Obtaining UK Citizenship is a significant event in one’s life. There are several ways to apply for UK Citizenship and it involves a complex area of immigration law. You will have to meet Residency Requirements and free from immigration time restrictions requirements as individually applicable.
We can provide you professional advice and services for your British Citizenship/Naturalisation Application OR Citizenship Registration application of your child. Seeking our professional advice will ensure that your application is completed in line with immigration law.
Eligibility and fees
You can apply for British citizenship if you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years and have held one of the following for the past 12 months:
- Indefinite leave to remain in the UK
- ‘Settled status’ (also called ‘indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme’)
- Indefinite leave to enter the UK (permission to move to the UK permanently from abroad)
If you’re married to a British citizen, you do not need to wait 12 months to apply.
You must also:
- Be over 18
- Show that you were in the UK exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application
- Prove your knowledge of English, Welsh, or Scottish Gaelic
- Pass the Life in the UK Test
- Plan to continue living in the UK
- Be of good character – refer to the naturalisation guidance
If you have pre-settled status
You may still be able to apply for citizenship if you can show all of the following:
- You have pre-settled status
- You’re from the EU, Norway, Iceland, or Liechtenstein and started living in the UK by 31 December 2020 (or you’re a family member of someone who did)
- You’ve lived in the UK continuously for 5 years, and during that time you were working, actively seeking work for up to 3 months, studying, or self-sufficient
Residency requirements
You must have lived in the UK for at least 5 years before the date you apply. You also must not have broken any UK immigration laws.
If you have indefinite leave to enter or remain, the Home Office generally won’t investigate any immigration law breaches before you obtained that status.
You cannot count any time spent in the UK when you were exempt from immigration control, such as if you were a:
- Diplomat
- Member of a diplomat’s household or staff
- Member of visiting armed forces
Time you’ve spent outside the UK
You should not have:
- Spent more than 450 days outside the UK in the 5 years before your application
- Spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months
- Broken any UK immigration laws (such as staying in the UK illegally)
You may have lost your indefinite leave to remain or enter if you were outside the UK for:
- More than 2 years at any point since obtaining it (you’ll need to apply for a Returning Resident visa)
- More than 5 years if you have settled status
- More than 4 years if you’re a Swiss citizen or the family member of one and have settled status
This is one route to apply for British citizenship. Check if you’re eligible through another route.
When to apply
You must have been physically present in the UK exactly 5 years before the date the Home Office receives your application.
Your application may be refused if you were not in the UK exactly 5 years before that date. However, the Home Office may consider exceptional circumstances, such as:
- You couldn’t live in the UK at the start of the 5-year period due to medical issues or travel restrictions
- You were told to leave the UK during the 5 years, but the decision was later overturned
Example
If the Home Office receives your application on 20 June 2022, but you left the UK on 10 June 2017 and came back on 25 June 2017, you will not qualify. You’ll need to wait until 24 June 2022 to apply.
The date your application is received depends on how you submit it. If you apply online, it’s received the same day. Postal applications take longer.
How much it costs
The application fee is £1,735 (this includes the £130 citizenship ceremony fee).
You’ll also need to provide your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo). There is no extra cost for this, and you’ll be given instructions on how to do it after you apply.
Apply for your children
You must apply separately for your children.
You can apply to ‘register’ your child for citizenship if they were born either:
- outside of the UK
- inside the UK before you were granted indefinite leave to remain
Read the guidance to check you can apply.
How much it costs
It costs £1,214 to apply for each child.
If your child is under 18 and you cannot afford to pay the application fee, you may be able to apply for a fee waiver.
You must also pay £130 for your child’s citizenship ceremony if they turn 18 during the application process.
Note: The above information is sourced from: https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-indefinite-leave-to-remain. They are subject to change in line with Home Office updates. Please contact us for updated information.