Personal Immigration
British Nationality - Naturalisation / Registration
Naturalisation/ Registration is the process through which you become a British citizen.
This typically involves living in the UK for a specified period and meeting certain legal requirements, such as proving good character and knowledge of English language and culture.
Pathways to British Nationality
Becoming a British citizen is a significant milestone that involves meeting specific criteria set by the Home Office.
Becoming a British citizen is a significant milestone that involves meeting specific criteria set by the Home Office. There are several routes through which individuals can get British citizenship, each designed for different circumstances and eligibility criteria. The process of becoming a British citizen is more commonly known as naturalisation or registration.
There are 6 different types of British nationality:
- British Citizenship.
- British Overseas Territories Citizen.
- British Overseas Citizen.
- British Subject.
- British National (Overseas).
- British Protected Person.
Below, we outline some of the different pathways to become a British citizen.
If you were born in the UK
If you were born in the UK, depending on your circumstances, you may not automatically get British citizenship.
It depends on when you were born and your parent’s circumstances and immigration status at the time of your birth. For example, if one or both of your parents had Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or were British citizens when you were born, you will be automatically a British citizen.
If you were born in the UK but are not automatically a British citizen, you may be eligible to make an application to register as a British citizen if either:
- You were born on or after 01 January 1983; and
- You are under 18 and since your birth one of your parents became a British citizenship or got permission to stay in the UK permanently; or
- You lived in the UK until you were 10 or older.
You were born outside the UK
Ordinarily, British citizenship automatically passes down one generation to children born outside the UK.
If you were born outside the UK to a British parent, you will have automatically acquired British citizenship. If you have a child who is born outside the UK, they may not automatically be British. You will need to apply to register your child as a British citizen.
If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen
You can apply for British citizenship as the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen if you:
- Are over the age of 18.
- Are married to, or in a civil partnership with, someone who is a British citizen.
- Have lived in the UK for at least 3 years before the date of application.
As soon as you have been granted Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), Settled Status, or Indefinite Leave to Enter (ILE), you will be eligible to apply. You do not have to wait before you send your application.
In addition to the above, you must also:
- Prove your knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic.
- Pass the Life in the UK Test.
- Be of good character.
- Not have spent more than 270 days outside the UK during the 3 years before your application.
- Not have spent more than 90 days outside the UK in 12 months before your application.
If you have indefinite leave to remain (ILR), Settled Status under the EU Settlement Scheme or Indefinite Leave to Enter
You may be eligible to apply for British Citizenship if you have lived in the UK for 5 years and have had Indefinite Leave to Remain, Settled Status or Indefinite Leave to Enter for 12 months.
You must also:
- Be over the age of 18.
- Prove your 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.
- Prove you were in the UK exactly 5 years before the day you send your application.
- Not have spent more than 450 days outside the UK during the 5 years before your application.
- Not have spent more than 90 days outside the UK in 12 months before your application.
Other Routes to Becoming a British National
You could also be eligible for British nationality if:
If you have a British parent, depending on where and when you were born and your parent’s circumstances, you may be eligible to apply for British citizenship.
If you are a British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person, a British Subject or a British National (Overseas), you may be able to apply for British citizenship.
You cannot, however, apply if you are a citizen or national of another country, or a British Overseas Territories citizen.
If you hold one of the 6 different forms of British nationality and you have lived in the UK for at least 5 years and you have worked as a Crown servant at any time, you may be able to apply for British citizenship.
If you were registered as a British Overseas Territories Citizen in Gibraltar before 21 May 2002, you probably became a British citizen.
You must have a connection with Gibraltar. Additionally, you can register as a British citizen if you were either naturalised in Gibraltar as a British Overseas Territories citizen after 21 May 2002 or registered in Gibraltar as a minor after 21 May 2002.
You may be eligible to apply for British citizenship if you were ordinarily resident in Hong Kong on the date of your application.
Additionally, you must have been a British national and ordinarily resident in Hong Kong on 03 February 1997 or your parents were ordinarily resident there at the time of your birth and you became a British national after 03 February 1997.
You may be eligible for British Overseas Territories citizenship and British citizenship if your parents are a British Overseas Territories Citizens, and you were not born in the UK. However, it depends on when you were born and your parent’s circumstances.
You may be able to apply to register as a British citizen if you are not recognised as a citizen of any other country. How you apply depends on when are where you were born.
In certain situations, it is possible to re-register your British citizenship or citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies after renouncing it.
You may be eligible to apply for British citizenship if in the past you should have automatically become a citizen or you should have been able to apply to become a citizen.
You will need to show that you missed out on being or becoming a citizen because the law was unfair in the past, a government department or local authority made a mistake or because of other exceptional circumstances.
You can apply to become a British Overseas Territories citizen and a British citizen if you have never previously been a British Overseas Territories citizen, British Dependent Territories Citizen, or British Citizen and you are the direct descendant of someone born in British Indian Ocean Territory.
You may be eligible to apply for citizenship under the Windrush Scheme if you or one of your parents arrived in the UK before 1973 and you have lived in the UK and not been absent for more than 2 years.
If your parents arrived in the UK before 1973, you must have either been born in the UK or arrived in the UK before you turned 18.
It is crucial to note that each route to British citizenship has specific eligibility requirements, including criteria related to age, residence, character, and language ability.
Additionally, you may need to meet the good character requirements and prove you have sufficient knowledge of life in the UK and the English language, depending on your chosen route.
Why choose us?
Becoming a British citizen is attainable through various paths each designed for different situations.
It is essential to understand the specific criteria for your chosen route and meet the necessary requirements. That is where we step in.
Our highly trained immigration lawyers have a thorough understanding of British nationality laws, requirements and processes and the various pathways to British citizenship. We can help you navigate the application process effectively by providing you with:
- Advice on your eligibility to apply for British citizenship based on your individual circumstances.
- A customised evidence checklist.
- Help with preparing and sending your application form and evidence.
- An honest opinion on the positives and negatives of your case.
Our nationality lawyers will simplify the citizenship process for you.
