British Citizenship

You can apply to become a British citizen in different ways based on your circumstances. This mainly depends on where you were born and your parent’s circumstances at te time of birth.  If you were not a British citizen by birth it may be possible to apply for citizenship either through registration or naturalisation.

You can also apply for British citizenship if you are in the UK and have;

• indefinite leave to remain
• permanent residence or
• settled status

Several routes can follow you to become a British citizen depending on your circumstances. If you were born in the UK after 1st of Jan 1983 to a British parent then you are by birth or by descent a British national.

If you were married to a British national or settled person and have spent at least 5 years in the UK, you can still apply for British Citizenship through naturalisation. Several other routes lead to settlement after 5 years and 6 years to British citizenship.

If you are in the UK without a recognised citizen of any country, you may be eligible to apply for British nationally as a stateless person.

Naturalisation as British Citizen

Naturalisation is a process for people who were not born in the UK but meet certain criteria to apply for British citizenship. Usually, you can apply if you have met the residency, English language and good character requirements. If you wish to apply for naturalisation then the following must be met:

• Have spent at least 5 years of continuous residence in the UK with no more than 450 days of absence
• Have not spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the last months
• Have indefinite leave to remain for at least 12 months
• Meet the English language requirements
• Pass the life in the UK test
• Not in breach of any immigration rules and meet the good character requirements

Why Choose Connaught Law?

We have experienced British nationality lawyers, who provide prompt and cost-effective advice to individuals. We can guide you through the UK’s ever-changing and complex immigration procedures, offering prompt, efficient and cost-effective advice on British nationality applications.