How to Become a British Citizen: Tests, Fees, and Ceremony

To become a British citizen by naturalisation, you need at least five years of lawful residence in the UK (three if you’re married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen), settled status, a clean character record, and passes in both an approved English language test and the Life in the UK test. Once you meet those conditions, you submit an online application, give biometrics, wait for a decision, and attend a citizenship ceremony where you receive your certificate. The total application cost is £1,735, and the rules apply the same way across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Who Qualifies

You must be 18 or older and have lived lawfully in the UK for five years before applying, or three years if your spouse or civil partner is a British citizen.¹

You also need Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, with no time restrictions on your immigration status. On the five-year route, you must have held that settled status for at least 12 months before applying. On the spousal route, you can apply as soon as settled status is granted.¹

Absences are capped. On the five-year route, no more than 450 days outside the UK during the qualifying period. On the three-year spousal route, no more than 270 days. Both routes limit you to 90 days outside the UK in the final 12 months before you apply.¹ Going over these limits doesn’t automatically end your application, because the Home Office can exercise discretion, but you’ll need a strong reason.

You must intend to keep living in the UK, or to keep working for an employer with a close connection to the UK, at the time you apply.

The Good Character Requirement

The Home Office assesses your character over roughly the last 10 years, and this is one of the most common reasons applications fail. The assessment considers both negative factors like criminal history and positive factors like community contributions.²

The main areas that trigger refusal:

Serious or recent criminal convictions. Even spent convictions can matter depending on severity.
Immigration breaches within the last 10 years, such as overstaying a visa, working without permission, or helping others evade immigration control.
Financial irresponsibility, including unpaid tax owed to HMRC and bankruptcy fraud. Simple bankruptcy alone doesn’t automatically disqualify you.
Deception in the 10 years before your application, including dishonesty on previous immigration applications.²

A policy change took effect on 10 February 2025: anyone who entered the UK illegally will now normally be refused citizenship, regardless of how long ago the illegal entry occurred. Previously, the passage of time could reduce the weight given to illegal entry. That leniency is gone.²

The Two Tests You Have to Pass

English Language

You need to demonstrate English at CEFR level B1 or above. B1 is an intermediate level, enough to handle everyday conversations and understand the main points of clear standard speech.³

The usual proof is a Secure English Language Test (SELT) at an approved test centre, which costs £150.⁴ A degree taught or researched in English also satisfies the requirement.³ Applicants over 65, or those with a physical or mental condition that prevents them from meeting the requirement, may be exempt with a doctor’s confirmation.

Life in the UK

This computer-based test covers British values, history, traditions, and how the political system works. You answer 24 multiple-choice questions and need at least 18 correct (75%) to pass.⁵ It costs £50, runs 45 minutes, and can be retaken as many times as you need.⁶

Study material is based on the official handbook, Life in the United Kingdom: A Guide for New Residents. Most people who fail underestimate the specificity of the history and government questions. Book online at an approved test centre near you.

How to Apply

Documents

Pull together your current and previous passports, which the Home Office uses to verify travel history and time in the UK. You’ll need proof of your settled status (a 16-digit Unique Application Number works if your indefinite leave was granted digitally), your Life in the UK pass notification, and evidence of English at B1 or above. If you’re self-employed or otherwise outside PAYE, include a Self-Assessment Statement of Account from HMRC showing your tax obligations are up to date.¹

Referees

You need two referees, and the rules for each are different. The first must be someone with professional standing (a solicitor, accountant, minister of religion, civil servant, or similar) and can be of any nationality.⁷ The second must hold a British citizen passport and be either a professional or over 25.⁸

Both must have known you personally for at least three years. Neither can be related to you or to each other. Your solicitor or immigration adviser can’t double as a referee.⁷

Fees

The naturalisation fee is £1,605, plus a mandatory £130 citizenship ceremony fee, for a total of £1,735.⁹ Fees are non-refundable, even if your application is refused. You pay by credit or debit card when submitting online. Add the Life in the UK test (£50) and, if you need it, the SELT (£150), which brings the realistic all-in cost for most applicants to around £1,935.

