British Citizenship

Naturalisation is the ultimate step & goal for any migrant coming to the UK for settlement. It is a legal way to become a British citizen if you are not already by birth. Obtaining British citizenship means you can apply for British passport and enjoy all the benefits & privileges that UK has to offer for its citizens like living, working, studying or travelling in and out of the UK free of immigration control as well as accessing NHS Healthcare or Public benefits & funds etc.

Fill out our short enquiry form now, and our immigration lawyers will offer you a free 15-minute consultation.

Eligibility:

There are different routes for becoming a British citizen as mentioned herein and so are the subjective requirements for each of them:

You were born in the UK; or
Have an indefinite leave to remain (ILR); or
Partner of a British Citizen (and have an ILR); or
Settled under EU settlement Scheme; or
Several other options that are case specific and rare e.g. having other type of British Nationality, child of a citizen of British Overseas Territories, or you are stateless. Reach out at info@visamerch.com directly if this is the case for you.

Please see all requirements in detail below to fully understand the eligibility criteria. If you do not meet any of the requirements from below, you may also check for the exceptions mentioned therein, in case it is applicable to you.

Requirements

Following is the break-down of different requirements that are subject to the route you are applying for from sections (A to C). And thereafter section (D & E) explains the documentary evidence you will need to provide and the exceptions that apply in certain cases.

a. If you were born in the UK

You may either automatically be a British citizen in most cases, or eligible now to apply for becoming one. It all depends on ‘when you were born’ and your ‘parents’ circumstances’ (immigration status) at the same time. Following is the bifurcation of all scenarios, therefore please read it carefully.

Born before 1983

You are automatically a British citizen pursuant to the Immigration laws at that point in time unless:

Born after 1983

First of all, the general rule is that Applicants who’s either parent were British citizen or Settled when they were born, then they may automatically be a British citizen, unless:

Otherwise, where you are not already a British citizen, then you may apply under the following categories:

You are under 18 and your either parent has become a British citizen/Settled (includes EUSS, Permanent Residence and Indefinite Leave to Enter/Remain) since after your birth. No residency requirement.
You have lived in the UK until you were 10 or older (Born between 31 December 1982 to 1 July 2006 and Born after 1 July 2006)

Residency Requirement: you must have not spend more than 90 days outside UK in each of those first 10 years of your life in the UK (meaning 90 days per year limit for travelling abroad) unless you have special reasons where it is at the discretion of Home Office to consider or reject your application.

b. Partner of British Citizen

You can apply for naturalisation on the basis your marriage or civil partnership to a British citizen, however you must meet the following requirements:

Aged 18 or above
Lived in the UK for at least 3 years, and you must also be in the UK on the exact date from your application submission to 3 years back.
[Meaning if you submitted your application on 1 January 2024, you must be in the UK on 1 January 2021, and not travelling anywhere or not even started living in the UK yet].
Unless you have special reasons where it is at the discretion of Home Office to consider or reject your application.
Have Indefinite leave to remain, indefinite leave to enter or settled under EUSS (can apply immediately after having any of these status/ no grace period)
Knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
Passing of Life in the UK test (usually cleared as required for settlement application)
Good character standing (conducive to public good)
Residency requirement:

The 3 years that you have spent in the UK exclude any time you have spent in the UK under exemption from immigration control as a diplomat, or member of its staff/household, or member of visiting armed forces.
Moreover, your time outside UK must not be more than
- 270 days in 3 years
- 90 days in the last 12 months

Child Dependant: If your child has born in the UK and their other parent were British citizen/settled at that moment, then they may automatically be a British citizen. Otherwise, all other cases may apply from another route.

Deceased Partner: You are not eligible to apply under this route in case your partner has died. You may check for another route.

c. If you have an Indefinite leave to remain/enter

You can apply for naturalisation on the basis of your settlement status in the UK, however you must meet the following requirements:

Aged above 18
Lived in the UK for at least 5 years, and you must also be in the UK on the exact date from your application submission to 5 years back.
[Meaning if you submitted your application on 1 January 2024, you must be in the UK on 1 January 2019, and not travelling anywhere or not even started living in the UK yet].
Unless you have special reasons where it is at the discretion of Home Office to consider or reject your application.
Have Indefinite leave to remain, indefinite leave to enter or settled under EUSS (you can apply only after 12 months of having any of these status, unlike no grace period in partner of British citizen)
Knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
Passing of Life in the UK test (usually cleared as required for settlement application)
Good character standing (conducive to public good)
Intention of continue living in the UK permanently

