With 17 years of experience and over 4,000 British Citizenship approvals, we have steadily built First Migration’s reputation as one of the most trusted immigration consultancies in the world. As you can see from our Trustpilot reviews, we have an industry-leading reputation for always securing UK Visa approvals while providing our clients with a five-star service.
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British naturalisation is the process by which a foreign national becomes a British Citizen. It is also referred to as obtaining British citizenship. Naturalisation allows individuals not born British citizens or entitled to British citizenship by descent to acquire citizenship through an application process. Once obtained, the holder enjoys the same rights and privileges as any other British citizen. This means no further immigration control, the right to live and work in the UK freely, plus access to public funds where appropriate.
Naturalisation is the final step in the UK’s immigration journey and provides the opportunity to obtain a British passport. To get to this final step, you need to have one of the following immigration statuses:
If you hold one of the above statuses, you can consider applying. However, before applying, you should check your eligibility against the full requirements, which we examine below.
In the content above, we’ve tried to answer the main questions associated with a Naturalisation application. However, the subject can be complex, with requirements varying based on your individual circumstances. We strongly recommend consulting with a specialist immigration consultant for details specific to your application.
You can make an application for British Citizenship by naturalisation if you can meet the criteria set down below.
It’s important to note that the criteria for obtaining British Citizenship through Naturalisation differ slightly depending on whether you are a British citizen’s partner. It’s important to ensure you’re assessing your eligibility based on the correct criteria.
Not all of the requirements for naturalisation are immediately clear and understandable, so we’ve taken a closer look at some of these below.
Under this requirement, you must confirm your intention to continue residing in the UK in the event of a successful application.
This requirement is typically satisfied by self-declaration, providing no circumstances raise doubts about your intentions. Such circumstances could include:
Where such circumstances occur, you must provide supplementary evidence to demonstrate that the UK is your permanent home and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
The British Nationality Act 1981 includes a legal requirement stating that individuals seeking to naturalise as British citizens must possess good character. This entails adhering to UK laws and demonstrating respect for the rights and freedoms of its citizens.
It is important to be truthful in your application and consistent with previous applications. Where there are any potential issues, it is important to supply supplementary evidence to address the issue. Verification checks are conducted to ensure the accuracy of the information provided. This could involve checks with different government departments, such as HMRC, to ensure you’ve been paying taxes.
This requirement aims to ensure that you can comprehend the consequences of your decision to become a British citizen through naturalisation. There is flexibility to consider exceptions to this requirement in specific situations deemed advantageous for the applicant. For example, if you are submitting an application on behalf of an individual who lacks mental capacity and for whom you have caregiving responsibilities, you can provide pertinent information regarding the person’s medical condition and your role as their caregiver during the application process.
Meeting the life in the UK requirement entails successfully passing the Life in the UK Test, which tests your understanding of British customs, traditions, laws, and the political system. As the Life in the UK Test is a requirement for Indefinite Leave to Remain, you should have already passed the test. The same test can also be used for your naturalisation application. You must provide the reference number indicated on your pass certificate as part of the application process. In general, it is not necessary to physically submit the certificate itself.
In order to meet the language requirements for naturalisation, you must have sufficient speaking and listening proficiency in English, Welsh, or Scottish Gaelic. This requirement is separate from the Life in the UK requirement, and both must be fulfilled.
To satisfy the language requirement, you have the following options:
The application process for British Citizenship via naturalisation is now fully digital, greatly simplifying the process. It also means you don’t need to send physical documents with your application.
The process is as follows:
Following your attendance at the citizenship ceremony, you can apply for a British Passport. Separate fees apply for this application.
The supporting documents for your British naturalisation application will vary by case, however, a typical application would require the following documents:
Once you have submitted your application, you can digitally upload your supporting documentation. This means that your passport and other documents don’t need to be held by the Home Office, allowing you to continue your life in the UK without hindrance. This also includes overseas travel, which is allowed while the application is pending.
The application fee for Naturalisation is currently £1,580. There may also be an additional fee for submitting your biometric data, depending on the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) centre you select. Free appointments are available but often limited in availability. When submitting your application online, you can select a date for your biometric appointment.
There are no other fees payable as part of your naturalisation application. The NHS Immigration Health Surcharge does not apply once you have obtained Indefinite Leave to Remain. No priority services are available for naturalisation, so you cannot pay a higher fee to expedite the application.
