British Citizenship

There are different ways to apply for British citizenship (or ‘naturalisation’) based on your circumstances.

If you’re eligible in more than one way you can choose which way to apply.

Applying for British Citizenship

The exact requirements you will need to satisfy will vary depending on your circumstances.  You may wish to speak to an immigration lawyer for an individual expert advice.

If you’ve applied for citizenship, you’ll need permission to stay in the UK until you’re granted citizenship. Your permission needs to last until you have had your citizenship ceremony.

If you have indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, this counts as permission to stay.

  • You do not automatically get British citizenship if you were born in the UK. It depends on when you were born and your parents’ circumstances.

    You may be eligible to apply for citizenship if you were born in the UK and are not automatically a British citizen.

  • To apply as the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen you must have lived in the UK for the last 3 years.

    You’ll also need to have either:

    • indefinite leave to remain (ILR)

    • settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme

    If you do, you’ll be eligible to apply for citizenship immediately.

  • You can usually apply for ILR after you’ve lived in the UK for 5 years.

    To apply for citizenship with ILR you must usually have lived in the UK for 12 months after getting it.

  • To apply for citizenship with settled status you must usually have lived in the UK for 12 months after getting it.

    If you have not applied to the EU Settlement Scheme

    You might still be able to apply for settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme. You can then use this to apply for citizenship.

    The deadline to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for most people was 30 June 2021. You can still apply if you have ‘reasonable grounds’ for not being able to apply by the deadline.

  • You may be eligible to apply for citizenship if:

    • you have a British parent

    • you have another type of British nationality

    • you have a parent with British overseas territories citizenship

    • you’re stateless

    • you previously gave up (renounced) your citizenship

    • other special circumstances apply to you

    • you’re a Chagossian descendant (a direct descendant of someone born in British Indian Ocean Territory)

    If you’re a Commonwealth citizen

    You may be eligible to apply for citizenship under the Windrush Scheme if both:

    • you or one of your parents arrived in the UK before 1973

    • you’ve lived in the UK and not been away from it for more than 2 years

    If your parent arrived in the UK before 1973, you must have either:

    • been born in the UK

    • arrived in the UK before you were 18