How To Apply For British Citizenship For An EU Citizen
If you are an EU citizen living in the UK, you may want to apply for British citizenship. This would give you the right to live and work in the UK, to apply for a British passport and to leave and return to the UK without restriction.
When making an application to the Home Office for British citizenship, you will need to provide evidence that you are legally settled in the UK and free of immigration restrictions. You will also need to show that you have been present in the UK for the required length of time without absences that could disqualify you.
At Halliday Reeves, we specialise in immigration, including citizenship applications. Our team have extensive experience in securing citizenship for EU clients, including in complex situations.
We can check that you are eligible and make an application to the Home Office on your behalf. We will also make sure that all of the necessary paperwork is included in support. This is important as your application will be rejected if you do not have sufficient evidence to show that you meet all of the eligibility criteria.
If you are from the EU and you wish to secure British citizenship, we will be happy to help. To speak to one of our expert UK citizenship lawyers, ring us on 0330 133 7777, email us at enquiries@hallidayreeves.com or fill in our Contact Form.
“Special thanks for the most professional representation. you (hallidayreeves ) stuck by me through the years. By dealing with this stressful case. I admire the work ethic and most of all the excellent representation.”
Eligibility For British Citizenship As An EU Citizen
To be eligible to apply for British citizenship as an EU citizen, you need to meet the following criteria:
- You are aged over 18
- You have settled status in the UK
- You have lived in the UK for at least five years before the date of your application or three years if you are a spouse or civil partner of a British citizen
- You have not been absent from the UK for more than 450 days during this five year period or 270 days in the previous three years if you are a spouse or civil partner of a British citizen.
- You have not been absent from the UK for more than 90 days in the past year
- You have not broken any immigration laws
- You have adequate knowledge of English
- You have passed the Life in the UK test
- You intend to continue living in the UK
- You are of good character
Applying For British Citizenship As An EU Citizen
If you satisfy the above criteria, the first step is to put together paperwork proving these points. You can then fill in the application form AN. We can ensure that you have the right documents ready and prepare the application on your behalf for you to submit.
When applying, you must make sure that you were physically present in the UK on the date that falls five years earlier (or three years earlier if you are a spouse or civil partner of a British citizen).
Your application can be made online or by post and you can ask us to complete it on your behalf if you wish.
Supplying Evidence In Support Of Your Citizenship Application
A wide range of paperwork will be necessary to provide evidence of each of the eligibility criteria. For example, you will need to supply your passport where possible to show that you have been present in the UK for the necessary time period.
You must also provide the details of two referees who are prepared to endorse your application. One of these must be a professional person such as a solicitor (but not one whom you have instructed to help you with your citizenship application), an accountant, a civil servant or a minister of religion. The professional can be of any nationality, while the second referee must hold a British passport. Your referees cannot be related to you or to each other.
You will need to pay the Home Office application fee of £1,330 at the time your application is made.
“Confidence in a service always starts from the Introduction stage. Especially with an immigration situation for my partner so important, and slightly complex. I was extremely pleased to find Halliday Reeves possess the skillset for listening, understanding and advising from the initial phone call to the consultation service provided. I spoke to a lady on reception firstly, who took all my information and details. I then received a call back from Eileen (Admin) who was extremely helpful with taking the correct details from me, as on my previous call some of my information I gave was not clear (I had a lot of information to give them!). In addition to accurately taking the information again in a professional manner, Eileen was also very helpful, friendly, and compassionate when hearing my current circumstances.”
Contact Our UK Citizenship Solicitors
If you want to apply as an EU citizen for UK citizenship, we would be happy to hear from you. We can put together the application on your behalf and collate your evidence in support, giving you the best possible chance of acceptance.
We have offices in Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Wakefield and Nottingham. To speak to one of our expert UK citizenship lawyers, ring us on 0330 133 7777, email us at enquiries@hallidayreeves.com or fill in our Contact Form.
