A person will need to be naturalised as a British Citizen before they can apply for a British Passport. The most common way of becoming naturalised is to hold Indefinite Leave to Remain status for a continuous period of 12 months.
Once a person is naturalised, they acquire the same rights and obligations as a person who was born a citizen. There are a number of eligibility criteria which must be met before a person can be naturalised.
A decision can only be made to grant citizenship if applicants demonstrate that they satisfy certain legal requirements and the Home Secretary deems it fit to grant naturalisation.
The requirements for naturalisation as a British citizen differ depending on whether or not applicants are applying on the basis of marriage or civil partnership with a British citizen.
Generally, a person applying for citizenship should have lived in the UK for a minimum of 5 years before they apply. However, if you are applying a as a partner, there is a reduced period of residence required of them.
Further, to apply for citizenship with ILR you must usually have lived in the UK for 12 months after getting it. However, if you are applying as a partner, you are exempt from this requirement.
There are further requirements involved in applying for citizenship. Our dedicated UK Immigration specialists are well experienced in this area, and provide applicants with comprehensive advice on the eligibility requirements in relation to their specific circumstances.
Processing Time:
The Home Office service standard to make a decision on ILR applications is 6 months. For an additional fee, there are options available to apply for a faster service for some applications.
