How to Apply for British Citizenship After Settled Status or Indefinite Leave to Remain

Who can apply for British citizenship after settlement?

You can normally apply for British citizenship by naturalisation if you are over 18, have lived in the UK for the required period and hold one of these permanent statuses:

• indefinite leave to remain (ILR);
• indefinite leave to enter (ILE); or
• settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, which is a form of indefinite leave to remain.

Having permanent immigration status does not automatically make you British. Naturalisation is a separate application to the Home Office.

If you still need settlement through a partner route, see Helpydo's guide to applying for indefinite leave to remain as a partner.

Do you need to wait 12 months after getting ILR or settled status?

Usually, yes. On the standard naturalisation route, you must normally have lived in the UK for at least 5 years and have been free from immigration time restrictions for the 12 months immediately before applying.

ILR, ILE and EU Settlement Scheme settled status normally satisfy the requirement to be free from immigration time restrictions.

This often means someone who receives ILR after 5 years of residence applies for naturalisation approximately one year later, provided all the other requirements are met.

What changes if your spouse or civil partner is British?

If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, you do not normally have to wait 12 months after obtaining ILR or settled status.

You must instead normally have lived in the UK for at least 3 years before applying and be free from immigration time restrictions on the application date.

You must also have been physically present in the UK exactly 3 years before the Home Office receives your application. The normal absence limits for this route are 270 days during those 3 years and 90 days during the final 12 months.

Why does the exact application date matter?

On the standard route, you must have been physically present in the UK exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application.

This is an exact-date test, not simply a requirement to have accumulated 5 years of residence. If you were abroad on the corresponding date 5 years earlier, your application may not satisfy the normal requirement.

For an online application, the Home Office receives it on the day you submit it. Postal applications take longer to be received, making the date less predictable.

How many days can you spend outside the UK?

On the standard 5-year route, you should normally have spent no more than:

• 450 days outside the UK during the 5 years before applying; and
• 90 days outside the UK during the final 12 months.

The Home Office has discretion in some residence cases, but you should not assume an excess will automatically be disregarded. The naturalisation guidance explains how discretion is considered.

Do you need to prove lawful residence for every year?

You must meet the lawful residence requirement for the qualifying period. However, current Home Office guidance says that a person who has been granted indefinite leave to enter or remain will normally be treated as meeting the lawful residence requirement without further enquiries.

Evidence of EU Settlement Scheme settled status will also normally meet this requirement. The Home Office may still consider relevant information where necessary.

Check that your permanent status has not been lost

Before applying, make sure you still hold the permanent immigration status on which you are relying.

GOV.UK warns that indefinite leave may be lost after sufficiently long periods outside the UK. The relevant period can differ by status: for example, standard ILR may lapse after more than 2 years abroad, while settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme generally has a longer permitted absence period.

If you rely on digital immigration status, you can also use Helpydo's guide to getting a share code to prove your UK immigration status.

Do you need to pass the Life in the UK Test again?

You must meet the knowledge of life in the UK requirement unless an exemption applies.

If you already passed the Life in the UK Test for your settlement application, you do not need to take it again for naturalisation.

If you still need the test, it costs £50. You must book through the official government service at least 3 days in advance. The test gives you 45 minutes to answer 24 questions and requires a score of at least 75% to pass.

What language requirement must you meet?

Naturalisation normally requires sufficient speaking and listening knowledge of English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic.

For English, one accepted route is a Home Office-approved Secure English Language Test at B1 CEFR or above. Other accepted routes include certain degrees taught in English and nationality from a country accepted by the Home Office as majority English speaking.

If you successfully obtained ILR using an acceptable B1 English qualification, current Home Office guidance says you meet the English language requirement for naturalisation and do not need to pass another test solely because the qualification has subsequently expired.

Who can be exempt from the language and Life in the UK requirements?

Applicants aged 65 or over are exempt from the knowledge of language and life in the UK requirements.

An exemption may also be available where a long-term physical or mental condition permanently prevents you from meeting the requirements. A temporary illness does not automatically qualify. Medical evidence from a doctor or other appropriate medical professional is required where relying on this exemption.

What does the good character requirement mean?

Adult naturalisation applicants must satisfy the Home Office that they are of good character.

The assessment can consider matters including criminality, immigration breaches, deception, financial soundness and other conduct covered by the current Home Office good character policy.

Answer the application questions completely and accurately. Do not omit a conviction, immigration issue or other relevant event because you believe it is too old or minor to matter. The Home Office decides how the published policy applies to the circumstances.

Who can be your referees?

Your naturalisation application must be endorsed by 2 referees, and each must have known you for at least 3 years.

One referee can be of any nationality but must be a person of professional standing, such as a civil servant, minister of religion or qualifying member of a professional body.

The other must hold a British citizen passport and must either be a professional person or be over 25.

Your referees must not be related to you or to each other, must not be your solicitor or agent acting on the application and must not be employed by the Home Office. The Home Office will not normally accept someone convicted of an imprisonable offence within the previous 10 years as a referee.

What documents should you prepare?

The exact evidence depends on your circumstances, but the Home Office naturalisation guidance can require documents covering:

• your identity, such as a passport, national identity card or other accepted evidence;
• your ILR, ILE or settled immigration status;
• passports covering the qualifying residence period;
• evidence of presence in the UK if passports do not establish it;
• your Life in the UK Test reference where applicable;
• your accepted language evidence where required;
• evidence of a name or gender change where relevant;
• marriage or civil partnership evidence if applying under the British-spouse route; and
• the required referee declarations.