You can apply for a British Passport after achieving British Citizenship, which costs £82.50 for a standard 34-page passport. If you want to apply by post rather than online, this will cost you the higher price of £93.
The processing time for a naturalisation application is typically 3 to 6 months. This long time reflects the various checks and verification procedures that must be undertaken before an application can be approved. Due to the extent of the checks that are undertaken, no express service is available to expedite your application. However, on a more positive note, as your application is submitted online and you can submit your documents digitally, you can continue your life as normal. This includes leaving the country for international travel while the application is pending.
If you want expert advice about the UK Visa options available to you or if you are preparing your UK Visa application and want access to a UK Visa Expert’s knowledge and experience, this is the service for you.
If you wish to prepare your UK Visa application, why not let our Visa Experts be your insurance policy to ensure your application is approved and you do not lose the very high government fees you will be paying.
To secure your visa approval as easily as possible, provide your UK Visa Expert with the documents they request using the document list and templates provided, and they will do everything else for you.
Our Priority Service provides you with all the benefits of the Full Consultancy Service plus we will prepare and submit your application within 48 working hours of receiving the supporting documents.
Once your British naturalisation application is approved, you have a couple more steps to complete before officially becoming a British Citizen. The first of these steps is to wait for a letter from the Home Office confirming the approval of your naturalisation application. This letter will include information about what happens now. After receiving the approval letter, you will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony. This ceremony is a formal event where you will take an Oath of Allegiance and pledge loyalty to the United Kingdom, expressing your commitment to uphold the country’s rights, freedoms, and laws. You will also receive your Certificate of Naturalisation during the ceremony. You are now officially a British Citizen, and you can use your Certificate of Naturalisation to make an application for a British Passport.
To apply for a British passport, you need to complete the following steps:
Many clients choose First Migration for its long history of excellent service and track record of successful visa applications. However, what we feel is our biggest strength and what makes us unique is our small dedicated team that offers a truly personalised service. We genuinely love what we do, and our team relishes making a difference to the lives of our clients.
In the content above, we’ve tried to answer the main questions associated with a Naturalisation application. However, the subject can be complex, with requirements varying based on your individual circumstances. We strongly recommend consulting with a specialist immigration consultant for details specific to your application.
For many migrants to the UK, obtaining British Citizenship is the end goal. However, it’s important to understand the implications of obtaining British Citizenship and holding dual nationality. First and foremost, these considerations should be made upfront before applying for naturalisation. Waiting until after you have obtained British Citizenship before considering how this will affect you could lead to unforeseen implications.
The United Kingdom allows dual nationality, meaning you can become a British citizen through naturalisation while retaining your citizenship(s) from another country. This means the UK government does not require you to renounce your previous citizenship when you become a British citizen. However, this approach is not reciprocated across all governments, and several countries do not allow dual citizenship. These countries include China, Kuwait, Laos, Malawi, Myanmar and Nepal. Depending on your other nationalities, there can also be tax, consular, and national service obligations, so ensure you’ve researched your specific circumstances.
Our Naturalisation Experts have perfected the way we present and submit our British Citizenship applications to ensure we always secure naturalisation approvals with a five-star service. During this time, we have been fortunate enough to experience almost every possible situation regarding eligibility or supporting document issues, and we know every reason given for refusing an application for British Citizenship. Armed with this expert level of knowledge and experience, we can ensure you secure your naturalisation approval the first time you apply.
So, you can either spend months researching how to secure your approval or follow our simple instructions and allow us to secure the approval for you. Should you choose our full representation service, you will receive our no-win, no-fee guarantee (subject to our Terms and Conditions) and benefit from our expert legal cover letter that argues your naturalisation application through to approval. We have only been as successful as we are in securing British citizenship approvals due to the power of our legal cover letter. Perfected over the past 12 years and 4,000+ UK naturalisation approvals, our legal cover letter explains your case to the Home Office while linking your supporting documents to the specific rules that apply to your case. That way, we can ensure that even a poorly trained or new Home Office caseworker will not make mistakes when deciding upon your case.
