Will British citizenship make you lose your old one?
The UK allows dual nationality, so Britain won't strip your old passport. The real risk is on your home country's side. Here's a country-by-country guide.
5 min read
Complete guide70 articles
British citizenship: the complete guide
How to become a British citizen — eligibility, the naturalisation process, costs, the Life in the UK test and English requirements, and what happens at your citizenship ceremony.
What naturalisation is
Naturalisation is the main way an adult becomes a British citizen. You apply on form AN once you have settled status — usually indefinite leave to remain (ILR) — and meet the residence, good character, English language and Life in the UK test requirements. A grant gives you a British passport, the right to vote, and the right to live in the UK free of immigration control.
It is a discretionary route, decided by the Home Office, so meeting every requirement matters. Children usually take a different route called registration rather than naturalisation.
Who is eligible
The standard route requires five years' lawful residence in the UK and holding ILR or settled status for at least 12 months before you apply. If you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, you can apply as soon as you have ILR — there is no 12-month wait — but you still need three years' residence.
You must also have been physically present in the UK exactly five (or three) years before the Home Office receives your application, and meet the absence limits across that period.
The good character requirement
Everyone aged 10 or over must satisfy the Home Office that they are of good character. Caseworkers look at criminal convictions, immigration history (including illegal entry and overstaying), financial matters such as unpaid tax or bankruptcy, and any deception. Minor or old matters do not always cause refusal, but undeclared issues are a common reason applications fail.
Declare everything honestly. It is the failure to disclose, as much as the underlying issue, that leads to refusals.
English language and the Life in the UK test
You normally need to prove your knowledge of English at level B1 or above — through an approved speaking and listening test, a degree taught in English, or by being a national of a majority English-speaking country — and you must pass the Life in the UK test. Together these form the Knowledge of Language and Life (KoLL) requirement.
People under 18 or aged 65 and over are exempt from the Life in the UK test, and there are exemptions for certain long-term health conditions.
Referees
Your application needs two referees who have known you for at least three years. One must be a professional person of any nationality; the other must hold a British citizen passport and be either a professional person or aged over 25. Neither can be a relative, related to each other, your solicitor, or someone working for the Home Office.
Absences from the UK
Time spent outside the UK is limited. On the five-year route you should generally have no more than 450 days of absence across the five years, and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months before you apply. The Home Office can exercise discretion, but staying within the limits is the safest path.
Costs and the application process
You apply online on form AN, pay the Home Office fee, and enrol your biometrics. The naturalisation fee is over £1,500 and includes the citizenship ceremony fee — always check GOV.UK for the current amount before you apply, as fees change. After submitting, most applicants get a decision within about six months.
The ceremony and your first passport
Once approved, you are invited to a citizenship ceremony, which you must attend within three months. You make an oath or affirmation and a pledge, and receive your certificate of British citizenship. Only then can you apply for a British passport.
Read more in this guide
Start here
Don't apply to register your child as British before you're British yourself
Registering a child born abroad as British relies on a parent's status at the date you apply. Apply too early and the Home Office refuses, and keeps the fee.
4 min read
The good character requirement for British citizenship: a complete guide
The good character requirement applies to everyone aged 10 or over. Learn what the Home Office assesses, why full disclosure matters, and what is not automatically fatal.
5 min read
Can a referee sign your citizenship form before you're eligible?
A referee declaration dated a few days before you become eligible is generally fine for naturalisation. What matters is when you submit Form AN.
5 min read
Can you submit a naturalisation application before you qualify?
Worried about your qualifying date? Here's what counts as your naturalisation date of application, and why biometrics come later.
5 min read
Do You Have to Declare a Council Tax Summons or Liability Order on a Citizenship Application?
A council tax summons is a notice to attend court; a liability order is the court order that follows. Here's when you must declare council tax debt on a British citizenship application, and why disclose-when-in-doubt protects your good character.
5 min read
Wrong name on your British citizenship certificate? How to get it corrected or reissued
If your British citizenship certificate shows the wrong name, no first name, or your full name recorded as the surname, here's how to get it corrected, whether you pay a fee, and how a replacement works.
5 min read
Got a coded or automated reply about your citizenship application? Here's what it means
If you emailed UKVI to chase your citizenship application and got back a templated or coded reply, it almost always means one thing: your application is still being processed. Here's how to read it and what to expect.
4 min read
How to get help with a first adult British passport application
The Passport Adviceline (0300 222 0000) and other official HM Passport Office channels for help with a first adult British passport, what they can do, and how to chase a delay.
