British Citizenship
Those who have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK or, in the case of EEA nationals and their family members hold evidence that they have acquired permanent residence, may be eligible to apply to naturalise as a British citizen.
Naturalisation 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.
Key points:
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.
Whilst the UK allows its citizens to hold dual nationality, many other countries require their citizens to give up their nationality when becoming British. We therefore recommend that prior to making an application to naturalise as a British citizen, applicants check the rules regarding nationality in their home country.
Registration as a British citizen
In most cases, it is children who apply to be registered as a British citizen on the basis of their parents status. However, certain adults are also able to apply to register as a British citizen.
Registration as a British citizen: Main requirements
In order for children to register as a British citizen they must be able to demonstrate that either:
they were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983;
they were not automatically British by birth;
their mother or father subsequently became a British citizen or settled in the UK before the applicant turned 18; and
the application is made before the applicant turns 18.
Or
they were born outside of the UK; and
one or both parents are applying for British citizenship at the same time;
if only one parent is applying for British citizenship, the other parent is settled in the UK; and
the application is made before the applicant turns 18.
Those who are over the age of 10 applying in either category must also be able to demonstrate that they are of good character.
There are also many other circumstances in which a child can apply to register as British generally on a discretionary basis. If you would like further information regarding these circumstances, then please get in touch.
Adults are also able to register as British citizens in certain situations. These include where:
they have another form of British nationality or;
they have a connection with Gibraltar or Hong Kong or;
they have a British mother or father and had the right to become a British citizen when they were born.
Key points:
Once acquired, British citizenship status cannot be revoked other than in exceptional circumstances.
Whilst the UK allows its citizens to hold dual nationality, many other countries require their citizens to give up their nationality when becoming British. We therefore recommend that prior to making an application to naturalise as a British citizen, applicants check the rules regarding nationality in their home country.
We are here to help you
Please fill the form to schedule a consultation meeting or call our immigration experts on (+44) 121 778 2400.
Our mission is to provide our clients with unbiased, accurate and complete immigration advice, which is relevant to their needs.
We recognise that the process of applying for any kind of visa or the maintenance of a Sponsor Licence, can be a stressful time for those involved and so we always treat all our clients as valued customers who have chosen us to look after their immigration future - we will not take that responsibility lightly and we will do our best to deliver the result they are hoping for.