Application for Naturalisation as a British...

Form ANApplication for naturalisation as a British citizen

To be used by people in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man and British overseas territories, and by people who live elsewhere and want to apply by post.

June 2020

The Home Office will use the personal information you provide to consider your application. We may also share your information with other public and private sector organisations in the UK and overseas. For more detail please see the Privacy Notice for the Border, Immigration and Citizenship system at www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-information-use-in-borders-immigration-and-citizenship. This also sets out your rights under the Data Protection Act 2018 and explains how you can access your personal information and complain if you have concerns about how we are using it.

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Form AN Application form (version 06/20) of 32

Application for naturalisation as a British citizen

Before completing this form, you should read the Guide AN. Fill in those parts of the form that apply to your application. If there is not enough space for your answer, use page 23 to provide additional information.

If you want help to complete your application form, you may wish to contact a competent adviser, for example, a solicitor or agent registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (see Guide AN which accompanies this form for details).

We recommend that you keep a completed copy of this application.

Ensure that you read the Guide AN. You should ensure that you understand the criteria for naturalisation before submitting your application. Full fees cannot be returned for applications that fail.

Write in block capitals using black ink. Please enter all dates as dd-mm-yyyy, for example 21/09/2017.

Each individual applying for naturalisation must complete a separate application form. Therefore husbands, wives and civil partners wishing to naturalise, must complete separate forms. Family applications should include separate forms for each child, either an AN Form where the child is now an adult or an MN1 Form for a minor. We do not need applications for adults or minors who are already British.

Before making your application, you may wish to check whether you are eligible to apply under the Windrush Scheme. If you are covered by the scheme you should not apply for British citizenship on this form. For more information, and to access the Windrush Scheme application form, see: www.gov.uk/guidance/windrush-scheme

If you are acting as responsible adult for someone who is not of sound mind and unable to make and understand their own application (see Sound Mind in Guide AN), you must take full responsibility for the accuracy of the information provided and sign the declaration on behalf of the applicant. This includes liability in law.


1. Personal Information1.1 Give any reference numbers used in your immigration applications:

1.2 Current passport/travel document number:

1.3 Date you were given indefinite leave to enter/remain, including indefinite leave to enter or remain granted under the EU Settlement Scheme (referred to as “settled status”), and where you wish to use this to support your application. If you are an EEA national, a Swiss national or a family member of an EEA national or Swiss national, and you wish to use a permanent residence document to support your application you must complete section 2. If you are an Irish national you do not need to complete that section.

1.4 Title - please select:

Mr Mrs Miss Ms Other (state)

1.5 State your name as it appears on your passport:

Surname/family name:

Other names:

You must provide evidence of this name, such as a marriage certificate, civil partnership certificate or deed poll. It is your responsibility to ensure that the information you provide is correct. Any suspicion of deception will be investigated.We will not normally issue a certificate of registration or naturalisation in the name that is different from a person’s official documents. A British passport will not be issued in a different name from the one in a person’s foreign passport or travel document.If you do not have a passport, state the name used on your official documents (Home Office travel document, national identity card, biometric residence permit).

1.6 If the name stated above is not the name you use for all purposes, state:

The surname/family name that you use:

Other names used:

The reason why this is different from the name on your passport or other official documents:

I am aware that the name used on my Naturalisation certificate is different to the name in my foreign passport. I must change my name in my foreign passport, before applying to Her Majesty’s Passport Office, for a British passport.


1.7 Name at birth if different from above:

Surname/family name:

Other names:

1.8 If you are or have ever been known by any name or names, such as a name from an earlier marriage or an alias name, apart from those mentioned above, give details here:

Name used:

From: To:

It is your responsibility to ensure that the information you provide is correct. Any suspicion of deception will be investigated.

1.9 Your present nationality:

1.10 National Insurance number:

1.11 Date of birth:

1.12 Village or town or city of birth:

1.13 Country of birth:

1.14 Sex: Male Female

1.15 Current marital status (tick one box only):Single/never married Divorced or civil partnership dissolved

Married or a civil partner Legally separated

Unmarried partner Widowed or a surviving civil partner

1.16 Present address (you must give us any change of address in writing while we are considering this application).

Postcode:

From:


Contact Details

Daytime/mobile telephone number:

Evening telephone number:

Email address:

For validation purposes, write your e-mail address again in the box below:

1.17 Provide your addresses for the past 5 years (continue on page 23 if necessary):

From: To:

Postcode:

From: To:

Postcode:

From: To:

Postcode:


From: To:

Postcode:

From: To:

Postcode:

If someone is representing you, that is an agent or solicitor, tell us their:

1.18 Name:

1.19 Address:

Postcode:

1.20 Telephone number:

If you have completed 1.18 and the address is that of your immigration advisor, state their Office of the Immigration Services Commission (OISC) number:

1.21 If your application is approved, you will need to take part in a citizenship ceremony. The venue will normally be within a local authority area near where you live. If you want to have your ceremony in another area you must give us details of the local authority location below.

