How to Apply for British Citizenship: Step by Step

Step 1: Check you meet the requirements

Before you apply, make sure you qualify. For most people the route is naturalisation, which is open to people who already hold settlement in the UK. The Home Office has to be satisfied about four main things: how long you have lived here, your character, your English, and the Life in the UK test. For the full set of rules, see our guide to the British citizenship requirements.

Residence

Most applicants must have lived in the UK lawfully for a qualifying period, commonly about 5 years, with the last 12 months spent holding settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain or settled status). If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, the qualifying period is usually 3 years. There are limits on how much time you can spend outside the UK during the qualifying period, and they matter, so check the absence rules that apply to your route on GOV.UK before you rely on your dates.

Good character, English and the test

If you are 18 or over you must be of good character. The Home Office looks at things like your immigration history, any criminal record and your finances. You must also meet the English language requirement, usually at CEFR level B1 in speaking and listening, and you must have passed the Life in the UK test. The English requirement and the test are separate, so most people have to satisfy both.

Step 2: Pass the Life in the UK test and meet the B1 English requirement

These two requirements catch a lot of people out because they are easy to mix up. They are separate, and you need both. The good news is that a Life in the UK test pass does not expire and counts for both settlement and citizenship, so once you clear it you do not sit it again.

You book the test yourself online and sit it at a registered centre. Our guide on how to book the Life in the UK test covers the steps, and the complete Life in the UK test guide explains the format and how to prepare. You are exempt from the test if you are under 18, 65 or over, or have a qualifying long-term medical condition.

The English language requirement is met separately, usually by an approved B1 speaking and listening qualification, or a degree taught in English, or by being a national of a majority English-speaking country. Passing the Life in the UK test does not meet the English requirement on its own. Check GOV.UK for the ways you can prove your English.

Step 3: Get settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

Naturalisation almost always comes after settlement. Most people must have held Indefinite Leave to Remain or settled status for at least 12 months before they apply to naturalise. If you are married to a British citizen, that 12-month wait does not usually apply, but you still need settlement before you naturalise. Settlement itself also requires the Life in the UK test, so a single pass covers both stages.

If you do not already hold settlement, that is the step to complete first. You can read more about the route on the GOV.UK settle in the UK page.

Step 4: Apply for naturalisation on GOV.UK

Once you hold settlement and have met the test and English requirements, you apply to naturalise online on GOV.UK. The application asks about your residence, absences, character and identity, and you confirm that you meet each requirement. Have these ready before you start:

• your passport or travel document and your biometric residence document or proof of settled status
• details of your time outside the UK during the qualifying period
• evidence that you meet the English requirement and your Life in the UK test pass
• two referees who support your application

After you submit, you book an appointment to give your biometrics (fingerprints and a photo). You may be asked to confirm your identity using an ID check app or at a service point. You can start your application from the GOV.UK British citizenship page.

What it costs

Step 5: Decision, then your citizenship ceremony

The Home Office reviews your application, your documents and your biometrics. This is usually the longest stage, and processing times vary, so check GOV.UK for current guidance rather than relying on a fixed figure. If your application is approved, you receive a decision and an invitation to a citizenship ceremony.

Ceremonies are run by your local council. At the ceremony you make the oath or affirmation of allegiance and the pledge, and you receive your certificate of naturalisation. You are a British citizen from the date of the ceremony, and from then you can apply for a British passport. There is usually a window in which you must attend after your invitation, so check GOV.UK for the current timeframe.

A realistic order of events

Everyone's journey is different, but the order is usually the same. Use it to plan backwards from the step you are on:

1. Pass the Life in the UK test and meet the B1 English requirement.
2. Hold settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain) for the required period.
3. Apply to naturalise on GOV.UK, give biometrics and pay the fee.
4. Wait for the Home Office decision.
5. Attend your citizenship ceremony and receive your certificate.

We cover the wait at each stage in our guide to British citizenship processing times. Because timings change, treat any figure you see as a guide and check GOV.UK for the latest service standards.