The Home Office can use information already held from previous immigration applications and checks its own entry and exit records. You do not need to request your travel history from the Home Office before applying merely for this purpose.

What if your passport does not prove all your UK residence?

If you cannot provide a passport, or the passport does not contain stamps showing your UK presence, the Home Office guidance allows other evidence where appropriate.

Examples include employer letters showing employment dates, payslips, P60s, evidence from educational institutions or records from other government departments.

You should also provide as accurate a record as possible of your trips outside the UK. The Home Office can compare this with its own records and correct gaps where necessary.

Can you apply for naturalisation online?

Yes. The normal route is an online naturalisation application.

After completing the form and paying the fee, you will receive instructions about biometric enrolment. Supporting documents can normally be uploaded through the online process or scanned as part of the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services process.

A postal application is also available. People applying from the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or a British overseas territory have different submission arrangements and may need to apply by post or in person through the relevant governor's office.

How much does British citizenship cost in 2026?

The adult naturalisation cost in 2026 is £1,839.

This consists of:

• £1,709 for the naturalisation application; and
• £130 for the standard citizenship ceremony.

There is no additional biometric enrolment fee for this application.

If you still need the Life in the UK Test, that test costs £50 separately. Other optional services can also create additional costs.

How long does naturalisation take?

The Home Office says you will usually receive a decision within 6 months of the application being received.

Some cases take longer, particularly where further information, external checks or more complex consideration is needed. If the Home Office expects the application to take longer than 6 months, it says it will tell you.

Can you pay for a faster citizenship decision?

Yes. A nationality priority service became available in 2026 for eligible applications.

The priority service costs an additional £500 and citizenship applicants should normally expect a decision within 30 working days from biometric submission.

The faster timeframe is not guaranteed where additional checks or complex issues are required. An application that has already been submitted cannot be upgraded to the nationality priority service, so you must select it when making an eligible application.

Do you need to provide fingerprints and a photograph?

Yes. Naturalisation applicants must enrol biometric information for identity verification, although the Home Office may sometimes be able to reuse biometrics from an earlier immigration application.

You will receive instructions after submitting the application. Where a biometric appointment is required, follow the stated deadline carefully. The current naturalisation guidance warns that failure to enrol biometrics when required can make the application invalid.

Can you travel after applying for citizenship?

Current Home Office guidance allows you to travel while a naturalisation application is being considered, using your valid passport and evidence of your valid immigration status.

However, a citizenship application does not itself give you immigration permission. You must maintain the status that allows you to remain in and re-enter the UK until you become British at your citizenship ceremony.

You must also remain available for biometric enrolment and communications from the Home Office.

What if your circumstances change after applying?

Tell UK Visas and Immigration if relevant circumstances change while your application is being considered. GOV.UK gives examples such as moving home, getting married or being arrested.

The Home Office may also contact you for additional evidence or ask you to attend an interview. If an interview is required, you may need to speak without an interpreter.

What happens if your citizenship application is approved?

If your application is successful and you are 18 or over, you will normally receive an invitation to attend a citizenship ceremony.

You must arrange and attend the ceremony within 90 days of receiving the invitation. In the UK, the invitation tells you which local authority to contact.

At the ceremony you make the required oath or affirmation and pledge. This is the point at which naturalisation is completed and you become a British citizen. You then receive your citizenship certificate.

The standard group ceremony fee is already included in the naturalisation fee. A local authority can charge extra if you request a private ceremony.

Keep your immigration permission until the ceremony

An approval decision does not mean you should ignore your existing immigration status before the ceremony.

The Home Office specifically requires you to have permission to remain in the UK until you have completed the citizenship ceremony. ILR and settled status provide that permission while they remain valid.

Does citizenship automatically give you a British passport?

No. Naturalisation and a British passport are separate processes.

After completing the ceremony and becoming a British citizen, you can make a separate passport application. If this will be your first British passport as an adult, see Helpydo's guide to applying for your first adult British passport.

Can you keep your existing nationality?

The UK permits dual nationality, so British law does not normally require you to give up another citizenship when you naturalise.

However, another country may not allow dual nationality. Before applying, check the rules of your existing country of citizenship because becoming British could affect that nationality under its laws.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying before completing the normal 12 months with settled status or ILR when the exception for a British spouse or another applicable rule does not apply.
• Being outside the UK on the exact date 5 years before submitting the online application.
• Exceeding the normal absence limits without understanding how Home Office discretion applies.
• Taking the Life in the UK Test again even though you already passed it for settlement.
• Assuming settled status automatically means British citizenship.
• Using referees who do not satisfy the Home Office requirements.
• Failing to disclose criminal, immigration or other matters relevant to the good character assessment.
• Submitting incomplete residence or identity evidence.
• Missing instructions to provide biometrics.
• Assuming a citizenship application itself extends immigration permission.
• Missing the 90-day citizenship ceremony deadline after approval.

What should you check before paying the citizenship fee?

Confirm that you are using the correct naturalisation route, have completed the required residence and settlement periods and were physically present in the UK on the exact first day of your qualifying period. Calculate your absences carefully and check that you meet the language, Life in the UK and good character requirements.

Prepare 2 eligible referees and the supporting evidence relevant to your status and residence. Because the standard naturalisation fee is £1,839, resolve any uncertainty about eligibility before submitting. Once ready, apply online, complete biometric enrolment when instructed and retain your valid immigration status until a successful application is completed at the citizenship ceremony.