British Citizenship by Naturalisation

British Citizenship by Naturalisation

This route is for those individuals who are at least 18 years old and previously granted Indefinite Leave to Remain or permanent residence in the UK to apply for British Citizenship by naturalisation.

Requirements for British Citizenship by Naturalisation

In order to be eligible to naturalise as a British Citizen, the applicant must normally satisfy a range of criteria including immigration status, length of residence in the UK, future intentions, knowledge of the English language and life in the UK as well as good character. The applicants would need to satisfy the following general criteria.

• Spent at least 5 years of continuous residence in the UK with no longer than 450 days of absence from the UK during that period
• Not been absent for more than 90 days during the 12 month period immediately preceding the date of application
• Present in the UK on the day exactly 5 years before the date of application
• Held Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or free of Immigration restrictions in the UK for at least 12 months before the date of application
• Meet the B1 CEFR level English language requirements (unless exempt).
• Pass the Life in the UK Test or be exempt
• Not have been in breach of any UK immigration rules
• Be of good character and intend to continue living in the UK

If the applicant is the spouse of a British citizen at the time of application, then they can apply immediately after obtaining Indefinite Leave to Remain and slightly different rules apply as summarised below.

• Spent at least 3 years of continuous residence in the UK with no longer than 270 days of absence from the UK during that period
• Present in the UK on the day exactly 3 years before the date of application

How can we assist?

Our Immigration lawyers at City Legal have immense experience in assisting clients on obtaining British Citizenship. We carefully assess each of our client’s circumstances to ensure that the eligibility requirements are met & identify any potential issues with the application. We are a multi award winning law firm and pride ourselves in being approachable, innovative and always going that extra mile to make sure our clients receive the individual attention they deserve. Our Immigration team maintains a high reputation and is committed to provide clear, transparent and reliable advice to our clients.