Want to become a British citizen? You can apply for British citizenship either by Naturalisation or Registration if meeting all the eligibility requirements.
Contact our expert British citizenship lawyer in Manchester to get reliable & confidential legal advice and help with your British citizenship application.
Related Topics
- What is British citizenship?
- British citizenship applications
- How to become a British citizen?
- How to apply for British citizenship?
- Requirements for British citizenship
- Documents required for British citizenship
- UK citizenship processing time after biometrics
- How much does it cost to apply for British citizenship?
- Need help with the British citizenship application?
- Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
What is British citizenship?
British citizenship is the status granted to individuals who have the right to permanently live and work in the United Kingdom. As a British citizen, you have full rights and privileges, such as the ability to vote, hold a British passport, and access public services that are only available to British citizens.
Having British citizenship also means you are subject to British laws and must abide by them. British citizens have the right to live and work in the UK indefinitely and are free to travel in and out of the country without visa restrictions.
British citizenship can be acquired in several ways, such as being born in the UK, having at least one British parent, or through the process of naturalisation which requires meeting certain eligibility criteria, such as the length of time living in the UK, passing the Life in the UK test, and demonstrating your knowledge of English.
You do not automatically become a British citizen if you were born in the UK. British citizenship depends on when you were born and your parents' circumstances. If you wish to apply for British citizenship, you must meet all the eligibility requirements.
If you are eligible to become a British citizen in more than one way you can choose which way to apply.
British citizenship applications
Below is a list of some common types of British citizenship applications and ways to become a British citizen:
- British citizenship by naturalisation after ILR
- British citizenship by marriage after 3 years
- Register the child as a British citizen born inside the UK
- Register the child as a British citizen born outside the UK
- Register the child as a British citizen after 10 years
- British citizenship by registration
- British citizenship by descent
How to become a British citizen?
There are several ways to become a British citizen such as citizenship by Naturalisation, by Registration, by Marriage, by Descent and more depending on your circumstances.
Naturalisation
Naturalisation is the most common way to become a British citizen. To be eligible for naturalisation, you must have lived in the UK for at least five years (or three years if you are married to a British citizen), have settled status in the UK, and meet other requirements.
Registration
You may be eligible to register as a British citizen if you were born in the UK to non-British parents, have a British parent, or have lived in the UK for a certain period of time as a child or adult.
British overseas territories citizenship
If you were born in a British overseas territory or have a parent or grandparent who was born there, you may be eligible for British overseas territories citizenship.
British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act
If you were a British overseas territories citizen and a Hong Kong resident before the transfer of sovereignty to China in 1997, you may be eligible for British citizenship.
Ancestry
If you have a grandparent who was born in the UK, you may be eligible for British citizenship by descent.
The requirements and eligibility criteria for each of these routes to British citizenship can vary, and it is always advisable to seek professional advice to determine the best option for your individual circumstances.
How to apply for British citizenship?
You can either apply online or by post for British citizenship if you are meeting the eligibility requirements according to the British Nationality Act 1981.
Though this is not mandatory, it is helpful to get advice and legal services from an expert British citizenship lawyer to maximise your chances of success.
British citizenship application step-by-step process:
- Fill in and submit your British citizenship application online or by post.
- Scan & upload all the supporting documents in the correct format (if applying online);
- Book & attend your biometric appointment to provide your photo and fingerprints at a UKVCAS service point;
- Wait for the decision on your application for 3-6 months.
- Attend the UK citizenship ceremony if your application is successful and you are age 18 or over.
Read this comprehensive guide to learn more about how to apply for British citizenship, the required documents and fees.
Requirements for British citizenship
To be eligible to apply for British citizenship by naturalisation you must meet the requirements of the British Nationality Act 1981.
