British citizenship
How to apply for British citizenship
Independent site, not a government service. Booking and applications are only on gov.uk.
Pick the day you plan to submit. The timeline shows the biometrics deadline and the usual decision date; the checklist below gets the file ready.
My application timeline
Biometrics by
24 December 2026
| Decision usually by | 9 May 2027 |
| Then the ceremony | within 90 days of the invitation |
| Missed biometrics deadline | application invalid |
Biometrics within 45 days of submitting; decision usually within 6 months (Guide AN).
You apply to naturalise on the Home Office online service, which is the route Guide AN recommends for a smoother and quicker process; paper Form AN remains for people in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory and for those who choose to post it. An online application counts as received on the day you submit it, which fixes the dates for the residence rules. You pay £1,839 at the end of the form (£1,709 plus £130 for the ceremony), then book an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services point to give fingerprints and a photo, at no extra fee. Biometrics must normally be given within 45 days of submitting, or the application becomes invalid. Documents are uploaded or scanned at the appointment, so nothing is posted. Have ready your settlement evidence, your Life in the UK Test reference number, your English evidence, your list of absences and your 2 referees' details. We are an independent site: we file nothing and take no payment.
Home Office nationality fees
Fee
£1,709
| Fees table in force from | 8 October 2026 |
| Life in the UK Test | £50 a sitting |
| Priority (citizenship) | £500 extra |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Before you open the form
Gather the following. Most of it is reference numbers rather than paper.
| What | Form it takes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Settlement | eVisa share code or 16-digit UAN; or BRP, letter, passport stamp | an expired BRP is accepted up to 24 months after expiry, and not after 31 December 2026 |
| Identity | passport or national identity card, plus your BRP if you had one | a birth certificate, photo driving licence or recent bank statement are alternatives |
| Life in the UK Test | reference number from the result email | format HOM/... since 17 December 2019; before that, a 7-digit number and, for passes before 1 October 2019, the letter itself |
| English | SELT unique reference number, or degree certificate (with Ecctis statements), or passport | test results count for 2 years unless used for your ILR |
| Absences | list of every trip in the period | add an attachment if the form runs out of space |
| Referees | names and details of 2 people | professional person + British passport holder, each knowing you 3 years |
| Spouse route only | your spouse's British passport or certificate, marriage or civil partnership certificate | |
| Tax (self-employed) | Self-Assessment statement of account | PAYE employees need nothing extra |
Documents uploaded in earlier immigration applications need not be sent again. If you changed your name or gender, add evidence such as a deed poll, marriage certificate or Gender Recognition Certificate.
The order of steps
- Fix your date. Run the date calculator. The first-day rule and the absence windows are measured from the day of submission, so this comes first.
- Complete the online form, including the good character section and the further information box where you explain anything unusual.
- Pay £1,839, plus £500 if you choose the priority service (online only).
- Book and attend the biometrics appointment within 45 days. Upload copies before it, or have documents scanned there. Children under 16 come with a parent or guardian.
- Wait, usually up to 6 months; keep valid permission to stay throughout.
- Attend the ceremony within 90 days of the invitation.
The tool at the top turns the date you submit into the biometrics deadline and the usual decision date. Submitting on 9 November 2026, for example, puts the biometrics cut-off in late December, so book early if holiday travel could get in the way.
Children, partners and paper forms
Each person applies separately. A spouse who also naturalises fills in their own form and pays their own fee. Children under 18 are registered, not naturalised, on a different form; Guide AN says their applications can go in at the same time as yours (see registering children). If you live in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory, gov.uk says to apply by post or in person and to check which with your governor's office. People eligible under the Windrush Scheme use its own form, free of charge, not Form AN.
Once it is submitted
Tell UK Visas and Immigration if your circumstances change before the decision: a move, a marriage, or an arrest, which you must report under section 46 of the British Nationality Act 1981. Avoid contacting the Home Office for updates within the first 6 months; Guide AN says it will write if it needs more information or if the decision will take longer. The decision time page explains the wait, and the fee tool below lists the other nationality fees you might meet later, from a reissued certificate to a status letter.