You can find out more or opt-out from some cookies. Whatever happens, expats who already live in Spain could consider applying for Spanish citizenship if they meet the necessary criteria to main EU access. Whatever your situation is, our expert UK immigration and citizenship experts can guide you through the complex processes of applying for British citizenship. Please note that, renouncing your British citizenship may not allow you to re-apply for your British nationality in every scenario. You must have lived as a U.K. resident for the past five years, or have lived in the U.K. while married to a U.K. citizen for the past three years. It’s important to get it right first time. British Citizenship Application for a Child. You should have your rights to British citizenship assessed. So just earlier this year, I got my PR status and I have been told that I have to wait/stay in the uk for a whole year before applying for British citizenship. Attaining Settled Status If you are an EU citizen, or the family member of an EU citizen, living in the UK, you will need to apply for settled status under the EU settlement scheme to be able to continue to live and work in the UK post-Brexit. You were born before 1 July 2006. If your application is approved, you will receive an invitation to attend a Citizenship ceremony to obtain your Certificate of Naturalisation. Becoming a British citizen is known as British naturalisation. Hello, I have permanent resident and settle status myself but only applied to settle status for my children, linked to my own application, very recently and do not have a reply yet. This generally involves registration rather than naturalisation and may be required if the child was born or adopted abroad. I would like to know what would be the best way to apply for British citizenship. British nationality law details the conditions in which a person holds a type of British nationality.There are six different classes of British nationality, each with varying degrees of civil and political rights, due to the United Kingdom's historical status as a colonial empire no criminal record), you intend to continue living in the UK, you have good knowledge of English and life in the UK and meet the residence requirement. They will also assess your eligibility for British citizenship by descent or help you pursue other options, such as the UK Ancestry Visa. GERMAN NATIONALS wishing to apply for British citizenship must submit their application online before the end of December to comply with German dual nationality rules. How do I apply for British citizenship by naturalisation? Your child needs British citizenship before they can get a UK passport. Applying for British citizenship forms the final step in the UK immigration process. Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer. It costs £1,330 to apply, along with a fee of £19.20 for your biometric information permit. The Bundestag passed a law (Brexit-Übergangsgesetz) in 2019, which gives you the right to keep your UK citizenship if you apply and meet the other usual conditions for German citizenship before the end of the Transition Period. If you are married to a British citizen then you do not need to have been free from immigration restrictions for one year before applying for citizenship. For more information or to discuss your circumstances in regards to British citizenship by descent, make an enquiry today or call 0333 305 3750 now for a free consultation. This process would be nearly automatic. Applying for British citizenship as an EU national . You can find out more or opt-out from some cookies. You can still apply for British citizenship if you‘re eligible. Dear U.B., Persons do not automatically become British citizens when they marry citizens from the United Kingdom (UK). You can either make an application yourself or use the services of a professional representative. StAG no longer applies. To apply for British citizenship, you can complete the relevant Home Office naturalisation form. When people ask us how to apply for British citizenship we find that this is one area they are unsure about. I am the spouse of a British citizen. UK citizenship can be so appealing with the promise of a better life.. I’m trying to choose my words very carefully as not to burst your bubble in achieving the coveted British passport and be an adopted child of Great Britain. It is a demanding process on applicants, requiring extensive supporting documents and incurring a significant Home Office application fee. If you’re a Commonwealth citizen. If you want to apply for citizenship, you’ll need to have the right to live and work permanently in the UK. Check if you can apply for British citizenship - find out what you need to be eligible, and how long you have to live in the UK before applying. We use cookies to improve your experience of our website. The criteria will depend on your individual circumstances. Generally anyone with a degree or working as a professional such as a doctor, accountant or manager is suitable. You will need to do Status Trace before applying for British citizenship. 