british
citizenship

There are different ways to apply for British citizenship based on your circumstances. If you are eligible in more than one way, you can choose which way to apply. We set out the most common pathways below.

If you were born in the UK, you do not automatically get British citizenship. It depends on when you were born and your parents’ circumstances. You can check if you already hold British citizenship here. 

You are usually automatically a British citizen if you were both: 

• born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983 
• born when one of your parents was a British citizen or ‘settled’ in the UK. 

If you were born in the UK and you are not automatically a British citizen, you may be eligible to apply to ‘register’ as a British citizen. 

You may be eligible to apply for citizenship if you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen. You must have lived in the UK for the last 3 years. 

You must also hold either: 

• Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
• Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.

If you do, you will be eligible to apply for citizenship immediately. 

You can usually apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), also known as settlement, after you have lived in the UK for at least 5 years. 

Once you have obtained ILR, you will usually need to wait for at least 12 months before you can apply for British citizenship. 

If you have successfully obtained settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS), you will usually be eligible to apply for citizenship 12 months after getting it. 

If you have not applied to the EUSS by the 30 June 2021 deadline, you may be able to make a late application if you have ‘reasonable grounds’ for missing the deadline. If your application for settled status is granted, you can then use this to apply for citizenship. 

There are other ways you may be eligible to apply for British citizenship, including:

• If you have a British parent. 
• If you have another type of British nationality. 
• If you have a parent with British overseas territories citizenship.
• If you are stateless.
• If you previously gave up (renounced) your citizenship.
• If other special circumstances apply to you.
• If you are a Chagossian descendant (a direct descendant of someone born in British Indian Ocean Territory).  

If you are a Commonwealth citizen, you may be eligible to apply for citizenship under the Windrush Scheme. 

The fee you will need to pay to apply for British citizenship depends on the pathway you are applying under.  Adult applicants are usually charged £1,630 if they are applying with Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or settled status.

You will usually get a decision on your citizenship application within 6 months, although some applications can take longer.

If you are aged 18 or over and have successfully applied to become a British citizen, you will need to attend a citizenship ceremony. The cost of your ceremony is included in your application fee and is booked through your local authority.

During the ceremony, you will make an oath of allegiance (or an affirmation if you prefer not to swear by God) and a pledge. This means you promise to respect the rights, freedoms and laws of the UK. After your ceremony, you will be presented with your certificate of British citizenship and a welcome pack.

You must attend a citizenship ceremony within 3 months of receiving your invitation from the Home Office.

If you think you might be eligible to apply for citizenship, Smith Stone Walters can help you apply. Our dedicated Private Client team are highly experienced in submitting applications for naturalisation on behalf of our clients using the various pathways outlined above. To find out more about our services and our fees, please contact us today.