Updated: October 20, 2021
1. Live in the UK
To be a naturalised citizen, you must live in the UK for five years before applying for citizenship. To live in the UK, you must have some type of visa such as a work visa, a student visa, a visa granted to family members or partners, a retired person visa, or a visitor visa.
2. Complete the application to settle in the UK
This application will ask you about your visa and current situation. If accepted, you will be allowed to stay indefinitely, and you won’t have a specified date for leaving the country as you do with a visa.
3. Have a clean criminal record
You must be in good standing to be a UK citizen, though usually minor infractions won’t count against you. If you are convicted of any criminal activity, the application will stand invalid.
4. Decide to stay in the UK
You must be planning to live in the UK before applying for citizenship. Also, you must have lived a certain number of days in the UK before the application date; you can only stay 450 days out of the UK in the last five years and 90 days in the last year.
5. Prove your English competency
You must prove that you are capable of speaking English. This can be done by having a recognised English test qualification from an approved test centre. You are also required to have a certificate or have your results online.
6. Pass the Life in the UK Test
You need to book the Life in the UK test and pass it with 75% in order to become a UK citizen. This test is on British culture, history and life; one must pass the test in order to obtain UK citizenship.
👉 Prepare for your test here.
7. Apply and pay the fee
You must pay a fee based on what type of citizenship you’re applying for. An adult looking to become a “naturalised” British citizen has to pay £1,330 for their application.
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