Name:

Address:

Postcode:


Knowledge of language/life in the UK1.22 How do you intend to satisfy the requirement to have sufficient knowledge of language and life in the UK? See page 20 in the accompanying Guide AN.

Have you passed the Life in the UK test? Yes No

Enter your Life in the UK test unique reference number:

And either

I have a speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 CEFR or higher, that is on the Home Office’s list of recognised tests and was taken at an approved test centre (go to question 1.23).OrI have obtained an academic qualification (Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or PhD) in the United Kingdom.OrI have obtained an original degree certificate that was taught or researched in a majority English speaking country and:• an Academic Qualification Level Statement (AQUALS) from UK NARIC confirming the

qualification is equivalent to a UK qualification

Oran original degree certificate that was taught or researched in a non-majority English speaking country and both:• an Academic Qualification Level Statement (AQUALS) from UK NARIC confirming the

qualification is equivalent to a UK qualification • English Language Proficiency Statement (ELPS) from UK NARIC showing that the degree

was taught in English

Or

I met the knowledge of language and life requirement to qualify for settlement on or after 28th October 2013. OrI am a national of a majority English speaking country. (You must check the list of acceptable countries that are considered “a majority English speaking country”, to meet this requirement).

OrI wish to claim exemption on the basis of my age.

Or

I wish to claim an exemption on the basis of a physical and/or mental condition (applying on this basis may not automatically lead to exemption. You should provide reasons on page 23. Your application may fail and the fee retained if sufficient reasons for exemption are not provided).Further guidance about the knowledge of language and life in the UK requirement can be found in the Guide AN that accompanies this form. Additional information can also be found on our website.


1.23 Provide details of your English language test:

Tick to confirm which body awarded your test:

ielts SELT Consortium

Trinity College London

Provide the SELT unique electronic reference number provided by the awarding body:

Details of your parents1.24 Your father’s name:

1.25 Your father’s town and country of birth:

1.26 Your father’s nationality:

1.27 Your father’s date of birth:

1.28 Your mother’s full name and maiden name:

1.29 Your mother’s town and country of birth:

1.30 Your mother’s nationality:

1.31 Your mother’s date of birth:


Details of your partner:Provide here the details of your husband, wife or civil partner (a partner who is not a British citizen and wishes to apply must submit a separate application).

1.32 Full name of partner:

If your partner is or has ever been known by any name or names apart from those mentioned above, give details here:

1.33 Partner’s date of birth:

1.34 Partner’s village, town or city and country of birth:

1.35 Your partner’s nationality:

If your partner is a naturalised British citizen enter date they were granted this citizenship:

Their citizenship certificate reference number:

1.36 Partner’s present address:

Postcode:

1.37 Date and place of marriage/civil partnership (if applicable)

If you were previously married or in a civil partnership, give:

1.38 Full name of previous husband or wife or civil partner (before marriage/civil partnership). Provide details on page 23 if more than one previous marriage:


1.39 Previous husband’s/wife’s/civil partner’s date of birth:

1.40 Previous husband’s/wife’s/civil partner’s village/town/city and country of birth:

1.41 Previous husband’s/wife’s/civil partner’s nationality:

1.42 Date and place of your previous marriage/civil partnership:

1.43 Date, place and reason for the ending of your previous marriage/civil partnership:

1.44 Dates of any marriage(s) over the last 5 years (continue on page 23 if needed):

Details of your employment

1.45 What is your occupation?

1.46 Are you:An employee A business partner Self-employed A director?

1.47 Name of employer or business:

1.48 Address of employer or business:

Postcode:

1.49 Tax reference number:


1.50 Employment history in UK during past 10 years, or since date of entry if you have been here for less than 10 years (continue on page 23 and use additional sheets if needed).

From To Occupation Employer Name Employer address


2. Residence requirements2.1 Date and place of first arrival in the United Kingdom (see pages 5 - 7 of the Guide):

Date: Place:

2.2 Give details of all absences from the United Kingdom during the last 5 years. If you are married or in a civil partnership to a British citizen, give details for the last 3 years only (see section on Residence Requirements in the Guide). List the absences in date order, ending with the most recent one.Failure to complete this will result in a delay to your application. If necessary, please continue on page 23 of this application form.Country visited

Reason, for example holiday, business, visiting relatives

Date of departure from the United Kingdom/territory

Date of return to the United Kingdom/territory

Total number of days absent

D D M M Y Y D D M M Y Y

More absences shown on page 23: Yes No

Total number of days absent (including any shown on page 23):


2.3 Tell us in which country you intend to have your main home if you are naturalised:

If this country is outside the United Kingdom and i) you are not married to or the civil partner of a British citizen and ii) you intend to enter into or continue Crown service, service in an international organisation or employment with a company or association established in the United Kingdom, include a letter of explanation.

