Naturalisation as a British citizen

Those who have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK may be eligible to apply to naturalise as a British citizen.

Main requirements

Applicants for naturalisation as a British citizen must demonstrate that:

they are over 18 years old;
they are of good character and sound mind;
they have sufficient knowledge of English language and have passed a Life in the UK test;
they have not broken any immigration laws whilst in the UK;
they intend to make the UK their principal home;
they have spent less than 90 days outside of the UK in the last 12 months; and
they have been free from immigration controls for at least 12 months (unless married to a British citizen).

Applicants must also meet the residency requirement by demonstrating that:

they have lived in the UK for at least five years before the date of application; and
they have spent less than 450 days outside the UK during the five year period.

If an applicant is married or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, then the residency requirement is reduced. In this case, the applicant must demonstrate that:

they have lived in the UK for at least three years before the date of application; and
they have spent less than 270 days outside the UK during the three years.

In certain cases, it is possible for applicants who have been absent from the UK for longer periods of time to qualify.

Note:

Once acquired, British citizenship status cannot be revoked other than in exceptional circumstances.

Children who are born to those who have naturalised as British citizens are themselves British citizens.

Contact us

We have considerable experience in preparing Naturalisation applications. If you would like to discuss matters further, please contact Charles Green, Consultant Partner, at cgreen@rooksrider.co.uk or by telephone to 07955112218.

Charles Green

Consultant Partner - Immigration

St Magnus House, 3 Lower Thames Street,
London EC3R 6HD
+44 (0) 20 7689 7000
lawyers@rooksrider.co.uk

Rooks Rider and our solicitors are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority [SRA No. 559363].

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