The 5 years that you have spent in the UK exclude any time you have spent in the UK under exemption from immigration control as a diplomat, or member of its staff/household, or member of visiting armed forces.

ii. Moreover, your time outside UK must not be more than

Please Note: Before you apply, be informed that ILR can be revoked after grant if you have spent time outside UK more than:

2 years -you can apply for Returning Resident in this case
5 years (only if you are settled under EUSS)
4 years (only if you or any family member is Swiss citizen and settled in UK)

Child Dependant: Shall apply separately.

d. Documents

Residency requirement: Council tax bills, utility bills or bank statements addressed to your residence for the qualifying period advocating your stay in the UK for that corresponding period. You can also provide your tenancy agreements or mortgage statement for the corresponding period.

Relationship (partner/parent): Marriage certificate or Civil Partnership certificate, personal statements of you & your partner, shared address & bills to that same address, bank statements confirming same address/ joint bank accounts, photographs together, communication proofs, divorce certificate from any previous marriages and optionally any other document that comes from government, doctor, or any professional attesting to your relationship. Additionally, Witness Statement from friends and family that support your relationship. Proof of cohabitation and shared finances between you & your partner if any.

Relationship (child/parent): Personal statement of your parent & other relative if possible, address & bills to the address, bank statements confirming same address/ bank accounts, photographs together, communication proofs, custody or guardianship certificate from any government institute or court if sole parental responsibility and optionally any other document that comes from government, doctor, or any professional attesting to the parental responsibility. Marriage certificate or Civil Partnership certificate of your parent (if applicable). Additionally, Witness Statement from friends and family that support the child’s stay in the UK. Proof of cohabitation and any other supporting documents you may have.

Accommodation: Title Registry, tenancy agreement and letter from landlord for no objection, council tax bill etc.

KOLL: Unique reference number, and/or the screenshot, of your life in the UK test result.

Mandatory documents: This includes all the conventional documents for identity & travel like passport, all the BRPs you may have hold & passport sized colour photos of the Applicant etc.

Referees: Two referral letters signed by a suitable person i.e. one personal and another professional to confirm your identity. They both must know you for at least 3 years and they both must be British citizens.

e. Exceptions

If you are a Partner of a British citizen you may not need to meet the residency requirement if your partner works abroad for UK government or an organisation closely linked to the government.
If you are from a majority English speaking country, then you may not need to meet the English language requirement.

If you are below 18, 65 or over then you do not need to pass the Life in The UK test or meet the language requirement.

Application Timeline, Fees & Intricacies

Following is the Home Office fees & expected time for Naturalisation application decision:

Intricacies (after you apply)

You must contact UKVI if any circumstances change like shifting to a new place or getting married or arrested etc.
You must apply for British passport after being granted citizenship to enter in the UK again when you travel abroad.
You must attend your citizenship ceremony near your local council.
You must return your BRP to Home Office within 5 days after being granted certificate of citizenship or else you will be fined £1,000.

Immigration Health Surcharge

You no longer need to pay any IHS fee for this application since it is for citizenship purpose in the UK, and you can access UK healthcare already on the basis of your settlement status.

Urgent procedure

The Home Office does not provide any priority service for naturalisation applications. Although, you may receive your decision within 1-3 months if your case is straightforward, otherwise the typical time period is 6 months as mentioned above.

*The timeline & fees above mentioned does not include or specify our processing time for your application and legal services fee at any point, and it shall be conveyed to you after consultation.

Please note:

A decision may take longer if the Home Office needs to request additional information from you or verify your details with other government departments. You will be informed if this occurs.

Start your Application

Take the first step towards your Citizenship in the UK by starting your application with us. We understand that Naturalisation application requirements are complex, meaning it requires proper documentation, letters as well as strong legal representations to support the application. Therefore, we highly recommend you leave that to experts and relax! Our expert lawyers will guide you through the process, ensuring all documents are checked and the necessary evidence is provided to UKVI while addressing any potential issues

Reach out to us at info@visamerch.com or fill out our short form for a prompt response and a free 15-minute consultation with our appointed immigration lawyer!

Source: Gov.uk

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Frequently Asked Questions

We are here to address all your questions during consultations, however here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:

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Are there any restrictions on who can act as a referee for my application?

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