You must meet the following requirements:
- UK Residency requirements
- Good character requirement
- Prove your knowledge of English
- Life in the UK test
You can apply for naturalisation if you're over 18 and have had one of the following for 12 months:
- Indefinite leave to remain in the UK
- Settled status (also known as 'indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme')
- Indefinite leave to enter the UK (permission to move to the UK permanently from abroad)
You will not need to wait 12 months to apply if you're married to a British citizen.
You must also meet all the other eligibility requirements depending on type of application and your personal circumstances. Please contact us for an initial assessment to determine your eligibility, and to discuss the options.
Read the guidance for the full list of eligibility requirements for British citizenship applications.
Documents required for British citizenship
The applicants will need to provide several documents in the support of their British citizenship application depending on their personal circumstances.
You must provide the following documents when you apply for British citizenship by naturalisation:
- Your current passport or the valid ID document
- Your BRP card (if have been issued to you)
- Proof you have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or settled status
- List of absences from the UK
- Proof of knowledge of English or English language test certificate
- Life in the UK test certificate
This is a general list of documents. Depending on type of application and your personal circumstances, you might also need to provide additional documents.
Please contact us for an initial assessment to determine your eligibility, and find out the required list of documents in support of your application.
Read the guidance for the full list of documents you'll need to provide in the support of your British citizenship application.
UK citizenship processing time after biometrics
You should get a decision on your British citizenship application within 3-6 months. However, Some UK citizenship applications may take longer than 6 months depending on the complexity of the matter.
Time starts once you've applied for British citizenship and attended your biometric appointment.
How much does it cost to apply for British citizenship?
- £1,330 is the fee for British citizenship by Naturalisation application.
- £1,012 is the fee to register a child under 18 as a British citizen.
Here are some common other costs associated with applying for British citizenship:
- £19.20 Biometrics fee
- £50 Life in the UK test fee (unless you are exempt)
- £150 approx. English language test fee (unless you are exempt)
- Immigration lawyer fees (if using legal services to boost your chances of success & avoid mistakes)
The above is a general list of costs associated with British citizenship applications. There may be additional costs such translation fee depending on your circumstances.
Please note that these fees are subject to change, and you should always check the most up-to-date information on the UK government's official website before applying for a visa.
Immigration lawyer fees
Our expert UK citizenship & nationality lawyer will guide you through every step of the British citizenship application process including advice about legal requirements and eligibility criteria.
At Rex Law Chambers, our UK nationality lawyer charges a fixed fee between £800-£1000 for our complete legal services in relation to your citizenship application. The agreed fixed fee will depend on the complexity of the matter and the casework involved in the matter.
Need help with the British citizenship application?
If you need legal advice or help with your British citizenship application, our lawyer can provide legal assistance.
Our citizenship lawyer will assess your eligibility and personal circumstances to determine if you can apply for British citizenship and meet the requirements.
British citizenship lawyer at Rex Law Chambers will:
- advise you about eligibility criteria and the requirement;
- provide you with a comprehensive checklist of supporting documents;
- fill in and submit your British citizenship application;
- check all the supporting documents;
- upload all the supporting documents online in their correct format and order;
- schedule your biometrics appointments;
- prepare a cover letter or letter of representation to support your application.
- dealing and responding to any enquiries or correspondence from the Home Office;
- do all the follow-up work on your British citizenship application until a decision is received from the Home Office UKVI.
Contact our experienced UK citizenship & nationality lawyer on 0161 989 9370 or fill in our enquiry form to get reliable & confidential legal advice and assistance with your British citizenship application.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Residency requirement, good character requirement, English language test and Life in the UK test are the 4 key requirements to apply for British citizenship.
You must meet all other eligibility requirements depending on your personal circumstances and type of British citizenship application.
You can become a British citizen after living at least 3 years in the UK as a spouse of a British citizen. You must meet all the eligibility requirements of the British Nationality Act 1981 to apply for UK citizenship through marriage.
Yes, the UK does allow dual citizenship with other countries which means you can be a British citizen and also a citizen of other countries at the same time.
Authorised and regulated by the OISC under the registration number F202100249