British Citizenship

If you want to become a British citizen, there are a number of different routes that can be taken. The route that makes sense for you depends on your circumstances.

• British Citizenship by Marriage: In order for this immigration route to be pursued, you must have spent at least three years as a settled person (this can take the form of Indefinite Leave to Remain or EU Settled Status). You must also be the spouse or married partner of a British citizen.
• British Citizenship by Birth or Descent: Those born in the UK on or after January 1^st 1983 or born when one of their parents was a British citizen usually gain citizenship automatically.
• The 5-year citizenship route: You are able to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) if you are a non-EEA citizen and have lived in the UK for five years. For those from within the EEA, you can apply for permanent residence status after the same period of time. Holders of ILR or permanent residence status can then apply to become a British national after 12 months. The same rules apply to those who have ‘settled status’ under the EU Settlement Scheme. As with ILR and permanent residence status, settled status can be applied for if you have lived in the UK for five years.
• Citizenship for those who are ‘stateless’: To be classed as stateless, you must not be recognised as a citizen of any country. If these are your circumstances, you may be able to apply for British citizenship. However, your ability to apply and the process you will need to follow is closely linked to the country in which you were born.
• Resuming your British citizenship: If you had previously renounced your British citizenship, it is usually possible for it to be resumed. There is specific guidance you need to follow if you wish for it to be resumed.

British nationality is not an automatic right afforded to all children born in the UK. In order to be eligible for British citizenship by birth, at least one parent of a child born in the UK must be either a British national or hold settled status. For those children born in the UK whose parents are both non-British, they will automatically be classed as dependants. Thus, they will be subject to the same immigration controls as their parents. In these situations, an individual can become a British national at a later time via a different route, however this will be conditional on satisfying the eligibility criteria for whichever route is pursued.

In order to be eligible for British citizenship by descent, an individual must have been born outside of the UK to a minimum of one British parent. This essentially means that British nationhood cannot be automatically bestowed on any child born outside of the UK.

For those born after the 1^st of January 1983, it may be possible to naturalise as a British citizen by descent if you have a parent that was born in a former British colony. Additionally, you may also be able to if you have a British-born grandfather who served in the military.

The form that is submitted in order to become a British citizen is usually processed within three to six months of it being received. However, this timescale is not absolute and can vary, something that should be borne in mind prior to submission. The time it takes depends on both the complexity of your case and the number of requests received by the Home Office.

You do not have to send your passport to the Home Office alongside your Naturalisation form. As a result, you are permitted to leave and re-enter the country freely in the time it takes for your application to be processed.

There is currently no facility available that enables you to track the status of your application online. However, you are able to contact the UKVI via email or on the phone for all questions regarding your application and its status.

For those who hold ILR, permanent residence or Settled Status, it is possible to apply for citizenship after 12 months. However, for those married to a British national, it is possible to become fully naturalised as soon as ILR is obtained.

You are not permitted to spend more than 90 days away from the UK during the 12-month qualifying period. You may be required to provide travel details pertaining to absence. If you are a citizen of the EU that holds Settled Status, you will be unable to naturalise if you spend more than five years abroad. You will then have to spend more time in the UK to become eligible for citizenship.

Similarly, ILR holders will be unable to naturalise if they spend more than two years outside of the UK as ILR status will be lost. If you wish to re-obtain your status, a new request will need to be submitted.

The test takes the form of 24 questions that are predominantly based on information found in the Life in the United Kingdom handbook. The test places considerable emphasis on the culture, customs and history of the UK. The handbook is provided by the Home Office, and should be studied in preparation for the test. In order for the test to be passed, the minimum mark that can be received is 75%. Passing the Life in the UK Test is an essential requirement for all those who wish to naturalise as a British national.

The Life in the UK Test can be booked online. It must be booked a minimum of three days in advance. There are upwards of 30 test centres in the UK, however you will only be able to choose one from the five that are closest to where you live.

When you sit the test, you will be given 45 minutes to answer the 24 questions. You must bring the same ID that you used when booking the test. In addition, it is mandatory that you bring proof of address. This must display both your name and postcode and must be dated within three months of the date your test is due to take place.

If you fail to bring valid documentation with you on the day of your test, you will be unable to sit it. You will also be ineligible for a refund. If the test is passed, you will receive a pass notification letter from the Home Office.

If you are over the age of 18 and your application for British nationality is successful, you will be invited to participate in a British citizenship ceremony. You will be sent an invitation from the Home Office. You must book the ceremony within three months of receiving this. The ceremony is intended to make all who gain citizenship welcomed into the British community.

The ceremony itself will be organised by your local authority. It is common practice for the ceremonies to be conducted in groups. However, it is possible to arrange a private ceremony if that’s what you’d prefer. A group ceremony costs £80. Private ceremonies are more expensive- the costs can be checked through contacting your local authority.

You are able to bring up to two guests to your ceremony. It is important that you bring your invitation with you. During the ceremony itself, you’ll be required to make an Oath of Allegiance and a pledge. This states that you will honour the rights and laws of the UK. For those who would prefer not to swear by God, it is possible to make an affirmation instead.

