British Citizenship & Naturalisation

For many people who have settled in the UK, British citizenship is the final step in their immigration journey. Most adults become British by naturalisation once they have held settled status, while children are usually registered as British citizens.

The requirements are set out in the British Nationality Act 1981 and Home Office guidance, and they are applied carefully. Checking your residence, absences and character history before you apply can avoid a refused application and a lost fee.

Naturalisation: the standard route

If you are 18 or over and do not have a British spouse or civil partner, you will generally need to:

• Have lived in the UK for at least 5 years, and have been physically in the UK on the day 5 years before the Home Office receives your application.
• Have held Indefinite Leave to Remain, indefinite leave to enter or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme for at least 12 months before applying.
• Have spent no more than 450 days outside the UK in the 5-year period, and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months.
• Not have breached immigration laws during the 5-year period.
• Intend to continue living in the UK.

The Home Office can use discretion over excess absences in some cases, depending on the reasons and the strength of your ties to the UK.

Spouses and civil partners of British citizens

If you are married to, or in a civil partnership with, a British citizen, the residence period is 3 years rather than 5. You must have been in the UK on the day 3 years before the application is received, have spent no more than 270 days outside the UK in that period and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months. You still need ILR, indefinite leave to enter or settled status, but you do not need to wait 12 months after getting it before you apply.

English and the Life in the UK test

Applicants must show English at B1 level or above, unless an exemption applies, and must have passed the Life in the UK test (which currently costs £50).

Good character

You must be of good character. The Home Office assesses your conduct and history as a whole under its published good character guidance, so anything that may be relevant, such as criminal matters or past immigration problems, should be reviewed and disclosed properly before you apply.

For applications made after 10 February 2025, the good character policy says that an application from someone who entered the UK illegally will normally be refused, no matter how long ago the entry took place. This includes people who arrived without the required entry clearance or electronic travel authorisation after a dangerous journey, for example by small boat or concealed in a vehicle. The guidance allows consideration where the entry was outside the person's control, such as where they were a child or a victim of trafficking or modern slavery. If this could affect you, take advice before applying.

Registering children as British citizens

Children under 18 are usually registered rather than naturalised, using form MN1. Some children have an entitlement to be registered, for example where the child and both parents meet specific residence requirements, while other applications are considered under Home Office policy, which looks at the child's circumstances and future in the UK.

Home Office fees

• Naturalisation: currently £1,709, plus a £130 citizenship ceremony fee.
• Registration of a child under 18: currently £1,000 (the £130 ceremony fee is added if the child turns 18 during the application).

If the application is approved, you will be invited to a citizenship ceremony, which must usually be attended within 90 days of the invitation.

Possible future changes

The government has said that it intends to reform citizenship alongside its earned settlement proposals, including longer qualifying periods. Changing the residence requirements for naturalisation would require primary legislation to amend the British Nationality Act 1981. At the time of writing no such legislation has been passed and the requirements described above have not changed.

Common problems we help with

• Excess absences, including long trips abroad for work or family reasons.
• Past convictions, cautions, driving offences or immigration breaches.
• Periods without permission or questions about how you entered the UK.
• Working out whether, and how, a child can be registered.

How Stonebridge can help

We assess your eligibility in detail, calculate your absences, review any character issues and advise honestly on your prospects before you pay the fee. We then prepare the application, check your supporting documents, draft representations where discretion is needed and liaise with the Home Office until a decision is made. If you are not yet settled, we can help with Indefinite Leave to Remain first.

To find out whether you or your child can apply for British citizenship now, book a consultation with our team.