How to Apply for British Citizenship

Summary

• ILR or settled status does not automatically make you a British citizen.
• Your marriage or civil partnership with a British citizen can affect when you qualify to apply.
• The Home Office assesses your residence, absences, language evidence and good character.
• This article explains British citizenship applications for adults and families in the UK.
• LegalVision specialises in advising clients on UK immigration, including settlement and citizenship.

Tips for Applicants

Match your travel records to your proposed application date. Check your previous test evidence before booking again. Speak to an immigration lawyer at LegalVision about checking your citizenship eligibility and application timing.

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On this page

• Do You Need ILR or Settled Status First?
• When Can You Apply for British Citizenship?
• How Do You Check Your Time Outside the UK?
• Does Your Immigration History Matter?
• Do You Have to Keep Living in the UK?
• Do You Need English Language Evidence and the Life in the UK Test?
• What Does Good Character Mean?
• Who Can Act as Your Referees?
• What Documents Will You Normally Need?
• Do Children Follow the Same Citizenship Process?
• How Much Does British Citizenship Cost?
• How Do You Submit and Complete Your Application?
• Key Takeaways
• Frequently Asked Questions

Naturalisation is the process through which eligible adults apply to become British citizens. If you have indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or settled status, you must still meet separate citizenship requirements. Your time outside the UK and whether your spouse or civil partner is British can affect when you qualify. This article explains British citizenship eligibility, fees, and application steps for adults, along with the different rules for children.

Do You Need ILR or Settled Status First?

Most applicants first need ILR, settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or another form of indefinite permission to stay. Settled status is permission to stay under that scheme without a time limit. How long it takes to reach this stage depends on your immigration route.

For example, the usual partner and spouse visa route generally requires 5 qualifying years before you can apply for ILR. Some people follow a longer settlement route, such as the 10-year route. Check your route against the Home Office settlement guidance before planning your citizenship application.

Once you have ILR or settled status, you can consider whether you meet the separate citizenship requirements. The time needed to settle and the citizenship residence period are separate requirements.

When Can You Apply for British Citizenship?

Your application timing depends partly on whether you are married to, or in a civil partnership with, a British citizen. The shorter citizenship residence period does not replace the ILR qualifying period. An unmarried partner does not qualify for the shorter period simply because their partner is British.

The main requirements differ as follows.

Meeting these periods alone does not establish that you satisfy every citizenship requirement.

If Your Spouse or Civil Partner is British

Once you have ILR or settled status, you can usually apply straight away if you meet the other citizenship requirements. For example, you could apply the day after the Home Office grants ILR.

If You are Not Married to a British Citizen

An unmarried partner who obtains ILR through the usual partner route would normally need to wait a further 12 months before applying. If they marry or enter a civil partnership with a British citizen before applying, different citizenship requirements may apply.

How Do You Check Your Time Outside the UK?

The Home Office counts your absences during the relevant citizenship residence period. It also checks your absences during the final year separately.

Exceeding a usual limit does not always mean refusal. The Home Office can exercise discretion, meaning it may make an exception in appropriate circumstances.

The amount of excess absence, your UK connections and the reasons for your travel can all be relevant. Check these points before relying on an exception.

Count Whole Days Abroad

The Home Office absence guidance normally counts only whole days spent outside the UK. It does not normally count the day you leave or the day you return. Check your travel history carefully, particularly if you travel frequently.

Check the Start of Your Residence Period

You must normally have been physically present in the UK on the first day of your citizenship qualifying period. The Home Office looks back 3 years for spouses and civil partners of British citizens. For other applicants, it looks back 5 years.

If you were abroad at the start of that period, you may need a different application date. The Home Office has some discretion in special circumstances. Check the date before submitting your application.

Does Your Immigration History Matter?

The Home Office considers whether you met the lawful residence requirements during the relevant citizenship qualifying period. Lawful residence means living in the UK with the required permission or right. If you already have ILR, the Home Office normally treats this requirement as met without further enquiries.

Exceptions can apply, particularly where serious immigration issues or information might have affected the ILR decision. Obtain advice before applying if your history includes overstaying, illegal entry or deception. Overstaying means remaining after your permission expires without another lawful basis.

Do You Have to Keep Living in the UK?

Applicants outside the British spouse or civil partner route must normally intend to keep the UK as their home or main home. This does not mean you cannot travel or work abroad. The Home Office considers your intentions when you apply.

This requirement does not apply when you apply as the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen. The Home Office future intentions guidance explains the assessment.

Do You Need English Language Evidence and the Life in the UK Test?

Most applicants must pass the Life in the UK Test and meet the language requirement before applying. These are separate requirements. Check the evidence you used for settlement before booking another test, because you may be able to rely on it again.

Life in the UK Test

If you passed the Life in the UK Test for ILR, you usually do not need to take it again. Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme did not itself require this test. Check whether you have already passed it.

English Language Evidence

Common ways to meet the language requirement include an approved English test or an eligible degree taught in English. Nationals of recognised majority English-speaking countries can also qualify without taking an English test. The Home Office language guidance explains what evidence is acceptable.

You may be able to reuse an accepted English qualification from your ILR application. Check that it meets the citizenship requirements.

