UKCitizenship

Naturalisation in the United Kingdom in the UK

Naturalisation is the process of obtaining British citizenship for someone who already holds permanent resident status in the United Kingdom. The candidate proves their period of residence in the country and their knowledge of the language, passes a test on knowledge of the country and attends an oath ceremony once the application is approved. The law gives no legal right to citizenship — the decision rests with the Home Office.

Source: GOV.UK — the official UK government portal

Who can apply for naturalisation

The law gives no formal right to citizenship: the Home Office checks the applicant’s period of residence, status, language and good character

Standard route — after ILR or settled status

Have lived in the United Kingdom for 5 years and, on the day of the application, have held ILR, settled status or indefinite leave to enter for at least 12 months
Exactly 5 years must have passed on the day the Home Office receives the application
No more than 450 days outside the United Kingdom over those 5 years and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months
Pass the Life in the UK test and prove knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
Meet the good character requirement

Spouse or partner of a British citizen

Have lived in the United Kingdom for 3 years (not 5) and hold ILR, settled status or indefinite leave to enter at the time of the application
The 12-month requirement for how long the status has been held does not apply
No more than 270 days outside the United Kingdom over those 3 years and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months
The route is not available if the British partner died before the application was made

Holders of pre-settled status (EU Settlement Scheme)

A citizen of the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein (or a family member) who started living in the United Kingdom no later than 31 December 2020
5 continuous years of residence in the United Kingdom, during which you must work, study, be self-sufficient or look for work for no longer than 3 months

What it costs

Naturalisation application	1 709 GBP
Citizenship ceremony	130 GBP
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table.	1 839 GBP

Documents to gather

In addition to the application form (form AN) you must prove the following with separate documents

The certificate for passing the Life in the UK test
Proof of knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
A document proving ILR, settled status or indefinite leave to enter
A passport and biometric data — fingerprints and a photograph are taken at the UKVCAS appointment

How the process runs

How citizenship is obtained once the residence requirements have been met

1
Pass the Life in the UK test and prove your language
Take the Life in the UK test (booked and taken separately, before the application) and prepare proof of knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
2
Make the application
Fill in form AN online through the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) portal, by post, or through an agent, solicitor or barrister; applying by post takes longer than online
3
Give biometrics
Book an appointment at a UKVCAS point and give fingerprints and a photograph
4
Wait for the decision
usually up to 6 months
The Home Office considers the application; it may ask for further documents or invite you to an interview without an interpreter. If the decision will take longer than 6 months, the applicant is warned in advance
5
Attend the ceremony and receive the certificate
within 3 months of the invitation
Once approved you must attend a citizenship ceremony, take the oath of allegiance (or the affirmation) and give the pledge; at the end of the ceremony you receive the certificate of British citizenship and a welcome pack

Timelines and rights

Residence

Over the 5 years you cannot spend more than 450 days outside the United Kingdom, and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months. An absence of more than 2 years in a row can lead to the loss of ILR; for holders of settled status that threshold is 5 years.

Who you can bring with you

Rules for the applicant’s children

A child born in the United Kingdom after the parent obtained ILR

They may become a British citizen automatically — no separate application is needed

A child born abroad, or born in the United Kingdom before the parent obtained ILR

A separate citizenship application must be made for them; if you cannot afford the fee you can request a fee waiver

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

The total cost is £1,839: £1,709 for the application and £130 for the citizenship ceremony. There is no separate charge for giving biometrics.

Frequently asked questions about Naturalisation in the United Kingdom

Who can apply for naturalisation as a British citizen?

You must have lived in the United Kingdom for 5 years and, on the day of the application, have held indefinite leave to remain (ILR), settled status or indefinite leave to enter for at least 12 months. You must also be over 18, prove knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic, pass the Life in the UK test and meet the good character requirement.

How much does a citizenship application cost?

The application costs £1,839: £1,709 for processing the application and £130 for the citizenship ceremony. There is no separate charge for giving biometrics.

How much does the Life in the UK test cost and how does it work?

The test costs £50 and must be booked at least 3 days in advance. In the exam you have 45 minutes for 24 questions on the material in the official handbook for new residents. Applicants under 18, over 65, those who have already passed the test, and people with long-term health problems are exempt.

Can the application be processed faster and how much does it cost?

For an extra £500 per person the priority service is available — for citizenship applications it usually gives a decision within 30 working days. The super priority service (£1,000) cannot be used for citizenship applications.

How does the route for spouses of British citizens differ from the standard one?

The spouse or civil partner of a British citizen can apply after just 3 years of residence in the United Kingdom (rather than 5) and does not have to wait 12 months after obtaining ILR. Over those 3 years you cannot spend more than 270 days outside the country, and no more than 90 days in the last year. If the British partner died before the application was made, this route is not available.

What happens to the applicant’s children?

A child becomes a British citizen automatically only if they were born in the United Kingdom after the parent obtained ILR. In all other cases — if the child was born abroad or born in the United Kingdom before the parent obtained ILR — a separate application must be made for them; it costs £1,000 per child plus £130 for the ceremony if the child turns 18 while it is being considered. If you cannot afford the fee you can request a fee waiver for applicants under 18.

What happens after the application is approved?

You must attend a citizenship ceremony no later than 3 months after the Home Office invitation. At the ceremony you take the oath of allegiance (or the affirmation, if you prefer not to mention God) and give the pledge to respect the rights, freedoms and laws of the United Kingdom. At the end you receive the certificate of British citizenship and a welcome pack; the cost of the ceremony itself is already included in the application fee.

Other ways to move to UK

Every route in one list — migration programmes: UK.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.