Citizenship and Naturalisation

Unless you have a claim to Citizenship based on ancestry, you will probably have to apply for naturalisation in one of the following two categories:

Naturalisation after six years in the UK
Naturalisation after three years in the UK as a spouse of a UK Citizen

Naturalisation after six years in the UK

If you are not married to a British Citizen, you will need to meet the following requirements to apply for naturalisation:

You must be aged 18 or over and are not of unsound mind.
You must be of good character.
Furthermore, you should be able to communicate in the English language (or Welsh or Scottish Gaelic). There are exemptions to this requirement, for example if you are elderly or mentally handicapped.
You should intend to live in the UK or in Crown Service abroad (working directly for a UK Government organisation), or be employed by an international organisation of which the UK is a member, or be employed by a company or association established in the United Kingdom.

If you are married to a UK Citizen, you will need to meet the following residence requirements over the last six years.

You must have been living in the UK exactly six years before the date the application reaches the Home Office; and
During the six-year period, you must not have been outside the United Kingdom for more than 450 days (about 15 months); and
During the last 12 months of the six-year period, you must not have been outside the UK for more than 90 days; and
During the last 12 months of the six-year period of your stay in the United Kingdom, you must have held permanent residence/ indefinite leave to remain (ILR); and
You must not have been living in the United Kingdom in breach of the UK immigration rules at any time during the six-year period ending with the date that the application is received by the Home Office.
The processing times for naturalisation applications are currently about six to seven months. If you would like assistance with a naturalisation application made on the basis of having permanent residency, please contact our office or complete our online enquiry form to be referred to a consultant for a naturalisation application.

Naturalisation after three years in the UK as a spouse of a UK Citizen

The requirements for naturalisation as a spouse of a British citizen are very similar to those mentioned above. The main difference is that there is a shorter residency requirement of three years in the UK as opposed to six years. The three years of the residency requirement are counted from the date your naturalisation application is received by the Home Office.

Further details on residency requirements are as follows:

You must have been living in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the three-year period; and
On the date that your application is received in the Home Office, you must have permanent residence/ ILR in the UK; and
During the three-year period you must not have been outside the UK for more than 270 days (approximately 9 months); and
During the last 12 months of the three-year period, you must not have been outside the UK for more than 90 days; and
You must not have been in breach of any UK immigration rules at any time during this three-year period of residence in the UK.

Please contact us to be referred to a consultant for an application for naturalisation based on marriage to a British citizen.