What we help with
- Naturalisationfive years' residence (three if married to a British citizen), absence limits, good character, English B1, £1,839 cost..
- Citizenship by descentautomatic descent, its limits for the next generation, registering children and historic unfairness..
- Registering a child as Britishparent now settled or British, ten years in the UK, born abroad to British parents, or discretion.
- Children born in the UKA child born here is British only if a parent was British or settled; otherwise the child can often register later, when a parent settles or after ten years..
- Replace or correct a certificatewho can apply, the £456 fee, what to send and pre-1986 certificates..
British citizenship gives you the right to live in the UK permanently, to hold a British passport, to vote and to pass citizenship to your children. Most adults become British by naturalisation after settlement; children are usually registered; some people are British already by descent and need only a passport or a certificate.
The ways to become British
- Naturalisation: for adults who hold indefinite leave to remain or settled status, have lived in the UK for the required period and meet the good character, language and Life in the UK requirements. Spouses of British citizens qualify sooner.
- Registration of a child: children born in the UK to parents who later settle, children who have lived here for ten years, and children with a British parent abroad may be registered as British.
- Citizenship by descent: people born outside the UK to a British parent may already be British, depending on when and where they were born and how the parent held citizenship.
- Children born in the UK: a child born here is British only if a parent was British or settled at the time. We advise on the position and on registration where the child is not British at birth.
- Replacing or correcting a certificate: lost certificates and errors in names or dates can be put right.
Good character
Every adult application is tested against the good character requirement. Convictions, cautions, immigration breaches, unpaid tax and dishonesty in earlier applications can all lead to refusal, and the rules on earlier illegal entry have tightened. Tell us everything at the outset; we advise on whether to apply now, wait, or explain.
What we do
We confirm which route applies, check residence and absences against the requirement, prepare the application and the good character disclosure, and arrange the citizenship ceremony paperwork. For descent cases we trace the family history and advise whether a passport application is enough.
