British Citizenship

Contrary to what many people think, you are not automatically given British citizenship if you were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983. It depends on when you were born and your parents’ circumstances.

If you or your parents were born in the UK, you might automatically be a British citizen. Check if you’re a British citizen based on whether you were:

• born in the UK or a British colony before 1 January 1983
• born in the UK between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000
• born in the UK between 2 October 2000 and 29 April 2006
• born in the UK between 30 April 2006 and 30 June 2021
• born in the UK from 1 July 2021 onwards
• born outside the UK or are stateless.

In order for you to be British, you will need to know your parents’ immigration status when you were born. You can find more information on gov.uk.

If you’re not a British citizen automatically, you may still be able to apply to become a British citizen.

If you are not automatically a British citizen, you may apply to become British in one of two ways:

• registration; or
• naturalisation.

How you choose to become British will depend on your circumstances. But as a general rule, registration is usually for those under 18 years old and naturalisation is usually for those over 18.

Some adults can register as British in limited circumstances. There has been a recent change to the law which allows adults to register for citizenship where there have been historical injustices or unfairness, such as the Windrush Scandal. The Home Office can now use its discretion to register an adult as British.

Legal aid is not available for advice on British citizenship, but you can find a local immigration lawyer via the Law Society or Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association.

Further information about naturalising as a British citizen can be found below.

Children can register to become British in one of several situations. In general, children can register for citizenship if they were:

• born in the UK and have lived in the UK for the first 10 years of their life
• born in the UK and their parent has since become British or become settled
• born outside the UK to a British parent (this depends on the type of British citizenship that the parent holds)
• born outside of the UK to a British parent, and the family have lived in the UK for two years
• would have become British automatically, or would have been able to register as British, if the child’s mother been married to their natural father (immigration law previously discriminated against unmarried mothers).

The Home Office also has wide discretion to register a child or young person as a British citizen. This means they have the freedom to register a child or a young person as a British citizen even if that child or young person does not fit into the above categories.

In all applications, children need to be of ‘good character’ if they are older than 10 when they apply. This means their past behaviour will be considered in their application, such as any criminal record. We recommend seeking advice from a qualified immigration lawyer if a child has criminal convictions. Find an immigration lawyer.

If you need help with this type of application and cannot afford a lawyer, contact Coram Children’s Legal Centre. You can also contact the Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens (PRCBC) through their website.

Legal aid is also available for children who are separated from their parent(s) or guardian(s), and a list of legal aid lawyers is available on gov.uk.

For further information about children and young people’s rights to British citizenship, the Right to Remain website offers more information.

Please note that specific rules also apply for children of people serving in the armed forces and children of British overseas territories citizenship.

The current fee for registering children as a British citizen is £1,214. Families who can’t afford British citizenship for their children can apply for a fee waiver. The policy applies where the fee is unaffordable because paying it would compromise the child’s essential living needs. This needs to be supported by evidence. You can apply and learn more about fee waivers on gov.uk.

The Citizenship Payment Plan (CPP), operated by EdAid, also provides affordable and interest-free payment plans that enable a parent or guardian to secure their child’s right to British Citizenship. Find more information on eligibility and how the CPP works on their website.

From 16 June 2022, children in care are exempt from paying fees for registration. This includes children who are in care abroad who are eligible to register as British citizens.

For children who are separated from their parent(s) or guardian(s), legal aid is now available to cover their immigration and citizenship cases. This was reinstated on 25 October 2019.

Naturalisation

If you are an adult, there are different ways to apply for citizenship. In most cases, you will need to ‘naturalise’ as British if you do not have a parent who is a British citizen, and you did not live in the UK for 10 years as a child. You may be able to naturalise as a British citizen if you:

• are married, or in a civil partnership, with a British citizen
• have ‘indefinite leave to remain’
• have Settled Status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS).

You will need to meet certain requirements for an application to be successful.  In general, you will need to show that:

• You are over 18
• You have permanent status (for example, ‘indefinite leave to remain’, or Settled Status if you applied through the EUSS)
• You have lived in the UK for enough time (these are ‘residence requirements’ - each application has requirements for the number of years you have lived in the UK, and there is a limit for the length of time you can spend abroad)
• You have good English (up to B1 of the Common European Framework Reference)
• You have passed the Life in the UK test
• You have ‘good character’ (for example, whether you have broken the law or have a criminal record)
• You are of ‘sound mind’ and understand the step you are taking.

You will need to check which application route suits your situation best. You will also need to check the requirements in detail, because these are not the same for each route. For more details about each way to apply, please see the government’s website.

If you have been abroad for a long period, the Home Office can be flexible with the residence requirements if there are exceptional circumstances for your absence. For example, this could apply to someone from the Windrush generation who was unfairly prevented re-entry to the UK.

Registration

Some adults can register as British. Adults may be able to register as a British citizen if they were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983 and lived in the UK for the first 10 years of their life. Other conditions apply. Details are in the above section about children, and further information can be found on the government website.

There has also been a recent change to the law which allows adults to register for citizenship where there have been historical injustices or unfairness, such as the Windrush Scandal. The Home Office can now use its discretion to register an adult as British.

However, registration for adults can be complex and requires legal advice. For this reason, this process will not be discussed further here. If you would like to enquire about registering as an adult, please seek legal advice. Find an immigration lawyer.

In all applications, if you have any criminal convictions, it is best to consult a qualified immigration lawyer, as these could impact your application.

The current fee for naturalisation applications is £1,500. This includes the fee for a citizenship ceremony, which is £80 and refundable if your application is refused.

If you are 18 or over and want to register to become a British citizen, you must pay a fee of £1,351. This includes the £80 fee for the citizenship ceremony.

Visit the UK Home Office website for updated information on fees.

If you or your family member is part of the Windrush Generation, you may be entitled to apply for citizenship free of charge through the Windrush Scheme. Find more information about your rights on our Windrush Generation page.

Please note that if your application is rejected, you will not be refunded the application fee. There are limited ways to challenge this decision. For this reason, you may wish to consult a qualified immigration lawyer prior to making your application. Find an immigration lawyer.