of our immigration barristers, contact our British citizenship lawyers on 0203 617 9173 or complete our enquiry form below.

If you are married to a British citizen, you can apply for British Citizenship by Naturalisation as soon as you have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain.  You will need to satisfy all of the other requirements for British Citizenship by Naturalisation outlined above.  If you are not married to a British citizen, you will need to have been free of immigration time restrictions for at least 12 months immediately preceding the date of your application.  This means that you will be eligible to apply for British Citizenship by Naturalisation 12 months after being granted ILR.

In order to qualify for UK Citizenship, you will need to have spent not more than 90 days outside the UK during the 12 month period immediately before the date of your application for British Citizenship by Naturalisation.  If you are not married to a British citizen, you will also need to have not been away from the UK for more than 450 days days during the preceding 5 years.  If you are married to a British citizen, you will need to have spent not more than 270 days outside the UK in the previous 3 years.

The Secretary of State has a discretion to treat applicants for UK Citizenship as meeting some of the requirements even where those requirements are not met. This includes:

• The permitted absence requirements (e.g. if you have been absent from the UK for more than 90 days in the 12 month period prior to your application);
• The 12 month ‘no time limit’ requirement;
• The requirement not to have been in the UK in breach of the immigration laws at any time during the three or five year qualifying period.

The Secretary of State has a discretion to waive the language and life in the UK requirements on grounds of the applicant’s age, physical or mental condition.

The Secretary of State has no discretion to waive, or to treat applicants as meeting, the following requirements:

• To have been in the UK at the start of the three or five year qualifying period (although there is some discretion in relation to members of the armed forces);
• To be free of any restriction on the period you may stay in the UK (i.e. to have been granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK or to have acquired a right of permanent residence);
• To be of good character.

It is important that any application for British Citizenship requiring an exercise of discretion is prepared and presented carefully. Advice from an immigration lawyer should be sought at an early stage.

Yes, EEA nationals and their family members can apply for UK Citizenship, but from 12 November 2015 it has been necessary for EEA national applicants and their family members seeking to rely on having acquired a right of permanent residence to have obtained a Document Certifying Permanent Residence or a Permanent Residence Card as appropriate before applying for Naturalisation as a British Citizen.

If you are a British Overseas Territories Citizen, a British National (Overseas), a British Overseas citizen, a British subject, or a British protected person then you are not a British citizen; however naturalisation is unlikely to be suitable for you as you are likely to have an alternative route to British citizenship through registration.

You will need to provide two referees when you apply for British Citizenship by Naturalisation.  One referee should be a person of any nationality who has professional standing, such as a minister of religion, civil servant, or a member of a professional body such as an accountant, solicitor or barrister (who is not representing you with the application). The other referee must normally be the holder of a British citizen passport and either a professional person or over the age of 25.

The Home Office application fee for an application for Naturalisation as a British Citizen is £1,330.  You will need to spend a further £80 to arrange a citizenship ceremony (including the administration of a citizenship oath and pledge at the ceremony).  These figures are correct as at 15 March 2020.

Applications for Naturalisation as a British Citizen can take up to 6 months to be determined.  However, we typically receive UK Citizenship decisions from the Home Office within about 3 months.

Yes, once you have applied for British Citizenship, you can travel outside the UK while your application is pending.  When you apply for British Citizenship, you can submit a full certified copy of your passport and keep your original passport with you.  You can then use your original passport to travel overseas.

If your application for naturalisation as a British citizen is successful, you will have to attend a registration ceremony. At the end of the ceremony you will be presented with your certificate of naturalisation as a British citizen.  You will then be able to apply for a British passport.