British citizenship
From EU settled status to British citizenship
The calculator is set up for EU Settlement Scheme holders. Enter the date your settled status was granted and your trips to find your first date.
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 |
Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme is indefinite leave to remain, so it counts as settlement for naturalisation. On the standard 5-year route you must usually have held it for 12 months before applying; if your spouse or civil partner is British you can apply as soon as you have it, on the 3-year route. Settled status also settles the lawful residence question: Guide AN says it normally meets that requirement on its own, without evidence of what you did before, and without any explanation about comprehensive sickness insurance. Pre-settled status is not settlement, and only a narrow group can naturalise with it. The step that surprises most EU citizens is the knowledge of language and life requirement. The scheme never tested it, so you must pass the Life in the UK Test and prove English at B1 before applying, unless you are 65 or over, have a qualifying condition, or hold the nationality of Ireland or Malta for the English part.
EU citizen: can I apply yet?
Settlement wait ends
1 September 2026
| Route | 5 years |
| Absences allowed | 450 days |
| Test and English | both still needed |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Which status do you hold?
| Your status | Can you naturalise? | When |
|---|---|---|
| Settled status, standard route | yes | 12 months after the grant, once the 5 years are met |
| Settled status, married to a British citizen | yes | as soon as you hold it, once the 3 years are met |
| Pre-settled status | rarely | only with a permanent right of residence under the Withdrawal Agreement (below) |
| Irish citizen | yes, without EUSS status | after 5 years' residence |
| Old EEA permanent residence card only | no | apply to the EU Settlement Scheme first |
The small tool below the page summary answers the same question in two clicks. Irish citizens are a case apart: Guide AN says they are considered settled from the day they arrive, so they need no EUSS status at all to show they are free from time restrictions.
The wait after settled status, worked through
Marco, an Italian chef in Manchester since 2017, was granted settled status on 1 September 2025. Residence is not his problem. On the standard route his settled status must be 12 months old, so his first day is 1 September 2026, provided his trips home stay within 90 days in the final year. If Marco marries his British partner, the wait disappears and he can apply on the spouse route at once.
gov.uk confirms the wait in simple words: you can usually apply for citizenship 12 months after you are given settled status. Use those months to pass the Life in the UK Test and the English test, since neither result loses value in that time.
Pre-settled status: the narrow door
Pre-settled status is limited leave, so on its own it does not let you naturalise. gov.uk describes one exception: you are from the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein (or a family member), started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, and have lived here 5 years in a row while working, looking for work for up to 3 months, studying or self-sufficient. That gives a permanent right of residence under the Withdrawal Agreement, which you prove with evidence of the qualifying activity. You then live here for another year before applying, unless your spouse or partner is British. For most people, converting to settled status first, which is free, is simpler.
The knowledge requirements the scheme skipped
Guide AN repeats it twice: settled status holders must meet the knowledge of language and life in the UK requirements before naturalising, and an application made without them may be refused with the fee kept. Two tests, then:
- The Life in the UK Test, 24 questions in 45 minutes, £50 a sitting. Only age (65+) or a long-term condition exempts you; the exemptions page has the detail.
- English at B1 in speaking and listening. Nationals of Ireland and Malta, the two EU states on the majority English-speaking list, skip it by passport; others use a degree taught in English or an approved test.
After the ceremony
Check whether your country of origin lets you keep its nationality before you apply: Guide AN warns that not every country allows dual citizenship, and the UK has no say in another state's law. Once British, you may keep travelling on your EU passport or identity card, as long as it is linked to the UKVI account that holds your EUSS record. Long absences before you naturalise are a different matter: the time abroad page explains when settled status itself lapses.