Biometrics

After submitting online, you’ll book an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) centre to give fingerprints and a photograph.¹⁰ The standard appointment inside the UK has no extra fee. You can either upload supporting documents through the online service or have them scanned at your appointment.¹¹

After You Apply

The Home Office aims to decide within six months of receiving your biometrics.¹² Some applications take longer, and the Home Office should tell you before the six-month mark if yours is going to be delayed. If they ask for more information, reply quickly, because slow responses extend your wait.

You can travel outside the UK while your application is processed. Your existing status (such as ILR) remains valid, so your right to work and access services is unaffected. Just make sure you can pick up email and post from the Home Office while you’re away.

The Citizenship Ceremony

Approval comes with a letter inviting you to a citizenship ceremony. You must book and attend within three months of that invitation. Miss the deadline and you may need to request an extension.¹³

At the ceremony, you make an oath of allegiance (or an affirmation, if you’d rather not swear by God) and a pledge to respect the rights, freedoms, and laws of the UK. Your certificate of British citizenship is handed over at the end. That certificate is what makes you officially British.¹³ You book through your local council. Most offer both group and private ceremonies, with private ceremonies usually carrying an extra fee on top of the £130 already paid.

Your First British Passport

The certificate proves your nationality, but you need a passport to travel. You can apply online through the GOV.UK passport service as soon as the certificate is in hand. A standard adult passport is £94.50 online.¹⁴

First-time passport applications from within the UK are typically processed within three weeks of HM Passport Office receiving your documents, though additional verification (more common for first-time applicants) can push that out.¹⁵ Don’t book international travel until the passport is physically in your hands.

Dual Citizenship

The UK allows dual citizenship, so you don’t have to give up your existing nationality to become British, and the UK government won’t ask you to.¹⁶ Your home country may see it differently. Some countries automatically revoke citizenship when you voluntarily take another, so check with your country’s embassy or consulate before applying.

For US citizens specifically, becoming British has no effect on your US tax obligations. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income regardless of where they live or what other citizenships they hold. You’ll continue filing US returns and may need to report foreign accounts under FBAR rules. The US-UK tax treaty helps avoid double taxation, but the filing requirement itself doesn’t go away.

If Your Application Is Refused

A refusal isn’t necessarily the end of the road. The Home Office sends a letter explaining why. If you think the decision was based on an error of law, policy, or procedure, you can request a formal reconsideration using Form NR.¹⁷

Reconsideration costs £482 and is non-refundable.¹⁸ The Home Office takes a fresh look at your file. If that also goes against you, judicial review through the courts is possible, though it’s expensive and only appropriate where you can show the Home Office acted unlawfully or irrationally. For most people, the more practical response is to fix the underlying issue (waiting out a character concern, clearing a tax debt, adding residence time) and reapply with a new application and full fee.

1
UK Government – GOV.UK. Guide AN: Naturalisation Booklet – The Requirements and the Process
2
GOV.UK. Good Character Requirement (Accessible)
3
GOV.UK. Prove Your Knowledge of English for Citizenship and Settling: Overview
4
Trinity College London. B1 English Test (GESE Grade 5) – SELT
5
GOV.UK. Life in the UK Test: What Happens at the Test
6
GOV.UK. Book the Life in the UK Test
7
GOV.UK. Nationality Forms Guide
8
GOV.UK. Form UKF: Guidance (Accessible Version)
9
GOV.UK. Home Office Immigration and Nationality Fees
10
GOV.UK. UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services
11
GOV.UK. Apply for Citizenship if You Have Indefinite Leave to Remain or Settled Status: How to Apply
12
GOV.UK. Apply for Citizenship if You’re Stateless: After You’ve Applied
13
GOV.UK. Citizenship Ceremonies
14
GOV.UK. Passport Fees
15
GOV.UK. About Our Services – HM Passport Office
16
GOV.UK. Dual Citizenship
17
GOV.UK. Application for Review When British Citizenship Is Refused: Form NR
18
GOV.UK. Fees for Citizenship Applications and the Right of Abode From 9 April 2025