28 October 2020. Should I do it for myself and then for my children or should I do However, whatever it is, it won’t apply to British citizens, so if you are eligible to apply for British citizenship, this is the perfect time to get to grips with whether or not you should be making your application now. Applying for British citizenship. It permits dual nationality, and the numbers of Britons applying for citizenship are reported to have jumped 10-fold since the EU referendum, from 375 in 2015 to 3,211 in 2018. How to apply for British Citizenship. Check if you’re already a British citizen Some people are British automatically, without applying. For children the rules are more lenient due to their circumstances. You need British citizenship before you can apply for a UK passport. This route to citizenship is quite complex as it could potentially remove rights from any children already born to that person or remove citizenship of another country. To be successful in your citizenship application you must meet the same requirements as outlined above. With British citizenship, you can then apply for a British passport. How to prepare to apply for British citizenship: the Life in the UK Test, English language and residency requirements. Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer. Parents of children under 18 can apply for British citizenship on behalf of their child using Form MN1. Applying for British Citizenship is a major step in your life. You can apply to become a British citizen through naturalisation if you are 18 or over, you are of good character (i.e. A citizen or a national of another country can apply for a visa for entry in the UK in several ways. We use cookies to improve your experience of our website. Naturalisation is the process of becoming a British citizen through a period of qualifying residency in the UK. If you are eligible by either circumstance, skip to Step 4. But there is still a chance to gain German citizenship without losing your British citizenship. The advantage of applying for a permanent residence document, which is that it allows you to backdate your status to a date one year in the past, is therefore unnecessary for those married to a British citizen. ALL OTHER NATIONALITIES can apply for British citizenship at any time, and we strongly recommend waiting till January, as there's likely to be delays and closures of centres and facilities over the Christmas period. Getting a UK Citizenship is not an easy journey, at least for the working class. The application process usually takes from three to six months. If you wish to apply for British citizenship, the most common way to do this is to apply for Naturalisation. Instead, you have to apply for a registration as a British citizen, on behalf of your underage child using a form MN1. This would, however, mean surrendering their British citizenship. Those persons will need to apply as the spouse of a British citizen. How to prepare to apply for British citizenship: the Life in the UK Test, English language and residency requirements. Becoming a British citizen is undoubtedly an incredibly important achievement in your life, so taking all necessary steps correctly to ensure the application process goes smoothly and the outcome is in your favour is crucial. You can apply for British citizenship as a EU national if you have been living in the UK for over 5 years and you have held your permanent residence status for at least 1 year.. EU citizens can benefit from applying for citizenship to ensure their rights in the UK are protected after Brexit. There are several methods of applying for a British passport, that is to say: online, at a post office ‘check and send ‘ service, by post or indeed by a face to face appointment, and if the individual is applying from abroad, a different procedure must be followed (read below) and thus will depend on the particular rules of the country from where the application is made. I would like to know if I can apply for British citizenship. – U.B. Thanks in advance for any advice that you can give me. Determine whether or not you are eligible to apply for U.K. citizenship. Understand how to get a British passport, take the UK citizenship test, and more. There are two ways to apply. IMPORTANT: If you need to sponsor a family member, please read potential impact on family members before you apply for British citizenship. British citizenship gives you the right to live and work in the UK permanently, without any immigration restrictions. Applying for British Citizenship with AWH Solicitors The process of applying for British citizenship is complicated, lengthy and expensive. Check if citizenship is right for you before you apply - it can cost more than £1,300. British Citizenship – Naturalisation. If your child is over 18 years old, they’ll need to apply as an adult - check citizenship eligibility for adults. Registering is a way of applying for British citizenship. If the candidate was issued a British passport on or after 1st January 1983, they are considered to be a British … The Home Office guidance on registration as a British citizen states that before considering applying for citizenship, parents should check whether the child is already registered. IMPORTANT: If you need to sponsor a family member, please read potential impact on family members before you apply for British citizenship. Since launching fully on 30 March 2019, the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) has awarded ‘s ettled status’ to over two million EU nationals on the basis of their period of residency in the UK. When you apply for British citizenship by naturalization, there’s no available option to include your child on your own application form. Children do not need to pass the Life in the UK test. British nationals might need to apply for a foreigner identity card by the end of 2020. Resuming Your British Nationality To reapply, you need to complete the form RS1 and pay the appropriate fee. If your application is approved, you will have the same rights as those who automatically acquire British citizenship at birth. 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