British citizenship · IAA-regulated advice
British Naturalisation Advice in Birmingham & London
Become a British citizen once you’ve settled in the UK. We check your residence, absences and record against the law, and prepare your application, for a fixed fee agreed in writing.
Last checked 11 October 2026 · Reviewed by Vishal Gautam, IAA-regulated adviser
Overview
What is British naturalisation?
Naturalisation is how most adults who have settled in the UK become British citizens. As a citizen, you can live in the UK without any immigration restrictions and hold a British passport.
It’s set out in section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981. You usually need 5 years’ residence and 12 months with indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or settled status, then the Home Office decides whether to grant it.
✓This is the right route if…
- You’re 18 or over and have ILR, indefinite leave to enter or settled status
- You’ve held that status for at least 12 months
- You’ve lived in the UK for 5 years, within the absence limits
- You plan to keep your main home in the UK
→Look at another route if…
Quick check
Could you qualify? Six questions, one minute
Answer honestly. Nothing is saved or sent: this is a general guide, not advice on your case.
Are you 18 or over, with ILR, indefinite leave to enter or settled status?Some EU and EEA citizens with pre-settled status can also apply.
Have you held that status for at least 12 months?Not needed if you’re married to a British citizen.
Were you in the UK on the date exactly 5 years before you’ll apply?The Home Office counts back from the day it receives your application.
Have you spent 450 days or fewer outside the UK in those 5 years, and 90 or fewer in the last 12 months?Only whole days count. The days you leave and return don’t.
Have you passed the Life in the UK test, and do you have English at B1 or above?Exempt if you’re 65 or over, or a long-term condition prevents it.
Is your record clear of convictions, immigration breaches and illegal entry?Include cautions, fines and convictions abroad, even spent ones.
Eligibility
British naturalisation requirements
You must meet every requirement on the day the Home Office receives your application. Even then, the decision is at the Home Office’s discretion.
Residence and absences
- You were physically in the UK on the date exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application
- Only whole days count as absences: the days you leave and return don’t
- You weren’t in the UK in breach of immigration laws in those 5 years. If you have ILR, the Home Office won’t usually check this
- Time spent here as a diplomat or a member of visiting armed forces doesn’t count
Over the limits? The Home Office can use discretion in special circumstances, but the bar rises quickly. Ask us before you apply.
Settled status
- Indefinite leave to remain, indefinite leave to enter, or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme
- Held for at least 12 months before you apply, so you’ve had no time limit on your stay for that year
- Some EU and EEA citizens and their family with pre-settled status can apply after 5 years of work, study or self-sufficiency
- A citizenship application doesn’t give you any immigration status while you wait
Married to a British citizen? You don’t need to wait 12 months: look at citizenship by marriage.
English and Life in the UK
- An approved English test (a SELT) at B1 or above, or a degree taught in English
- A B1 test accepted for your ILR still counts, even if it has since expired
- The Life in the UK test: 24 questions in 45 minutes. You only need to pass it once
- Exempt from both if you’re 65 or over, or a long-term physical or mental condition prevents it. Nationals of listed majority English-speaking countries are exempt from English only
Got settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme? It didn’t need either test, so you must meet both before applying.
Good character
- You must declare all convictions, cautions and penalties, in the UK and abroad, including spent ones (unless you live in Northern Ireland)
- For applications made from 10 February 2025, illegal entry normally leads to refusal however long ago it was, unless it was outside your control
- Other breaches in the 10 years before the decision, such as working in breach of your conditions, normally lead to refusal. Overstaying before your ILR may be disregarded
- Your tax and financial affairs, and your honesty in past applications, are checked
Not sure whether something in your past matters? Tell us at the consultation: it’s confidential.
Your future home and referees
- You intend to keep your main home in the UK, or to work abroad in Crown or certain other service
- A planned absence of more than 6 months, or a partner living abroad, can raise questions
- One referee must be a professional person of any nationality. The other must hold a British citizen passport and be a professional person or over 25
- Referees can’t be related to you or to each other, work for the Home Office, or be your representative
A referee convicted of an imprisonable offence in the last 10 years won’t usually be accepted.
Documents
Naturalisation documents: the easy part
Most people can list the documents. Refusals come from what the dates, records and declarations show.
What everyone needs
- Your passport or other identity document
- Proof of your ILR or settled status
- AYour Life in the UK test pass and English evidence, or proof you’re exempt
- A record of your trips outside the UK
- Details of any convictions, cautions or penalties
- The details of your two referees
Plus your fingerprints and photo at an appointment after you apply. You don’t usually need to resend documents the Home Office already holds from earlier applications.
Costs & timeline
Naturalisation cost and processing time
The Home Office fee is £1,839: £1,709 for the application and £130 for the citizenship ceremony. Most decisions are made within 6 months.
