British Naturalisation Application

There are different ways to apply for British citizenship (or ‘naturalisation’) based on your circumstances. You may be eligible to apply for citizenship if:

• You have a British parent.
• You have another type of British nationality.
• You’re stateless.
• You previously gave up (renounced) your citizenship.

The requirements for British Citizenship by Naturalisation vary depending on whether you are married to a British citizen or not married to a British citizen to qualify. You can qualify if you are married naturalisation after three years in the UK as a spouse of an UK Citizen in the UK as oppose to five years.

It is imperative that you provide the correct documents to the Home Office for your application to be successful. The Home Office will expect to see:

• Evidence you are settled in the UK: – British passport, ILR stamp or BRP Card, or settled status under the EUSS scheme or PR Card.
• Proof that you meet the knowledge of life and language test in the UK: You must pass the Life in the UK test, unless you are exempt and pass the B1 Listening and Speaking test at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level, a degree taught or researched in English, or you are from a majority speaking country to be exempt from the test.
• Evidence of your identity: valid passport, birth certificate
• Proof of residence in the UK for the relevant period: Proof of residence for past 3 or 5 years from the date of application.

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.

Most British naturalisation applications take between 3-4 months to be processed. Straight forward applications can be decided within 2 months, and more complex can take up to 6 months. Processing times will also vary depending on the Home Office’s caseload.

Once you are issued with a Certificate of Naturalisation, it will usually take between 3-4 weeks for you to be issued with a British passport.