Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country.

If you are over 18 and migrated to the UK, you may be eligible to apply for British citizenship by ‘naturalisation’.

In order to acquire British citizenship if you were born outside of the UK and don’t have a British parent, naturalisation is the most viable option for you.

If you are a citizen of the UK, you are free to live and work there permanently without facing any immigration limitations. But before you apply for a British passport, you must be a citizen of the UK.

How can you be eligible to naturalise as a British citizen?

• You must obtain permission to stay in the UK permanently, such as receiving “settled status” under the EU Settlement Scheme or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
• Even if your spouse is a British citizen, you still need to do this step
• You will also need to fulfil a few more conditions., if your spouse or civil partner is a British citizen, it will be simpler for you to complete the requirements
• If you are a citizen of one of the following nations: the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, or a member of their family, there are various ways you can satisfy the requirements

Before you begin your application, you should find out what status you need to hold and any additional conditions that apply to you

What are the other ways through which you can qualify to naturalise as a British citizen?

• You were born in the UK
• One of your parents is British
• You are in a stateless situation
• You own a different category of British citizenship, such as ‘British overseas citizen’
• You have ties to a former or existing British colony, such as Gibraltar

Requirements to naturalise as a British citizen – not married to a British citizen

The Home Office must be convinced of the following if you are not married to a British citizen:

• You were present in the UK on the day that was 5 years prior to the date of your application
• You have not spent more than 450 days away from the UK during the intervening 5 years
• Throughout those 5 years, you have never violated immigration laws while being present in the UK
• Over the course of the 12 months immediately before the application date, you were not away from the UK for more than 90 days
• You are not subject to any temporal restrictions on how long you may stay in the UK, and you were never subject to any such restrictions in the 12 months before the application date
• You have a good character
• You are proficient in the languages English, Welsh, and/or Scottish Gaelic
• Your objectives are to make the UK your home (or primary residence) if your application is approved

Requirements to naturalise as a British citizen – married to a British citizen

If you are married to a citizen of the UK, the Home Office must be convinced that:

• 3 years prior to the date of your application, you were in the UK
• During the subsequent 3 years, you have not spent more than 270 days away from the UK
• Throughout those 3 years, you have not violated any immigration regulations while being present in the UK
• Over the course of the 12 months immediately before the application date, you were not away from the UK for more than 90 days
• At the time of your application, there is no restriction on the length of time you may stay in the UK
• You have a good character
• You are proficient in the languages English, Welsh, and/or Scottish Gaelic

Can you immediately apply for British citizenship after your ILR period?

• As soon as you have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), you may apply for British Citizenship by naturalisation if you are married to a British citizen
• All of the additional requirements for British Citizenship through naturalisation listed above must also be met
• You must have been free of immigration time limitations for at least 12 months prior to the date of your application if you are not married to a British citizen
• This indicates that 12 months after receiving Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), you will be qualified to apply for British Citizenship through naturalisation

What does it mean to have a good character for British citizenship by naturalisation?

According to the British Nationality Act of 1981, a person must be of ‘good character’ in order to naturalise as a British citizen. The Act makes no mention of ‘good character,’ however, this includes a non-exhaustive list of behaviours that will indicate that a candidate lacks ‘good character,’ such as criminal activities, involvement in terrorism, bad reputation, fraud, and issues involving immigration breach.

The need for good character must be carefully taken into account when applying for British citizenship by naturalisation.

What are the fees to apply for British citizenship by naturalisation?
It costs £1,330 to apply for British citizenship by naturalisation.