EEA or Swiss nationalsIf you are not an EEA or Swiss national or the family member of an EEA or Swiss national (see Guide AN), go to section 3.

2.4 Are you an EEA or Swiss national or the family member of an EEA or Swiss national?

EEA or Swiss national Family member EEA or Swiss national

EEA or Swiss nationals and their family members with a permanent residence card2.5 If you are an EEA or Swiss national or the family member of an EEA or Swiss national and wish to use a permanent residence card to support your application, please state the number of your permanent residence card:

Card number Date of issue

If you have completed this section, go to section 3.

EEA or Swiss nationals and their family members granted indefinite leave to enter or remain (settled status) under the EU Settlement SchemeIt is a requirement that you were here lawfully in the 3 or 5 year period before making your application. This includes complying with any additional requirements, such as having comprehensive sickness insurance if you needed it prior to being granted pre-settled or settled status. You can tell us about any additional factors that may help us decide your application at section 7.10.

2.6 Please state on what basis you were in the United Kingdom. Include information for the last 5 years, or 3 if you are married or in a civil partnership to a British citizen. If you have entered employment details in section 1.50, you do not need to re-enter this information. Continue on a separate sheet of paper if necessary. Please include the date you were granted pre-settled status (if applicable):


Date from Date toBasis of stay, for example, woker, student, self-employed, self-sufficient, retired or incapacity

Please provide details of employment, self-employment or college

If for some of this time you were not here as a worker, student, self-employed, self-sufficient, retired or incapacitated person, but were here lawfully because you had previously acquired permanent residence, you need to provide evidence to show that.

2.7 If you have spent time in the UK as a student or as a self-sufficient person, did you have comprehensive sickness insurance (CSI) to cover that period?

Yes No

If you have answered yes, please enclose a copy of your sickness insurance policy when you submit your application. If you have answered no, please explain in the box below why you did not have CSI during this time.You can also tell us about any additional factors that may help us decide your application at section 7.10.

If you have answered “yes” and provided information to questions 2.6 – 2.7, go to section 3

If you do not have a permanent residence card or indefinite leave to enter or remain under the EU Settlement Scheme2.8 Do you believe you are free from time restrictions to reside in the UK on any other basis?

Yes No

If you have answered yes, please give details in the box below. You should enclose evidence of this with your application. If you have answered no, you may wish to check that you meet all of the requirements for naturalisation before continuing with your application. We cannot overlook the requirement for you to be free of immigration time restrictions on the date of application.


3. Good Character RequirementIn this section you need to give information which will help the Home Secretary to decide whether they can be satisfied that you are of good character. Checks will be made with the police and possibly other Government Departments, the Security Service and other agencies.

Personal HistoryThis section asks about any criminal convictions, any civil judgements or civil penalties made against you and details of any involvement you may have had in war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity or terrorism. If you fail to answer all of these questions as fully and accurately as possible, your application may be refused.

It is an offence under Section 46(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981 to make a statement or representation which is known to be false or is not believed to be true. Information given will be checked with other agencies.

3.1 Have you been convicted of any criminal offence in the UK or any other country?

Yes go to question 3.2 No go to question 3.3

3.2 Give details below for each criminal conviction, starting with the most recent one. If you have received more than 2 convictions photocopy this page and enclose it with this form.

We will carry out criminal record checks on all applicants. You must give details of all criminal convictions. This includes road traffic offences (including all drink driving offences).Fixed Penalty Notices (such as speeding or parking tickets) do not form part of a person’s criminal record and will not be considered in the caseworker’s assessment of character unless either:

• the person has failed to pay and there were criminal proceedings as a result

• the person has received numerous fixed penalty notices

Criminal conviction 1

Country where convicted:

Nature of offence:

Sentence given:

Date sentenced:

If you were sentenced to a period of imprisonment, what was the length of the prison sentence (in months)?

months


Criminal conviction 2

Country where convicted:

Nature of offence:

Sentence given:

Date sentenced:

If you were sentenced to a period of imprisonment, what was the length of the prison sentence (in months)?

months

3.3 Do you have any civil judgments against you or any civil penalty under the UK Immigration Acts?


3.4 Give details for each civil judgment or any civil penalty under the UK immigration acts, starting with the most recent one.

