How to Become a British Citizen: Naturalisation Step by Step

You've done the hard part. You came to the UK, built a life, and finally got indefinite leave to remain. Now the question is whether, and when, to take the last step and become a British citizen.

This guide walks through naturalisation from start to finish: when you're eligible, what the Home Office checks, what it costs and what happens on the day you become British. If you're still working out which route applies to you, such as birth, descent or registration, start with our overview of routes to British citizenship.

The rules below come from GOV.UK and the July 2026 edition of Guide AN, the Home Office naturalisation booklet. Always check the current version before you apply.

Why people choose to naturalise

ILR already lets you live and work in the UK without time limits. So why pay nearly £2,000 more?

• Security. ILR normally lapses if you spend more than 2 continuous years outside the UK. Citizenship doesn't lapse that way.
• A British passport. It's the standard way to prove your status and travel as a British citizen.
• Full voting rights, including in UK general elections.
• No immigration paperwork for future jobs, homes or travel back to the UK.
• Citizenship for your children. Children born in the UK after you're settled are usually British automatically, but children born abroad after you naturalise can also be British by descent.

One correction to older advice: British citizenship no longer gives you the right to live and work in EU countries. That ended with Brexit.

The journey: from visa to passport

For most migrants, naturalisation is the third stage of a longer road.

So on the standard route, most people apply around six years after arriving. That matches the Home Office's own description in Guide AN.

Eligibility: the requirements in detail

Residence and absences

As of September 2026, the standard route requires 5 years' residence, and you must have been physically in the UK exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application. Online applications are received the same day.

During those 5 years you should not have spent more than 450 days outside the UK, or more than 90 days in the last 12 months. For spouses and civil partners of British citizens, the figures are 3 years, 270 days and 90 days.

GOV.UK gives an example worth remembering: if you were abroad on the exact start date of your 5-year window, you'll need to wait until you've been back for a full 5 years.

The Life in the UK test

The test costs £50 and must be booked online at least 3 days ahead. You get 45 minutes for 24 questions, and you need 75% to pass. Questions come only from the official handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents.

If you passed it for your ILR application, you don't need to take it again. You're also exempt if you're under 18, 65 or over, or have a long-term physical or mental condition backed by medical evidence.

You can retake it as often as you need, paying each time. Bring the same original ID you booked with, or you won't be allowed to sit it.

English at B1 or above

You need English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic at B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) scale or higher. You can prove it with an approved Secure English Language Test (SELT) or a degree taught or researched in English.

Nationals of listed countries, including the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Jamaica, are exempt. Nigeria, Ghana, India and Pakistan are not on the list, so nationals of those countries usually need evidence even if English is an official language.

Good character

This is where most refusals start. The Home Office looks at criminal convictions, immigration history, tax affairs and honesty in past applications. Guide AN also asks about bankruptcy, unpaid council tax, public funds fraud and NHS debts of £500 or more.

Since 10 February 2025, applications will normally be refused if you entered the UK illegally, no matter how long ago. The same applies if you arrived without required entry clearance or an electronic travel authorisation after a dangerous journey, such as by small boat. The Home Office says it will consider whether this was outside your control, for example if you were a child or trafficked.

Intending to live in the UK

You must intend to keep the UK as your main home. Guide AN lists exceptions, such as Crown service or working abroad for a UK-based employer.

Costs and money: what to budget

As of September 2026, GOV.UK lists these costs:

The super priority service isn't available for citizenship. The priority service usually gets a decision within 30 working days, but complex cases can take longer.

A family of two adults and two children naturalising and registering together would pay £1,839 twice plus £1,000 twice, which is £5,678, before tests and passports. Many families plan this across a year or two.

Fees aren't normally refunded if you're refused, which makes careful preparation far cheaper than a second attempt.

Step by step: making your application

1. Confirm your earliest date. Count 12 months from your ILR grant (unless you're married to a British citizen) and check the 5-year window and absences.
2. Pass the Life in the UK test if you haven't already. Keep your unique reference number.
3. Sort your English evidence, or confirm your exemption.
4. Choose two referees. Under Guide AN, one must be a professional person, such as a civil servant, minister of religion or member of a professional body. The other must hold a British citizen passport and be a professional person or over 25. Neither can be related to you, to each other, or be your representative.
5. Gather documents: passport, eVisa details or ILR evidence, proof of residence and tax records if you're self-employed.
6. Apply online and pay the fee. The form is known as Form AN.
7. Give your biometrics at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) point. You can upload documents or have them scanned there.
8. Wait for a decision. GOV.UK says usually within 6 months. You might be asked to attend an interview.
9. Book your ceremony with your local council within 3 months of your invitation.

A worked example

Say Chidi, a software developer from Lagos, got ILR on 1 March 2026 after five years on a Skilled Worker visa. He's not married to a British citizen, so his earliest application date is 1 March 2027.

Before then, he lists every trip since March 2022. He finds 470 days abroad, which is over the 450-day limit. Waiting a few extra months lets the oldest trips drop out of the 5-year window. He also books a B1 test, because Nigeria is not on the exempt list. This is an invented example, but the checks are the ones everyone should do.

Mistakes and scams to avoid

• Applying a few days early. Check the 12-month and exact-5-years rules against the date the Home Office receives your application.
• Leaving out old cautions, fines or immigration issues. Non-disclosure is treated as dishonesty.
• Using a lookalike test site. Book the Life in the UK test only through GOV.UK.
• Paying a "consultant" who promises approval. No one can guarantee citizenship. If you want help, check the adviser is registered with the Immigration Advice Authority or is a regulated solicitor or barrister.
• Booking flights straight after the ceremony. You can't enter the UK using your citizenship certificate.

The ceremony and after

Your local council organises the ceremony, usually in a group. You make an oath or affirmation of allegiance and a pledge, then receive your certificate of British citizenship. You can usually bring 2 guests. A private ceremony may cost extra.

From that moment you're British. A few practical points follow:

• Get a passport. Guide AN says there are no current plans for digital proof of British citizenship, and you can't use your eVisa or certificate to enter the UK as a British citizen.
• Deal with your old residence card. The July 2026 Guide AN tells people to destroy a biometric residence permit after the ceremony by cutting through the chip and personal details. Follow the instructions in your own decision letter, as older guidance asked people to post it back.
• Update your records with your employer, bank and GP if they hold your immigration status.
• Check your other nationality. The UK allows dual citizenship, but some countries don't. Their embassy or consulate can confirm.

Will the rules change?

The government's earned settlement consultation, which closed in February 2026, proposed a longer standard route to ILR. As of September 2026, no outcome had been published. Because ILR normally comes before citizenship, any change would mostly affect people who don't yet have settlement.

From 26 March 2027, most settlement applications will need B2 English. Guide AN still lists B1 for naturalisation as of July 2026. If you're still working towards ILR, see our guide to landing a well-paid UK job for the work visa side.

Your citizenship checklist

• Note your ILR grant date and calculate your earliest application date.
• List every trip abroad in the last 5 years (or 3 for spouses).
• Book and pass the Life in the UK test, or find your existing reference number.
• Get B1 English evidence or confirm your exemption.
• Ask two eligible referees who've known you for at least 3 years.
• Put aside £1,839, plus test, passport and any child registration fees.
• Check your other country's dual nationality rules.
• Apply through GOV.UK and book biometrics promptly.
• After the ceremony, apply for your British passport before booking travel.