Home Office fees, one adult
| Naturalisation application fee | £1,709 |
| Citizenship ceremony feeadded to the application fee | £130 |
| Home Office total, per applicantbefore the Life in the UK test and any English test | £1,839 |
Home Office fees from the fees table in force from 8 October 2026 and GOV.UK, checked 11 October 2026. There’s no health surcharge. The Life in the UK test costs £50 each time you take it; English test costs vary by provider. If you apply without meeting the requirements, you may lose your fee. Our consultation fees →
Settle and wait
12 months with ILRGet ILR or settled status, then wait until you’ve held it for 12 months and have 5 years’ residence.
Pass the tests
Before you applyBook the Life in the UK test at least 3 days ahead. Make sure your English evidence is at B1 or above.
Apply and give biometrics
Week 0Online application and fee paid, then fingerprints and photo, usually within 45 days of applying.
Decision
Usually within 6 monthsIf it will take longer, you’ll be told. The priority service (£500, online in the UK) usually takes 30 working days.
Citizenship ceremony
Within 90 days of your invitationYou make an oath (or affirmation) and pledge, become a British citizen and receive your certificate. Then you can apply for a passport.
Avoid a refusal
Common naturalisation refusal reasons
Most refusals could be avoided by checking the requirements before applying. These are the issues we check first.
Abroad on the start date
You must have been in the UK exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application. If you weren’t, it may be rejected, depending on the reason.
We check: the right application date with you before you pay.
Too many days away
Over 450 days in 5 years, or 90 in the last 12 months, needs discretion. Above 900 days it’s only very rarely given.
We check: your travel history day by day, and whether discretion is realistic.
Applying too soon after ILR
On this route you must have had no time limit on your stay for the 12 months before you apply.
We check: the date your 12 months ends.
Not declaring everything
All convictions, cautions and penalties must be declared, even spent ones. Leaving something out normally leads to refusal, and to refusal of further applications for 10 years.
We check: what you must declare and how to explain it.
Past illegal entry or breaches
Illegal entry now normally leads to refusal however long ago it was. Other breaches in the last 10 years are weighed too.
We check: your immigration history, and tell you plainly about any risk.
The wrong English evidence
Only approved tests at B1 or above, or qualifying degrees, count. Settled status under the EU scheme didn’t need a test, so many people still need one.
We check: your English evidence or exemption before you apply.
How we help
Our naturalisation services
Choose a one-off consultation, or let us handle your application from start to finish for a fixed fee.
Eligibility consultation
We check your status, residence and record, and tell you whether to apply now or wait.
Absences and record check
We count your days outside the UK and review what you need to declare.
Full application
We prepare and submit your application, with a cover letter that sets out how you qualify.
Your children
We help you apply to register your children as British citizens.
Our scope: we’re regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority at Level 1. There’s no right of appeal against a citizenship refusal. If you’re refused, we explain your options and, where your case needs a higher level of advice, refer you to a solicitor or higher-level adviser.
FAQs
Naturalisation questions, answered
Do I have to wait 12 months after getting ILR?
Yes, on this route. You must have had no time limit on your stay for the 12 months before you apply, so most people apply about 6 years after arriving. If you’re married to, or the civil partner of, a British citizen, you can apply as soon as you have ILR.
Can I apply with pre-settled status?
Possibly. If you’re from the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein (or their family member), started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and have lived here for 5 years in a row while working, studying or self-sufficient, you may be able to apply. The evidence is detailed, so ask us to check first.
What if I’ve been outside the UK for more than 450 days?
The Home Office can use discretion. Up to 480 days is normally overlooked if you meet everything else. Beyond that, you usually need to show your home, family and a substantial part of your estate are here, and absences above 900 days are only very rarely accepted.
Do I need to take an English test again?
Not if a B1 (or higher) qualification was accepted when you got ILR: you can use it even if it’s expired. If you got settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, or were exempt when you settled, you’ll usually need to meet the requirement now unless you’re 65 or over or have a long-term condition.
Will a speeding fine or old caution stop me?
Not necessarily, but you must declare it. Fixed penalties, such as speeding fines, aren’t normally held against you unless they went unpaid and led to court action, or you had several in a short time. Cautions and shorter sentences are weighed against the rest of your record, but a prison sentence of 12 months or more normally leads to refusal.
Can I keep my current nationality?
The UK allows dual nationality, so you won’t have to give up your current one for the UK’s sake. Some countries don’t allow it, and you could lose your nationality by becoming British. Check with your country’s authorities before you apply.
Can I travel while my application is being decided?
Yes, using your passport and proof of your status. You’ll usually need to give your biometrics within 45 days of applying, and if you’re approved, attend a ceremony within 90 days of your invitation. Until then, you still enter the UK on your current status.
What about my children?
Children apply separately to register as British citizens, and the fee is £1,000 per child. A child born in the UK after you got ILR may already be British automatically. You can apply for them at the same time as your own application.
Related routes
Other citizenship routes
Ready when you are
Citizenship, sorted.
Book a consultation, or start with the free quick check on this page.