If you have indefinite leave to remain or settled status in the UK, you may wish to apply for British citizenship. This will give you extensive rights to live, work and study in Britain as well as to apply for a British passport. What Documents Are Needed For British Citizenship?
British citizenship may also be available to you because of your background or parentage. We take a look at the documents that you will need to supply to the Home Office along with your application for British citizenship.
At Halliday Reeves, we specialise in immigration law. Our team have a sound track record of making successful citizenship applications on behalf of our clients. We will work with you to ensure that all of the necessary documents are included to give your application the best chance of being approved.
If you are thinking of applying to become a British citizen, we would be happy to help. To speak to one of our expert UK immigration solicitors, ring us on 0330 133 7777, email us at enquiries@hallidayreeves.com or complete a Free Online Enquiry.
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Applying To Become A British Citizen By Way Of Naturalisation
If you wish to apply to become a naturalised British citizen, you will need to meet the following criteria:
- You are aged 18 or more
- You have lived in the UK for five years or more prior to applying for citizenship if not married or in a civil partnership with a British citizen.
- You have lived in the UK for three years or more prior to applying for citizenship if married or in a civil partnership with a British citizen.
- You have not breached the UK immigration rules
- You are not subject to any immigration time restrictions
- You have not spent more than 450 days away from the UK within the previous five years if not married or in a civil partnership with a British citizen or 270 days within the previous three years if you are.
- You have not spent more than 90 days away from the UK in the year prior to making your application to be a British citizen
- It is your intention to continue living in the UK
- You have passed the Life in the UK test
- You have a good standard of English
- You are of good character
You will need to send documents in support of some of these points with your application so that the immigration authorities can see that you are eligible.
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Documents Supporting An Application For British Citizenship
It is important to make sure that all necessary documents are sent to UK Visas and Immigration when you apply for citizenship. If some paperwork is missing, your application is likely to be rejected and you may find it harder to apply a second time.
We can discuss your situation with you and make sure that you include the right documents. These will generally include:
- Your current passport or EU identity card
- Expired passports from the previous five/three years
- Two photographs, which need to be included with details of your referees
- Details of two referees, one of whom must be a professional and the second must hold a UK passport – you will need to provide their names, addresses, gender, date of birth, phone number, addresses for the previous three years, email addresses and profession. If they hold a British passport, their passport number should also be provided. You should also explain how you know each person – The Referees should also have known the (adult) applicant for at least three years
- A Biometric Residence Permit showing that you have indefinite leave to remain or a document confirming that you have permanent residence status or settled status
- Your National Insurance number. If you do not have one, you can apply for this from within the UK by asking HM Revenue and Customs
- Results of an approved English language test or proof that you hold a degree taught in English or in the UK. Secure English language test (SELT) providers are:
- LanguageCert
- Pearson
- Trinity College London
- IELTS SELT Consortium
- A copy of an email confirming that you have passed a Life in the UK test
- Evidence that you have been present in the UK for the five-year qualifying period (or three years if you are married to a British citizen), such as a letter from your employer, payslips, bank statements, forms P60 and contracts of employment for the whole period where possible. Other documents are acceptable if you are self-employed, not working, a student or a job seeker and we can advise you on what you need to include in this event
Information To Be Provided In Support
You will also need to provide the following information:
- Details of your parents’ names, dates of birth, town and country of birth and nationality. You should include your mother’s maiden name
- Your spouse or partner’s name, any previous names, date of birth, town and country of birth, nationality, current address and, where applicable, the date on which they became a naturalised British citizen and their citizenship certificate number
- A list of the addresses at which you have lived over the previous five/three years
- Your employment history for the previous ten years, including dates, your occupation and your employer’s name and address
- Details of your absences from the UK in the previous five years (or three years if you are married to a British citizen), including dates you were away, number of days you were away, where you were and the reason you went
Contact Our British Citizenship Solicitors
If you are applying for British citizenship, our expert British citizenship lawyers can work with you to compile the right documents in support to give you the best chance of approval.
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 complete a Free Online Enquiry.
