You need permission to live in the UK permanently – for example, getting indefinite leave to remain or ‘settled status from the EU Settlement Scheme. You need to do this even if your husband, wife or civil partner is a British citizen.
You’ll also need to meet some other requirements. It’s easier to meet the requirements if your husband, wife or civil partner is a British citizen. You could meet the requirements differently if you’re a citizen of a country in the EU, European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, or their family member.
You should find out what status you need to have and other requirements that apply to you before you start your application.
Acquiring British citizenship by birth
A child who is born in the UK will not automatically be a British citizen. A child will acquire British citizenship by birth if they are born in the UK to a parent who is either a British citizen or who has a form of settled status, such as indefinite leave to remain, at the time of the birth.
A child who is born outside of the UK to a British parent may be a British citizen by descent, depending on the circumstances by which their parent obtained British citizenship.
A child will not have acquired British citizenship by birth if they were born before 1 July 2006 to a British or settled father who was not married to the child’s mother, where the mother is not British or settled. In such cases, the child can apply to register as a British citizen.
A child who has acquired citizenship by birth can apply for a British passport.
Registration as a British citizen
When a child is not automatically British by birth, they may be able to apply to the Home Office to register as a British citizen.
A child will be entitled to register as a British citizen if one of the following applies to them:
- They were born in the UK and a parent subsequently becomes British or acquires settled status before the child turns 18.
- They were born in UK prior to 1 July 2006 to a British or settled father who was not married to the child’s mother.
- They were born in the UK and lived here until they were at least 10 years’ old.
The Home Office also has the discretion to register any child as British, although legal advice should be sought to find out if such an application can be made.
To register as a British citizen, the child must apply to the Home Office and pay a fee of £1,012, unless they qualify for a fee waiver. A child aged 10 or over must also meet a good character requirement.
Adults
An adult may be able to apply to naturalise as a British citizen if they have lived in the UK lawfully for five years and have been settled in the UK for at least one year. A British citizen’s spouse or civil partner may be able to apply after three years of residence if they are settled in the UK. Requirements relating to permitted absences from the UK, good character, and knowledge of English language and life in the UK will also need to be met.
To naturalise as a British citizen, an application must be made to the Home Office and a fee of £1,330 paid.
An adult who was born in the UK and lived here until they were at least 10 years’ old will be entitled to apply to register as a British citizen for a fee of £1,206. Requirements relating to permitted absences from the UK and good character must also be met.
To arrange an initial consultation meeting, call our immigration advisers on +92 336 8897711 or fill out the online inquiry form.