Should you not want our British Citizenship Experts to represent your application fully, why not allow us to be your insurance policy by taking advantage of our consultation services or Expert Citizenship Checking Service? We offer a Telephone/Zoom Consultation if you want us to answer any questions or doubts you may have about your application. As you pay for our time and access to our expert knowledge, we will tell you the answers to any questions and teach you everything you need to know to secure your naturalisation approval. Likewise, once you have fully prepared your cover letter and application form(s) and gathered all the documents needed, you can purchase our Expert Checking Service to ensure you have not made mistakes that could jeopardise a successful application. While we can only guarantee your citizenship approval if we represent your case, rest assured your dedicated Naturalisation Expert will advise you of all the changes needed to your application. Considering our full-service clients secure their British citizenship approvals first-time, you can expect your naturalisation application to be approved if our advice is followed to the letter.
Why not call one of our British Citizenship Experts today (or request a call-back on this page) so we can provide you with a quote for the different services we offer and let us give you the confidence you need to choose First Migration to ensure you finally secure your British citizenship.
Knowledge is power, but experience counts for everything to ensure a naturalisation application is approved every time, without exception. As you can appreciate, our Citizenship Experts are testing the naturalisation system daily. This enables us to ensure our clients are always ahead of any changes to the British citizenship rules, naturalisation policy guidance, or the latest excuses for refusing a British citizenship application. This level of practical experience ensures that we can manage the process for our clients, make all the right decisions when applying, reduce the risk of mistakes, and give our clients the peace of mind they expect. As soon as a new excuse is given for refusing a naturalisation case, our detailed document list, document templates, and legal cover letter are updated to ensure this new excuse cannot be used to refuse our clients’ naturalisation applications.
Should the application process change while you apply, our advice and service will immediately adapt to the new circumstances, so you will not be impacted in any way. Only by preparing and securing naturalisation approvals daily could you ever apply for British citizenship in total confidence that it will be approved first-time. So why not become a part of First Migration’s success story and take advantage of our experience and expert knowledge? All you have to do is sign up for our service, pay our professional fee, follow our advice, and let your dedicated British Citizenship Expert do everything else for you!
Any applicants applying for British citizenship between the ages of 18 and 65 are required to take an exam called the Life in the UK test and satisfy an English language requirement. The Life in the UK test is not difficult, but we sincerely recommend that you learn from the official study guide; otherwise, it may be challenging to pass the test. Most British nationals who have attempted the Life in the UK test have failed because they have not read the study guide! The test itself has been introduced to see how much you know about British history, culture, and politics.
There are four ways to satisfy the British Level B1 Speaking and Listening English language requirement:
To satisfy the English language requirement via an English test, you must pass the English test to Level B1 in speaking and listening (about 5 out of 10 in difficulty).
For more information about how you or any dependants applying with you can satisfy the English language or Life in the UK test requirements, call one of our British Citizenship Experts on 0203 178 2048 (or request a Call-Back above).
Since March 2019, the entire application process is now fully digital, and no specific application forms are needed. When the application is initially set up online, the correct category of UK Visa or citizenship must be selected to ensure that you are applying for the correct visa. Before the application process evolved to a fully digital process, the application forms needed to apply for ILR were as follows:
We are pleased to confirm that these forms are technically not appropriate anymore, and should you take advantage of our services, we can ensure that you apply correctly online so that the application is approved first-time.
As you will already have full access to financial (benefits) and NHS healthcare support paid for by the British government now that you have secured your ILR Visa, EEA Permanent Residence, or European Settled Status, you are not required to pay the NHS Surcharge when applying for British citizenship (aka Naturalisation).
For your information, you may find that the NHS Surcharge is sometimes stated as the Immigration Health Surcharge (or IHS), so do not be confused, as they are just different ways of saying the same thing.
Since it is not a simple process for the UK government to remove your British citizenship once granted to you, the UKVI will never be rushed into making a decision. As a result, a Priority Service has never been available to applicants applying for British citizenship.
The only service available is the UKVI’s Standard Service, which could take up to 6 months for you to receive a decision. Based on our vast experience, the typical processing time for a successful British citizenship application is about 3-months.
If you have tried applying yourself without expert assistance and find yourself in the unfortunate situation of receiving your British citizenship application back refused, we would recommend the following:
If you recently received your citizenship application back refused, we recommend you call one of our British Citizenship Experts to see how they can assist you, or submit a call-back request on this page, and they will call you instead.
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