4 min read
How to book an approved B1 SELT for UK citizenship or settlement
You must pass an approved B1 speaking and listening SELT with a Home Office-approved provider to prove English for UK citizenship or settlement. Here's how the approved list works, how to find a centre, and what the B1 test involves.
5 min read
Got a Feedback or Survey Email From the Home Office? What It Really Means
A feedback or survey email from UK Visas and Immigration is an automated service-improvement message, not an official sign your decision is coming. Here is what it really means and what the real processing times are.
5 min read
How long does a British citizenship application take in 2026?
Most naturalisation applications are decided within 6 months. Here is what the official timescale means, what counts as a longer-than-normal wait, how to chase a delay, and how moving house during the wait affects your case.
5 min read
First British Passport for a Child Born Abroad to a British Parent
A child born abroad to a British parent is usually a British citizen by descent automatically, so you apply for a first passport, not citizenship. Here's how it works.
5 min read
KoLL exemptions for health conditions and disability: when you don't have to take the Life in the UK test
If a long-term physical or mental condition stops you meeting the Knowledge of Language and Life in the UK (KoLL) requirement, you may be exempt from both the test and the English requirement. Here's how that exemption works.
5 min read
Does a degree assessed by UK ENIC meet the English requirement for citizenship, or do you still need a SELT?
A degree taught or researched in English can replace a SELT for naturalisation, but for overseas degrees UK ENIC must confirm both equivalence and English-medium teaching, not just a CEFR level.
4 min read
Does an SVQ or SCQF Level 7 Count as Proof of English for UK Citizenship or Settlement?
An SVQ or a qualification at SCQF Level 7 is not accepted on its own as proof of English for UK citizenship or settlement. Here's what the Home Office does accept, and why vocational awards don't count.
4 min read
Do You Have to Declare a Private Parking Charge on Your Citizenship Application?
A private parking charge from Horizon, ParkingEye or a supermarket car park is a civil debt, not a fine or conviction. Here's what you do and don't declare on your citizenship application.
5 min read
Illegal entry and the good character test: how the 10 February 2025 change affects citizenship
Since 10 February 2025, illegal entry, or arriving by small boat or concealed in a vehicle, normally means refusal of British citizenship, regardless of how long ago it happened. Here's how the change works and what it means if you later got refugee status.
5 min read
Forgot to Include a Trip in Your Travel History? Does It Matter, and How to Fix It
Forgot a short trip in your citizenship or ILR travel history? A genuine mistake won't normally cost you, but concealment can. Here's how to correct an omission the right way.
5 min read
Do you take the Life in the UK test before or after applying for citizenship or ILR?
Pass the Life in the UK test before you apply for citizenship or ILR, not after. Here is the correct order of steps and why you need your pass reference number first.
4 min read
Citizenship Refused on Good Character for Illegal Entry: Can You Request a Reconsideration?
If your citizenship application was refused on good character grounds for illegal entry, you can request a reconsideration on Form NR (£513), but it is not an appeal. Here is the process, timescales and realistic chances.
5 min read
Which English language test do you need for UK citizenship or settlement?
B1, ESOL or a degree? Compare the three accepted ways to prove English for UK citizenship and settlement, with a clear table, costs, exemptions and a 2027 change to watch.
6 min read
Why Was My Application Delayed When My Family Members Were Approved?
If your UK citizenship or settlement decision is taking longer than your family members', even though you applied together. It usually means your case needs extra checks. Here is why decisions in a family group differ, and what you can do.
4 min read
MN1 and UK-born children: how absences are counted (and why there's no official calculator)
How absences from the UK are counted when registering a UK-born child as British. The 90-day rule, the 270-day MN1 rule, and why there's no official absence calculator.
5 min read
Registering a Child as British With Form MN1: Apply Alongside a Parent, or Wait Until They Naturalise?
You can register a child with Form MN1 at the same time as a parent's naturalisation. You don't have to wait. Here's how the discretionary section 3(1) "family application" works, the £1,000 fee, and when waiting makes sense.
5 min read
Going deeper
Counting absences for naturalisation: worked examples
How to count your days outside the UK for British naturalisation, with three worked examples and the exact limits the Home Office applies.
5 min read
Naturalisation vs registration for British citizenship: which route applies to you
There are two legal routes to becoming British. Naturalisation is a discretionary route for most adults on ILR or settled status; registration is a legal entitlement for children and specific connected groups. Here is who uses which, and why it matters.
4 min read
Does the council contact you about your citizenship ceremony before the Home Office?
A council ceremony email usually means your naturalisation has already been approved, even if the Home Office decision email hasn't arrived. Here's the real order.
