We are a team of highly qualified, very experienced, specialist solicitors who are market-leaders in all areas of UK immigration law. We are a national law firm who represent people across the whole of the UK and globally in making applications to be a British Citizen. An application for British Citizenship is also often referred to as “Naturalisation.”

British Citizenship applications for people from EEA and Non-EEA countries are similar, but there are a number of small details that are sometimes difficult to find. Either way, it is a complex process where the rules and eligibility criteria are constantly being changed and updated.

 That is why having a fully qualified solicitor is essential in order to have the best possible chance of success.
British Citizenship application is a decision that many people make when they have already spent many years in the UK and have decided that they wish to live in the UK permanently. The UK is a multicultural society with many generations of people and families from all around the world choosing to settle and make the nation their home.

What difference does applying for British Citizenship make?

There is more than one way of looking at this. Some people simply wish to become a “British Citizen” as a matter of identity, stability, and planning a long term future.  For many people it is more about the practical differences such as, but not limited to:

•     Having unrestricted access to the UK;
•     Being able to work without needing to show and prove visa eligibility;
•     To be able to register and vote in general elections;

    …and so on…

How we can help you

There are a number of steps involved in applying for British Citizenship and each person has their own individual history that will have many factors and details that could affect the application.

Check if you can apply

There are different ways to become a British citizen. The most common is called ‘naturalisation’. You can apply for British citizenship by naturalisation if:

•     you’re 18 or over;
•     you’re of good character, for example, you don’t have a serious or recent criminal record, and you haven’t tried to deceive the Home Office or been involved in immigration offences in the last 10 years;
•     you’ll continue to live in the UK;
•     you’ve met the knowledge of English and life in the UK requirements;
•     you meet the residency requirement.
  

And you must usually have lived in the UK for at least the 5 years before the date of your application;

•     spent no more than 450 days outside the UK during those 5 years;
•     spent no more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months;
•     had settlement (‘indefinite leave to remain’) in the UK for the last 12 months if you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA);
•     had permanent residence status for the last 12 months if you’re a citizen of an EEA country – you need to provide a permanent residence document;
•     not broken any immigration laws while in the UK.
  

There are different requirements if your spouse or civil partner is a British citizen.

You can’t include any time spent in the UK when you’re exempt from immigration control (for example, as a diplomat or member of visiting armed forces) as part of the 5 years.

You may be able to apply to become a British citizen by ‘registration’ in certain circumstances.

There has been no change to the rights and status of EU nationals in the UK, and UK nationals in the EU, as a result of the referendum.

Applying for Children under 18

You can apply on behalf of a child under 18 if they meet the eligibility criteria. They don’t have to pass the Life in the UK Test.

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