British Citizenship

If you want to understand how to become a British Citizen or have questions regarding your eligibility to make an application, please get it touch with us. You can apply for British citizenship in the following categories:

  • Apply for citizenship by ‘Naturalisation’ if you have moved to the UK.
  • By Registration for children under 18 years of age.
  • You’re married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen. You have ‘settled status’ under the EU Settlement Scheme.
  • You are a Commonwealth citizen with right of abode.
  • Other ways: You have a British parent, hold another type of British Nationality, Stateless or you have previously renounced citizenship.

To be able to make a British citizenship application, you first must have indefinite leave to remain. If you are a foreign national who has been living in the UK for at least five years, then you may first of all want to apply for permission to settle permanently.

People who are not married to British citizens:  As a Skilled Worker, Investor, Global Talent visa holders or permit free employees, who have lived in the UK for 5 years and physically present in the UK can apply for British citizenship.

People who are married to British citizens:  You could make an application if you have lived in the UK for three continuous years and physically present in the UK.

You’re married to or in a civil partnership with 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 one of the following:

  • indefinite leave to remain
  • settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
  • a permanent residence document to confirm you have permanent residence status

Requirements

The person applying must:

  • be 18 or over;
  • not be of unsound mind;
  • be of good character;
  • have sufficient knowledge of English or Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
  • intend to have his or her home (or main home if there is more than one) in the U.K.

Residential requirements for a person who is not married to a British citizen:

You must have lived in the UK for at least 5 continuous years before the date of your application.

You should not have spent more than 450 days outside the UK during the 5 years before your application and 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months

Residential requirements for a person applying as the husband or wife of a British citizen:

In the three-year period, he or she was not outside the United Kingdom for more than 270 days; and in the last 12 months of that three-year period, he or she was not outside the United Kingdom for more than 90 days.

The applicant at any time during the qualifying period, in the United Kingdom was not in breach of the immigration laws.

For more information and assistance on British Citizenship please contact us.