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Naturalisation is the legal process by which a person becomes a natural citizen of the UK. You can become a British citizen either by birth or you can apply for naturalisation if you are aged 18 or over. To be eligible to become a British citizen, you need to prove that you have been in the UK on Indefinite Leave to Remain or EU Settled Status for at least three years, and that you have never broken UK law, including immigration breaches.
Once your permanent residence status request is approved, you can live, work and study in the UK permanently, without any immigration restrictions. You will also be able to travel and spend time abroad without the need to worry about losing your status.
To qualify for British citizenship, you must demonstrate your “good character”. In deciding whether you are a person of good character, the Home Office will consider your criminal record, if any. British nationality law is quite strict, and thorough background checks are an important part of validating your legal right to claim citizenship in the UK. The Home Office will also review any criminal offence committed overseas and UK immigration-related issue. Generally, the UKVI and the Home Office will not consider applications if a person has held a custodial sentence for four years or longer. Furthermore, those who fail to disclose the full details of their criminal history will also have their application automatically refused. The Home Office will, however, consider any contributions that you may have made to the society since you have been in the UK.
It can be extremely difficult to navigate through the naturalisation process, having a member of our expert London-based team guide you effortlessly through the process will not only put your mind at ease but give you the best chances of success.
According to your circumstances, there are several routes you can follow to register as a British citizen. These are following:
The eligibility requirements to become a British citizen are set out in the British Nationality Act 1981. You need to meet the following requirements to be eligible to become a British citizen:
Situations where evidence of proficiency in the British language would not be required for a Naturalisation application, are:
To apply for British citizenship, you can complete the relevant Home Office naturalisation form. This is Form AN Application for Naturalisation as a British citizen. You will be required to provide documentary evidence to support your application.
Your biometric details (photograph and fingerprint scans) need to be collected at your nearest UKVCAS Centre. The Home Office may contact you to let you know if you can provide your information at a local post office. If you wish, you can get in touch with the Home Office directly.
You can submit your forms and documents either from abroad or from within the UK.
You will also be required to provide details of two referees, who will need to sign a Referee Declaration form to confirm that the information you have provided on your form is correct.
The application process usually takes from three to six months. If your application is approved, you will receive an invitation to attend a Citizenship ceremony to obtain your Certificate of Naturalisation.
When you are applying to become a natural British citizen, you need to ensure that you have a list of documents to prove that you meet the eligibility requirements. These can include the following:
