Apply for a British Citizenship / Nationality

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.

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:

• Evidence of your identity and permanent residence status, such as your passport, birth certificate or any valid travel document.
• Your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), residence card, or any proof that you hold Indefinite Leave to Remain or EU Settled Status.
• Evidence of your previous immigration status and your right to remain in the UK, including any visa that you held before you settled in the UK.
• Proof of English language and knowledge of life in the UK. You will receive a valid pass certificate after completing both the Life in the UK Test and the ESOL language exam. If you have already completed the Life in the UK Test when you obtained Indefinite Leave to Remain, you do not need to resit the exam.
• Evidence of lawful residential presence in the UK during the qualifying period. As a resident of the UK, you must have always respected all the immigration laws.
• Travel details of any period of absence that you have spent outside the UK. To become a British citizen, you need to show that you have not been absent from the UK for more than 450 days during the five-year residence period
• Proof showing that you are free from UK immigration time restrictions, and you have the right to remain in the UK.
• You meet the good character requirement and you have never been in breach of any UK immigration laws.
• Proof that you have exercised treaty right in the last 3 or 5 years, depending on your immigration status. To this end, you can provide letters confirming your current employment, bank statements or letters from your education establishment.

The current fee for naturalisation including a citizenship ceremony fee is £1,330 and nationality registration as a British citizen for adults is £1,206, while for children it is £1,012.
It is important to note this does not include additional fees such as £50 fee for taking a Life in the UK test.

FORM AN
This application form is for those who seek to become a British citizen through the process of naturalisation. The requirements that need to be met when making this application will depend on whether you are applying on the bases of marriage/civil partnership with a British citizen or not.

• Married/civil partnership with British Citizen – The minimum residential requirement that an applicant needs to show under this route is that they have been resident in the UK for 3 years. The focus of this application will be on the relationship that one has with a British Citizen.
• NOT married/civil partnership with British citizen – The minimum residential requirement that an applicant needs to meet under this route is to show they have been resident in the UK for 5 years. They must also show that they have been free from immigration restrictions for at least the most recent 12-month period leading up to the application. Applications under this category will often hinge on the good character’ requirement

Form AN is a comprehensive form 30 pages long, which requires detailed information about yourself. It is necessary to provide as much detailed information as possible to give you the best chance of success. Some of the information which you will need to include as a part of FORM AN are:

• Personal Information
• Biometric Information
• Residence Requirements
• Evidence of Good Character
• Referees
• Declaration

FORM MN1
These applications are in reference to a child naturalising as a British citizen. There are many different possibilities for a child qualifying under this route. They are as follows:

• Children born in the UK to parents now settled in the UK or who have become British citizens
• Children born in the UK to parents who have joined the armed forces
• Children whose parents are in the process of applying for British citizenship
• Children born abroad to parents who are British by descent and have lived in the UK or an overseas territory
• Children adopted abroad by British citizen parents