British citizenship
Becoming a British citizen: requirements and routes
Enter your arrival date and your trips abroad: the calculator finds the first day you meet the residence rules, then the checklist below covers the rest.
Earliest date to apply
2 March 2027
in 128 days
On that date
| In the UK on the first day of the period | met |
| Days abroad in the period (37 / limit 450) | met |
| Days abroad in the last 12 months (0 / limit 90) | met |
| Settled status held long enough | met |
Most adults become British by naturalisation under the British Nationality Act 1981. The standard route, section 6(1), asks for 5 years' residence with no more than 450 days abroad, at most 90 of them in the final 12 months, and indefinite leave to remain or EU settled status held for 12 months. The spouse or civil partner of a British citizen uses section 6(2): 3 years, 270 days abroad, 90 in the last year, and no wait after settlement. On both routes you must be 18 or over, have been in the UK on the first day of the period, pass the Life in the UK Test, show English at B1 and be of good character; on the 6(1) route you must also intend to keep living in the UK. The Home Office fee is £1,709 plus £130 for the ceremony, £1,839 in all, and a decision usually comes within 6 months. Naturalisation is discretionary: meeting the conditions makes you eligible, not automatically British.
The two naturalisation routes compared
Section 6(1)
5 years
| Days abroad allowed | 450 |
| In the last 12 months | 90 |
| Wait after ILR | 12 months |
| Future intention to live in the UK | required |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The checklist, condition by condition
| Condition | Section 6(1), standard | Section 6(2), spouse or civil partner |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 18 or over | 18 or over |
| Residence period | 5 years | 3 years |
| In the UK on the first day of the period | yes | yes |
| Days abroad in the whole period | 450 at most | 270 at most |
| Days abroad in the last 12 months | 90 at most | 90 at most |
| Settlement held before applying | 12 months | any length, on the day you apply |
| Intention to live in the UK | required | not required |
| Life in the UK Test and English | both, unless exempt | both, unless exempt |
| Good character | required | required |
Each line has its own page: absences, the spouse route, the test, the English requirement and good character. The calculator at the top handles the four lines about time.
The date is where most applications go wrong
Three time rules run at once and the last one to be met decides your date. Take Karim, who arrived on a work visa on 15 August 2020, got indefinite leave to remain on 1 October 2025 and never travelled for long. His 5 years end in August 2025, but on the 6(1) route he must also have held ILR for 12 months, so his first date is in October 2026, not 2025. Guide AN warns that on this route you may need to wait until you have been in the UK for at least 6 years.
The first-day rule matters too. The period starts on the day after the application date minus 5 (or 3) years, and you must have been physically in the UK that day. gov.uk gives the case of someone abroad from 10 to 25 June 2017 whose application arrives on 20 June 2022: they do not qualify and must wait until 24 June 2022. The calculator flags these days.
From application to passport
- Pass the Life in the UK Test and meet the English requirement; keep both reference numbers.
- Find two referees who meet the rules (one professional, one British passport holder).
- Apply online and pay £1,839; the application counts as received the same day.
- Give your biometrics within 45 days, or the application becomes invalid.
- Wait for the decision, usually within 6 months; a priority service exists for £500 more.
- Attend a citizenship ceremony within 90 days of the invitation; you become British when you take the oath.
- Apply for a British passport with your naturalisation certificate, which cannot be used to travel.
The application guide goes through each step and the cost page adds up the fees for a household, including children, who are registered rather than naturalised.
Discretion works both ways
Guide AN opens with a reminder that naturalisation is not an entitlement: the Home Secretary may grant it only to people who meet the statutory requirements, and may still refuse. In the other direction, caseworkers can overlook some shortfalls. Absences slightly above the limit, a missed first day for reasons such as illness, or a recent move to settlement can be set aside in defined circumstances, which the excess absences page describes. Guide AN warns more than once that a failed application can cost you the fee, so the safest application is one that needs no discretion at all.
Other ways in exist for people with a British parent, other forms of British nationality, stateless people and Commonwealth citizens covered by the Windrush Scheme, which charges no fee. gov.uk lists them on its eligibility page; this site covers naturalisation.