Uk Visas Immigration
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You can apply for citizenship if youve lived in the UK for 5 years 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 do not need to wait 12 months to apply if youre married to a British citizen.
You must also:
- be over 18
- prove you were in the UK exactly 5 years before the day the Home Office receives your application
- prove your knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
- have passed the life in the UK test
- intend to continue living in the UK
- be of good character - read the naturalisation guidance
Residency requirements
You must have lived in the UK for at least 5 years 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 youre exempt from immigration control as a:
- diplomat
- member of a diplomats staff or household
- member of visiting armed forces
Time youve spent outside the UK
You should not have:
- spent more than 450 days outside the UK during the 5 years before your application
- spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months
- broken any UK immigration laws (for example living illegally in the UK)
You may have lost your indefinite leave to remain or enter if youve been away from the UK for:
- more than 2 years at any time since you got it (youll 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. Check if youre eligible another way.
When to apply
You must have been physically present in the UK exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application.
Your application may be rejected if you were not in the UK exactly 5 years before the Home Office received it. This depends on the reason why you were not in the UK. The Home Office will consider if there are special circumstances, for example:
-
you were not able to live in the UK at the start of the 5 year period because of health reasons or travel restrictions
-
you were told to leave the UK during the 5 years but this decision was later overturned
Example
If the Home Office receives your application on 20 June 2022, but you left the UK on 10 June 2017 and returned to the UK on 25 June 2017, you will not qualify. Youll need to wait until 24 June 2022 to apply.
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.
How much it costs
It costs 1,630 to apply.
Youll also need to have your biometric information (fingerprints and a photo) taken - theres no fee for this. Youll be told how to do this after youve applied.