Once the ceremony comes to an end, you will be presented with a certificate of British citizenship. You will also receive a welcome pack. This is designed to provide information regarding your rights as a British citizen. For those outside of the UK, it is possible for the ceremony to take place in a British embassy/consulate.

If you wish to become a British citizen, you will need to complete and submit form AN- Application for Naturalisation as a British citizen. This is necessary for holders of Settled Status, permanent residence and Indefinite Leave to Remain.

The form has various sections that require detailed information in order to determine your eligibility. It is imperative that all sections are completed to the highest standard. You will need to provide information pertaining to employment, residency and biography.

You will need to evidence your relationship if applying as the spouse of a British citizen. You will need to input information pertaining to your two referees on your form. They will also need to sign it.

Once form AN submitted and the fee has been paid, the Home Office will begin to process your request. The form and associated documentation do not take longer than six months to process, so you will receive a verdict within this timeframe. The timeframe is the same regardless of the route- holders of Settled Status or permanent residence do not receive a decision quicker than those with ILR.

There is currently no means of fast-tracking the citizenship process, however you may receive a decision quicker than the expected waiting time.

Conversely, complex cases may take longer than the standard six-month time period. Your request will be delayed if you fail to include all of the necessary documentation.

In light of there being no legal need for other nationalities to be renounced, an individual is permitted to obtain dual nationality in the UK. Holders are able to be both a citizen of the UK and a citizen of a different country. Multiple citizenships are also permitted under UK law. With this in mind, it is possible to gain British nationality even if dual nationalities are already held.

Dual nationality does not need to be separately applied for. If you already hold British citizenship, you are able to apply to become a national of any country that permits you to become a dual citizen. It is important to note that different nations have different rules in relation to dual nationality. It is therefore vitally important to find out whether the nation for which you wish to apply for citizenship will allow you to maintain your British nationality as well. This information can be found out by contacting their embassy or consulate.

Before submitting your request for dual nationality, there are a number of important things to be borne in mind. For instance, once your additional form of citizenship is granted, you will be unable to receive any form of diplomatic assistance whilst in a different nation in which you hold permanent residence.

In addition, if you are applying to become a national of a country that does not permit dual citizenship, you will need to give up your status as a British citizen. Further to this, for nationals of countries who do not permit dual citizenship, applying for British nationality may lead to previously held status being lost. It is strongly advised that, for those who wish to become a British citizen, they should inform the country from which nationality was first obtained.

It is possible to renounce your status as a British national if this is what you want to do. A common circumstance why this may be desired is so that an individual can become a national of a country that does not permit dual citizenship. It is important to note that if you wish to become a national of a country that does allow dual citizenship, your status as a British national does not have to be renounced.

If your application for the renouncement of your status is accepted, you will receive a ‘Declaration of Renunciation’. The certificate can be used as evidence that you are no longer a citizen of the United Kingdom. However, renouncing your status as a British national has no impact on the status of your family members, who retain their status. Only you are affected by your decision.

You must be over the age of 18 in order to apply for a renouncement. Additionally, you will be required to meet the ‘Sound Mind’ requirement. This demonstrates that deemed capable of making your own decisions in the eyes of the law.

The Resumption of Nationality

It is possible for you to apply for the resumption of your status as a British national if you change your mind.In order to regain your citizenship, you must demonstrate that you still have substantial connections to the UK. Furthermore, the Home Office will need to assess you in relation to the ‘good character’ requirements in spite of having previously been a British citizen.

You are required to have two referees as part of your application for British nationality. Their purpose is to verify that the information you submit to the Home Office is honest and correct.

Your form must be signed by both of your referees. If it is not, it will be deemed invalid.

Your two referees should be of your choosing. However, they must have known you for at least three years prior to the submission of your application. In addition, they must not have held any criminal convictions in the previous ten years.

It is crucial that one of your referees holds a professional role such as a doctor, teacher, minister of religion or member of a professional body. They cannot be a solicitor or legal professional representing you on this case nor can they work for the UKVI. The person does not necessarily have to be a UK citizen.

Having said this, it is imperative for your other referee to be of British nationality and hold a UK passport. They must be at least 25 and deemed a professional.

Naturalisation refers to the process involved with applying for British nationality. There are a number of requirements that must be satisfied and you must be over the age of 18 to apply. You must have been a settled person in the UK (this can take the form of ILR, permanent residence or Settled Status) for a minimum of 12 months.

If you are married to a British citizen, you can apply for Naturalisation after three years of continuous residence as a settled person.

Prior to applying, you must ensure that the time you spend outside of the UK does not exceed a specific timeframe. This is of particular relevance in the last year of the qualifying period, as you are not allowed to spend more than 90 days overseas. It is vitally important to pass the Life in the UK Test and language requirements.

You must complete and submit the Home Office AN form to apply. It usually takes between three and six months to be processed. If you successfully obtain British citizenship, you will be invited to a citizenship ceremony at which you will receive a certificate of Naturalisation.