UK Immigration, Work Permits and Visas

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This page provides details of the requirements you need  to meet for us to naturalise you as a British citizen. If you are married to or a civil partner of a British citizen, the requirements you need to meet are different; you should read the page spouse and civil partner requirements for more details.

There are seven requirements you need to meet before you apply:

• you are aged 18 or over; and
• you are of sound mind; and
• you intend to continue to live in the United Kingdom, or to continue in crown service, the service of an international organisation of which the United Kingdom is a member, or the service of a company or association established in the United Kingdom; and
• you can communicate in English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic to an acceptable degree; and
• you have sufficient knowledge of life in the United Kingdom; and
• you are of good character; and
• you meet the residential requirements.

Residential requirements

To demonstrate the residential requirements for naturalisation you need to:

• have been resident in the United Kingdom for at least five years (this is known as the residential qualifying period); and
• have been present in the United Kingdom five years before the date of your application; and
• have not spend more than 450 days outside the United Kingdom during the five year period; and
• have not spend more than 90 days outside the United Kingdom in the last 12 months of the five-year period; and
• have not been in breach of the immigration rules at any stage during the five-year period.

Immigration time restrictions

You must be free from immigration time restrictions when you make your naturalisation application. Unless you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, you should have been free from immigration time restrictions during the last 12 months of the residential qualifying period.

There is discretion to allow applications from people who do not meet this requirement. For details of how we apply discretion, you should read the page on discretion to regard immigration time restrictions during the last 12 months.

Breach of immigration laws during residential qualifying period

to be continued as new rules are being announced!