Indefinite leave to remain (ILR) is permission to live in the UK without a time limit. It is a form of immigration status. British citizenship is a different status, which a person with ILR can usually apply for after a qualifying period. Having ILR does not make someone a British citizen.
Key points
- ILR is permission to settle in the UK. British citizenship is a separate status that you must apply for.
- You can usually apply for citizenship once you have lived in the UK for 5 years and held ILR for 12 months.
- ILR can be lost by spending more than 2 continuous years outside the UK. A Returning Resident visa is then needed to come back.
- The citizenship application costs £1,839, made up of £1,709 to apply and a £130 citizenship ceremony fee.
- Citizenship applicants must pass the Life in the UK test, prove their English and show good character.
How ILR and British citizenship relate
Indefinite leave to remain is how you settle in the UK. It is also called settlement. It gives you the right to live, work and study here for as long as you like, and to apply for benefits if you are eligible.[1]Home Office, Check if you can get indefinite leave to remain
British citizenship is different. It is a nationality, and you apply for it separately. GOV.UK says you can use ILR to apply for British citizenship.[1]Home Office, Check if you can get indefinite leave to remain The word “use” matters. ILR is a step towards citizenship for many people. It is not citizenship itself.
If you have applied for citizenship, you need permission to stay in the UK until you are granted it. ILR counts as that permission.[3]Home Office, Check if you can become a British citizen You can read more about the citizenship route on our page about British citizenship by naturalisation and about ILR.
Main differences
| Indefinite leave to remain | British citizenship | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Permission to live in the UK with no time limit | A nationality |
| How you get it | Apply under a route such as work, family, long residence or another | Apply, usually by naturalisation, once you meet the residence rules |
| Usual qualifying period | Often 5 years, but it depends on the route and can be 10 years | 5 years lived in the UK and ILR held for 12 months |
| Time outside the UK | Lapses after more than 2 continuous years outside the UK | The application checks days abroad: 450 in 5 years and 90 in the last 12 months |
| Application fee | Depends on the route | £1,839 including the ceremony fee |
The qualifying period for ILR depends on the route. GOV.UK says you can usually apply for ILR after you have lived in the UK for 5 years.[3]Home Office, Check if you can become a British citizen Some routes need 10 years, such as long residence.[1]Home Office, Check if you can get indefinite leave to remain
What citizenship needs on top of ILR
A person with ILR can apply for citizenship if they have lived in the UK for 5 years and have had ILR for 12 months. Someone married to a British citizen does not need to wait 12 months.[2]Home Office, Apply for citizenship if you have indefinite leave to remain or 'settled status' The applicant must also:
- be over 18
- prove they were in the UK exactly 5 years before the day the Home Office receives the application
- prove their knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
- pass the Life in the UK test
- intend to continue living in the UK
- be of good character
Time outside the UK is checked. GOV.UK says you should not have spent more than 450 days outside the UK in the 5 years before the application, or more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months.[2]Home Office, Apply for citizenship if you have indefinite leave to remain or 'settled status' The application costs £1,839, which is £1,709 to apply and a £130 citizenship ceremony fee. A decision usually comes within 6 months.[2]Home Office, Apply for citizenship if you have indefinite leave to remain or 'settled status'
Losing ILR
ILR has no end date, but it can lapse. GOV.UK says you lose it if you stay outside the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man for more than 2 continuous years. You would then need to apply for a Returning Resident visa before returning.[4]Home Office, Return to the UK if you had indefinite leave to remain A Returning Resident visa is a separate application with its own fee.
Example
Amara came to the UK on a work visa and was granted ILR on 1 March 2025 after 5 years in the UK. She is not married to a British citizen. She asks whether she is already a British citizen. She is not. She holds ILR, which is permission to stay.
She can apply for citizenship once she has held ILR for 12 months, so from 1 March 2026, and only if she meets the other requirements. These include the 450-day and 90-day limits on time outside the UK. If she applied online, she would pay £1,839 in Home Office charges.
This example uses invented facts and figures from the cited GOV.UK pages. It is not advice on any real case.
What people get wrong
The most common mistake is to treat ILR as citizenship. The two are different statuses. ILR is permission to stay and can lapse after more than 2 continuous years abroad. Citizenship needs its own application, with its own residence, language, test and character requirements.
A second mistake is the date. The 5-year period is counted back from the day the Home Office receives your application. GOV.UK gives the example of a person who left the UK on 10 June 2017 and returned on 25 June 2017. Their application received on 20 June 2022 would fail, and they would need to wait until 24 June 2022.[2]Home Office, Apply for citizenship if you have indefinite leave to remain or 'settled status'
The bottom line
ILR and British citizenship are two different things. ILR is permission to live in the UK without a time limit. Citizenship is a nationality that you apply for, usually after 5 years in the UK and 12 months with ILR. The rules on time abroad, language, the Life in the UK test and character apply to the citizenship application. Check the current GOV.UK pages before you apply, because fees and rules change.
Common questions
No. ILR is permission to settle in the UK. British citizenship is a separate status. GOV.UK describes ILR as something you can use to apply for citizenship, which is a different application.
You can usually apply once you have lived in the UK for 5 years and held ILR for 12 months. You do not need to wait 12 months if you are married to a British citizen.
Yes. GOV.UK says you lose ILR if you stay outside the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man for more than 2 continuous years. You would then need a Returning Resident visa to come back.
Yes. You must prove you were in the UK exactly 5 years before the day the Home Office receives your application. GOV.UK says the Home Office may consider special circumstances in some cases.
Sources
We cite the Immigration Rules, legislation and GOV.UK guidance directly. Rules change, so each source shows the date we last checked it.
- Home Office. Check if you can get indefinite leave to remain. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Apply for citizenship if you have indefinite leave to remain or 'settled status'. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Check if you can become a British citizen. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Return to the UK if you had indefinite leave to remain. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