Standard requirements for naturalisation
This page provides details of the requirements you need to meet for us to naturalise you as a British citizen. If you are married to or a civil partner of a British citizen, the requirements you need to meet are different; you should read the page spouse and civil partner requirements for more details.
You should read the information on this page before you make an application for naturalisation. You will need to pay a fee when you make your application. If you make an application for naturalisation and it is unsuccessful because you are not eligible for naturalisation, we will not refund your fee.
If you meet the requirements for naturalisation you should go to the applying for naturalisation as a British citizen section for details of how to apply.
There are seven requirements you need to meet before you apply:
- you are aged 18 or over; and
- you are of sound mind; and
- you intend to continue to live in the United Kingdom, or to continue in crown service, the service of an international organisation of which the United Kingdom is a member, or the service of a company or association established in the United Kingdom; and
- you can communicate in English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic to an acceptable degree; and
- you have sufficient knowledge of life in the United Kingdom; and
- you are of good character; and
- you meet the residential requirements (these are detailed in full below)
Residential requirements
To demonstrate the residential requirements for naturalisation you need to:
- have been resident in the United Kingdom for at least five years (this is known as the residential qualifying period); and
- have been present in the United Kingdom five years before the date of your application; and
- have not spent more than 450 days outside the United Kingdom during the five year period; and
- have not spend more than 90 days outside the United Kingdom in the last 12 months of the five-year period; and
- have not been in breach of the immigration rules at any stage during the five-year period.
Start of the residential qualifying period
The residential qualifying period will be worked out from the day we receive your application. Most unsuccessful applications fail because the applicant was not present in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the residential qualifying period. You must make sure you meet this requirement before you make your application. For example, if we received your application on 25 November 2005, you would have to show that you were in the United Kingdom on 26 November 2000.
You cannot count time you have spent in the United Kingdom while exempt from immigration control as part of the residential qualifying period. If you are in the United Kingdom as a diplomat or as a member of visiting armed forces or if you are in any place of detention, you would be considered exempt from immigration control. This time would be treated as absence from the United Kingdom.
Immigration time restrictions
You must be free from immigration time restrictions when you make your naturalisation application. Unless you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, you should have been free from immigration time restrictions during the last 12 months of the residential qualifying period.
If you are free from immigration time restrictions then there is usually a stamp or sticker in your passport saying that you have indefinite leave to enter or remain or no time limit on your stay. But you may have a letter from the Home Office saying that you are free from immigration conditions. See The documents we require for naturalisation applications for details of how to prove you are free from immigration time restrictions.
There is discretion to allow applications from people who do not meet this requirement. For details of how we apply discretion, you should read the page on discretion to regard immigration time restrictions during the last 12 months.
European Economic Area nationals and Swiss nationals
If you are a European Economic Area (EEA) national or a Swiss national or the family member of such a person, you will automatically have permanent residence status if you have exercised EEA free-movement rights in the United Kingdom for a continuous five-year period ending on or after 30 April 2006. You do not have to apply for leave to remain. You should have held permanent residence status for 12 months before you apply for naturalisation.
If you have been outside the United Kingdom for six months or more in any one of the five years of the residence period you will have broken your residence. This does not apply if:
- the absence was due to military service; or
- all absences were for under 12 months and were for important reasons such as pregnancy, childcare, serious illness, study, vocational training or an overseas posting.
If you leave the United Kingdom for a continuous period of two years or more you will lose your permanent residence status.
If you have indefinite leave to remain (ILR) in the United Kingdom you will be considered settled providing you have not been away for two years or more since you received ILR.
Breach of immigration laws during residential qualifying period
You must have been in the United Kingdom legally throughout the residential qualifying period. We may refuse your naturalisation application if you have breached the immigration laws during the residential qualifying period.
Absences from the United Kingdom during the residential qualifying period
During the residential qualifying period you must not have been absent from the United Kingdom for more than 450 days. You must not have been absent for more than 90 days in the last 12 months.
There is discretion to allow absences above the normal limits. For details of how we apply discretion, you should read the page on discretion when considering absences from the United Kingdom during the residential qualifying period.
Crown service
See Residential requirements (above) and discretion when considering absences.
If you are applying on the grounds of your own crown service rather than your residence in the United Kingdom you must show that you:
- are serving overseas is crown service on the date your application is received; and
- have been the holder of a responsible post overseas; and
- have given outstanding service, normally over a substantial period; and
- have a close connection with the United Kingdom.
Crown service is an alternative only to the residence requirements for naturalisation. You must still meet the other requirements for naturalisation.
See also
Terms explained
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Close connection
Close connection (with a country) may be by birth, adoption, descent, marriage, registration or naturalisation.
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Crown service
Working in the direct employment by the United Kingdom Government, the Northern Ireland Government, the Scottish Administration or, on or after 21 May 2002, the governments of the qualifying territories. (See Qualifying territory.) This does not include someone who is subcontracted on government projects or in the service of Crown servants, such as Royal Navy laundrymen or teachers working in schools on British bases.
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Discretion
This means we can consider the particular circumstances and in special cases grant an application.
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Eligible
You meet the requirements to apply.
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European Economic Area
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Irish Republic, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are not members of the European Union (EU) but citizens of these countries have the same rights to enter, live in and work in the United Kingdom as EU citizens.
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Leave to remain
Leave to remain is permission to stay in the United Kingdom, either temporarily (limited leave to remain) or permanently (indefinite leave to remain).