Exemptions From Testing

Applicants aged 65 or over are normally exempt from the English language and Life in the UK requirements. Exemptions can also apply where a long-term physical or mental condition prevents you from meeting them. The Home Office exemption guidance explains the required medical evidence.

What Does Good Character Mean?

You must satisfy the Home Office good character requirement. This involves assessing your conduct, beyond checking for criminal convictions.

The Home Office can consider criminality, immigration breaches, illegal entry, dishonesty, tax and financial matters, and other relevant conduct. An issue in your history does not necessarily mean refusal.

The Home Office good character guidance applies a particular illegal-entry policy to applications made from 10 February 2025. Previous illegal entry will normally lead to refusal, regardless of how long ago it happened. Exceptions and other considerations in the guidance can apply.

Who Can Act as Your Referees?

A naturalisation application normally needs 2 referees who can help confirm your identity. One must be a professional person and can be of any nationality. Professional people include accountants and solicitors.

The other must normally hold a British citizen passport. That referee must be either a professional or over 25.

Both referees must have known you personally for at least 3 years. They must also meet the other Home Office referee requirements. Check their eligibility before asking them to complete declarations.

What Documents Will You Normally Need?

Your documents depend on your circumstances and the route you use. Gather the evidence before submitting your application. The usual checklist includes:

• your current passport and relevant previous passports;
• evidence of ILR or settled status;
• details of travel outside the UK;
• evidence that you meet the English language requirement;
• evidence that you passed the Life in the UK Test; and
• your referee declarations.

For the British spouse or civil partner route, normally include evidence of your marriage or civil partnership. You will also normally need evidence that your spouse or civil partner is British.

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Do Children Follow the Same Citizenship Process?

Children under 18 do not apply for naturalisation in the same way as adults. A child may already be British automatically or have a right to register. Registration is a different application process for becoming British. In other cases, the Home Office may consider registration at its discretion.

A child’s position can depend on their birthplace and their parents’ nationality and immigration status. Check whether your child is already British before applying. The Home Office guidance for children explains the starting points.

How Much Does British Citizenship Cost?

The standard adult naturalisation fee includes the application charge and the citizenship ceremony charge. The following Home Office amounts were checked on 2 October 2026.

How Do You Submit and Complete Your Application?

You can normally apply online yourself or use a representative. After submitting, follow the Home Office instructions for your documents and identity checks.

Keep access to the email address you provide so you can respond to requests. The Home Office application guidance explains how to apply.

Submit the Form and Supporting Evidence

For an online application, follow these steps in order:

1. Complete the citizenship application form and check your answers against your supporting records. Confirm the application date before paying the fee.
2. Submit the application and pay the required fee. Keep a copy of your completed form and payment confirmation for your records.
3. Follow the instructions for providing your documents. You can upload copies online or arrange scanning through the application appointment service.
4. Complete the biometric process when instructed. The Home Office will explain how to provide the information needed for its identity checks.

The Home Office may ask for more information before deciding your application. Keep copies of anything else you send.

“Choose your application date with your travel record open beside you. Check the start of the qualifying period before you focus on the total days abroad.”

Wait for the Decision and Plan Travel

The Home Office processing guidance gives a usual decision period of 6 months. Some applications take longer. An eligible applicant may be able to buy the priority service, which usually aims for a decision within 30 working days.

The Home Office priority guidance was checked on 2 October 2026. The additional priority fee is £500. Further checks can still delay a priority decision. The Home Office does not offer a super-priority service for citizenship applications.

You can travel while waiting with a valid passport and evidence of valid immigration status. A citizenship application does not itself give you permission to remain in the UK. Plan travel around any appointments or requests for evidence.

Attend the Ceremony After Approval

If the Home Office approves your application, you will normally need to attend a citizenship ceremony. Follow your invitation to arrange it with the relevant local authority. The Home Office ceremony guidance sets a normal deadline of 90 days from the invitation.

After completing the citizenship process, you can apply separately for your first British passport. Allow time for that application before planning travel that depends on receiving the passport.

Key Takeaways

ILR or settled status does not automatically make you a British citizen. The spouse or civil partner route normally uses a 3-year citizenship residence period. Other applicants normally need a 5-year period. They must usually also hold settled status or ILR for 12 months before applying.

Absence limits and presence at the start of the relevant period can affect when you qualify. The Home Office also assesses language, knowledge of life in the UK and good character. Exceptions can apply, while children follow different citizenship rules.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I apply for citizenship immediately after getting ILR?

You can usually apply immediately if your spouse or civil partner is British and you meet the other requirements. Other applicants normally need to hold ILR for 12 months before applying. Check your residence and absence requirements too.

Do departure and return days count as absences?

The Home Office normally counts only whole days outside the UK. It normally excludes the day you leave and the day you return. Check your travel records before calculating your total.

Do I need to repeat the Life in the UK Test?

You do not normally need to repeat it if you passed it for ILR. Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme did not itself require the test. Check your earlier evidence before applying.

Does my child become British when I naturalise?

Your child’s citizenship position needs a separate check. They may already be British or qualify for registration. Their birthplace and their parents’ nationality and immigration status can affect the answer.