5 min read
How long from citizenship approval to the ceremony if you live abroad
After your naturalisation is approved you have 3 months from the invitation to attend a ceremony. If you live outside the UK you arrange it through a British embassy or High Commission, and timing varies by post.
5 min read
How you receive an MN1 decision: email, post, and certificate timing
An MN1 decision is usually confirmed in writing (often by email), then the registration certificate arrives separately by post. Here is what to expect and when.
5 min read
How EU citizens with settled status prove 5 years' residence for British citizenship
Settled status already proves your lawful residence for naturalisation. What you actually need to evidence is physical presence, and payslips are only part of the picture. Here's what the Home Office's own guidance says about the 5-year rule, absence limits and which documents work best.
5 min read
My child was born in the UK and never had a visa — is that a problem?
A child born in the UK to parents on a visa is not here unlawfully and needs no permission to stay. Here is what GOV.UK actually says, when a dependant visa matters, and how to register your child as British once you get ILR.
5 min read
British citizenship priority service: pay £500 for a decision in 30 working days
The Home Office launched a paid Priority Service for British citizenship applications on 6 July 2026. For an extra £500, new applicants can expect a decision within 30 working days instead of up to 6 months. Here is exactly how it works, who can use it, and the catches the viral posts leave out.
5 min read
Do late payments or bad credit affect your British citizenship application?
Late payment markers and a low credit score are not, by themselves, good character problems for British citizenship. Here is what the Home Office actually looks at financially, and what you do need to declare on Form AN.
5 min read
The total cost of British citizenship in 2026: every fee itemised
Naturalising as a British citizen in 2026 costs around £2,150 once you add up every fee. The £1,839 application and ceremony, £50 Life in the UK test, ~£160 B1 English test and £102 first passport. Here is the full breakdown, verified against the current GOV.UK fees table.
5 min read
Got ILR before 18 with a GCSE in English — do you need an English test and Life in the UK test for citizenship?
A GCSE in English isn't on the Home Office's accepted list for the citizenship English requirement, and it's never the Life in the UK test. Here's what you need.
5 min read
How soon after ILR can you apply for British citizenship?
Most people must wait 12 months after getting ILR before applying to naturalise. But if you are married to a British citizen, there is no 12-month wait at all.
5 min read
The second email after citizenship approval: how long it takes and who sends it
After your citizenship approval email, the second message you are waiting for is your ceremony invitation. Here is who sends it, roughly how long it takes, and why you should not contact the council first.
5 min read
Will my child overstay if their dependant visa expires while their MN1 citizenship is pending?
An MN1 registration is a citizenship application, not an application for leave, so it does not extend a child's visa. Here is why section 3C leave does not bridge the gap, and how to keep your child's status safe.
5 min read
Travelling abroad before your citizenship ceremony, with a child who has no ceremony
Travelling before your ceremony? You are still on ILR, so a short trip is fine. But your registered child is already British, and a registration certificate is not a travel document.
5 min read
Can a postman (Royal Mail worker) be a referee for naturalisation?
A postman is not a recognised "professional person", but a British postman aged 25 or over who holds a British passport can still be your second referee on form AN.
4 min read
Got the approval email for one applicant but not the other? Why naturalisation decisions arrive separately
Yes, each person's citizenship application is decided separately, so approval emails commonly land at different times. Getting your child's before your own is normal and does not mean anything is wrong with yours.
5 min read
Do you get a confirmation email after naturalisation biometrics?
After biometrics for naturalisation, you usually only get an appointment receipt from the service provider, not a separate UKVI confirmation. Here is why that is normal and what happens next.
5 min read
Naturalisation: do you upload all pages of your British spouse's passport, or just the bio page?
Applying for naturalisation through your British spouse, you only need the page of their passport that proves they are a British citizen. The personal-details (bio) page. All the stamped pages are not required.
5 min read
Can you travel abroad after biometrics while waiting for the ceremony?
Yes. You can usually travel abroad after biometric enrolment while you wait for your citizenship ceremony invitation. The catch: you must be back in the UK to attend within 3 months of being invited.
5 min read
Can you travel abroad while your naturalisation application is pending?
Yes. If you hold ILR you can generally travel while the Home Office considers your naturalisation application. Here are the real risks to watch.
5 min read
The 'special circumstances' question on Form AN: how to answer the Home Secretary discretion question
If you meet every naturalisation requirement, write 'Not applicable'. The special circumstances box is only for genuine, evidenced reasons you fall short.
