You can apply for citizenship if you’ve lived in the UK for relevant period and have had one of the following for 12 months:
- indefinite leave to remain in the UK
- ‘settled status’ (also known as ‘indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme’)
- indefinite leave to enter the UK (permission to move to the UK permanently from abroad)
You must also:
- be over 18
- prove you were in the UK exactly minimum period required before the day the Home Office receives your application
- prove your knowledge of English,
- have passed the life in the UK test
- intend to continue living in the UK
- be of good character
You must have lived in the UK for at least for minimal eligibility period before the date of your application. You also should not have broken any UK immigration laws.
If you have indefinite leave to enter or remain, the Home Office will not usually check if you broke any immigration laws before then.
You cannot include any time spent in the UK when you’re exempt from immigration control as a:
- diplomat
- member of a diplomat’s staff or household
- member of visiting armed forces
Time you’ve spent outside the UK
You may have lost your indefinite leave to remain or enter if you’ve been away from the UK for:
- more than 2 years at any time since you got it (you’ll need to apply for a Returning Resident visa)
- more than 5 years if you have settled status
- more than 4 years if you are a Swiss citizen, or the family member of a Swiss citizen, and you have settled status
This is one way to apply for British citizenship.
You must have been physically present in the UK exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application.
The date the Home Office receives your application depends on how you apply. If you apply online, your application will be received on the same day. It will take longer if you apply by post.
It costs £1,330 to apply.
You’ll also need to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken – there’s no fee for this. You’ll be told how to do this after you’ve applied.