5 min read
Applying for a British passport when the Home Office lost the passport you arrived on
Naturalised but the Home Office lost the passport you entered the UK on? Here's how to apply for your first British passport without it.
5 min read
Do you have to declare a paid-off CCJ when applying for British citizenship?
Yes, declare a CCJ even if you paid it within a month and it was removed from the register. Honesty protects your good character claim.
5 min read
Your child and SET(O): why there's no "parent is British" option
Now you're a British citizen, SET(O) has no box for it because your child should usually register as British (form MN1), not apply for ILR. Here's how to pick.
5 min read
How long does a child's British citizenship registration take?
Applied to register your child as a British citizen and still waiting? The Home Office aims to decide within 6 months, so a few months' wait is normal.
5 min read
Does a referee for a child's British citizenship need to give personal details?
Referees on a child's MN1 citizenship application give their name, address and occupation, and the British-passport referee gives a passport number. Here's what to do if the school refuses.
4 min read
Naturalisation Application Delayed? How to Chase UKVI Properly
Applied for British citizenship in January but heard nothing by summer? Here's the 6-month service standard, the correct UKVI contact route, and how to escalate calmly.
4 min read
Is My 2019 UK NARIC Certificate Still Valid for Citizenship?
UK NARIC became UK ENIC in 2021. If you hold a 2019 NARIC English assessment for an overseas degree, here is whether it still meets the citizenship English requirement and how to check.
5 min read
Referees for British citizenship: who can sign your form
Naturalisation needs two referees who have known you 3+ years. Here's exactly who qualifies, what referee 2's British passport rule means, and the common mistakes.
5 min read
Born in the UK: can my child register as British once I get ILR?
A UK-born child can register as British once just one parent becomes settled. Here is how section 1(3) and form MN1 work, even if the other parent is not settled.
5 min read
Does Your Partner Need to Be a British Citizen by Birth for You to Apply for Citizenship After ILR?
A common misconception is that your spouse must be a British citizen by birth to fast-track your citizenship application. Here's what the rules actually say.
4 min read
Can You Get British Citizenship If You Have a Criminal Record or Previous Overstay?
A past overstay or criminal sentence doesn't automatically disqualify you from British citizenship, but it does complicate things. Here's what the good character requirement really means.
5 min read
What Documents Do You Need to Apply for British Citizenship?
Applying for British citizenship involves gathering a specific set of documents. Here's a clear breakdown of what you'll typically need for a naturalisation application.
5 min read
Will Changing Your Address Delay Your Citizenship Application Decision?
If you've submitted your citizenship application and need to move house, you might be worried about how a change of address affects your decision timeline. Here's what you need to know.
5 min read
I just got EU settled status, can I apply for British citizenship now?
EU settled status is treated the same as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) for citizenship purposes. You must hold it for at least 12 months before you can apply for British citizenship.
5 min read
Can my adult dependant apply for British citizenship immediately after ILR?
Your adult dependant must hold ILR for at least 12 months before they can apply for British citizenship, unless they are married to a British citizen.
5 min read
Every official resource you need for UK citizenship and settlement in one place
From the Life in the UK test to ESOL courses to the application forms, here are all the official government resources you need for UK settlement and citizenship.
5 min read
Citizenship ceremony to first passport: the full timeline and what to expect
Got your ceremony invite? Here's exactly what happens next, step by step, from booking the ceremony to holding your first British passport.
5 min read
Settled status vs British citizenship: should you naturalise or stay on settled status?
If you have EU settled status, applying for British citizenship is a big decision. Here's what to consider, including how it affects family reunion through the Lounes route.
6 min read
Who can be a referee for a child's British citizenship application?
Finding referees for a child's citizenship application can be tricky, especially if your child is under 2 and hasn't started nursery. Here's who qualifies and what to do.
4 min read
Can my child get British citizenship without paying the full fee?
The child citizenship registration fee is £1,000, but fee waivers are available for families who can't afford it. Here's how to apply and who qualifies.
5 min read
British citizenship timeline: from application to ceremony
A complete timeline of the British citizenship journey, from meeting eligibility requirements to attending your citizenship ceremony.
5 min read
Ready to pass
How to contact UKVI about a pending application — even if a lawyer applied for you
Yes, you can contact UKVI from your own email address even if a solicitor submitted your application, but replies may go to the representative on file. Here are the official contact routes, what to include so UKVI can verify you, and when chasing actually helps.
5 min read
You're a British citizen — now what? A new citizen checklist
You've taken the oath and have your certificate. Here's a calm, practical checklist of what to do next: passport, voting, your old visa status, jury service and more.
5 min read