If you have received more than 2 civil judgments and/or civil penalties under the UK Immigrations Acts, photocopy this page and enclose it with this form.

Details of judgment or civil penalty 1:

Date of judgment or civil penalty:

Country where judgment was made:

Details of judgment or civil penalty 2:

Date of judgment or civil penalty:

Country where judgment made:


You must answer questions 3.5 to 3.10 below even if you have answered no to question 3.1. For help in answering these questions, see the definitions in the Guide AN.

3.5 Have you received any cautions (simple or conditional), warnings or reprimands in the UK or any other country?

Yes Give details below No go to question 3.7

3.6 Give details for each caution (simple or conditional), warning or reprimand starting with the most recent one.

If you have received more than 2 cautions (simple or conditional), warnings or reprimands, photocopy this page and enclose it with this form.

Details of caution (simple or conditional), warning, or reprimand 1:

Date of caution, warning or reprimand:

Country where caution, warning or reprimand received:

Details of caution (simple or conditional), warning, or reprimand 2:

Date of caution, warning or reprimand:

Country where caution, warning or reprimand received:

You must answer questions 3.7 to 3.13 below even if you have answered no to question 3.5. For help in answering these questions, see the definitions in the Guide AN.

3.7 Are your details recorded by the police in respect of certain sexual offences (on the “sex offenders register”), or are you subject to a notification order, a sexual offences prevention order, a foreign travel order, or a risk of sexual harm order (or equivalent order made in a British overseas territory or any other country)?

Yes No

3.8 Have you ever been charged in any country with a criminal offence for which you have not yet been tried in court?

Yes No


3.9 In times of peace or war have you ever been involved in, or suspected of involvement in, war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide?

Yes No

3.10 Have you ever been involved in, supported or encouraged terrorist activities in any country?

Yes No

3.11 Have you ever been a member of, or given support to an organisation which has been concerned in terrorism?

Yes No

3.12 Have you ever, by any means or medium, expressed views that justify or glorify terrorist violence or that may encourage others to terrorist acts or other serious criminal acts?

Yes No

3.13 Have you ever engaged in any other activities which might indicate that you may not be considered a person of good character?

Yes No

3.14 Have you ever been declared bankrupt?

Yes No

3.15 If you have answered yes to question 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13, or 3.14 you must give further details in the space provided below. If you need more space, continue on a separate sheet and enclose it with this form.For the purposes of answering questions 3.7 to 3.13 please refer to the Guide AN which provides guidance on actions which may constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide or terrorist activities.


4. Crown Service4.1 Complete this section if your application is based on your Crown service, or your husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s Crown service, or specially designated service.

If not, please go to section 5.

Serving members of the Armed Forces will not automatically qualify under the Crown service provision (see Guide AN: Crown and designated service).

Please tick

Your Crown service? Were you recruited In the United Kingdom?

Yes No

Your husband’s/wife’s/civil partner’s Crown service or specially designated service?

Were you recruited In the United Kingdom?

Yes No

Description of relevant service

Branch/regiment where serving

Length of Crown or other service (dates)

Staff/service or personal ID Number


5. Referees and IdentityWrite your name and date of birth on the back of a photograph of yourself. This should then be glued into the space aside.

Affix passport size photo.

See Nationality Forms Guide for

information.

This part of the form is to be filled in by your referees once your photograph has been affixed aside as explained above. Your referees should read the section on ‘referees and identity’ in the Nationality Forms Guide to confirm that they are eligible. The guide can be found on our website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-forms-guide. Checks will be carried out to ensure that referees meet the requirements below and their signatures are genuine, and we may contact them as part of our enquiries.

Name of applicant:

5.1 One referee should be a person of any nationality who has professional standing, such as a minister of religion, civil servant, or a member of a professional body such as an accountant or solicitor (who is not representing you with this application). The other referee must normally be the holder of a British citizen passport and either a professional person or over the age of 25.

Both should declare that:

• they are not a relative, solicitor or agent of the applicant• they are not employed by the Home Office• they have not been convicted of an imprisonable offence • they have known the applicant personally for more than 3 years• they are willing to give full details of their knowledge of the applicant• they will advise the Home Office of any reason why the applicant should not be naturalised

1st Referee declarationI declare that I am qualified to act as a referee. The photograph above is a true likeness of the applicant. I confirm each of the points in 5.1 above. I confirm that to the best of my knowledge the details given on page 3 of this form are correct.

5.2 Say how you know the applicant, and state your age and profession:

5.3 Date of birth:

5.4 1st referee full name:



5.6 Address:

Postcode:

If you have been at this address for less than 3 years list previous addresses on page 23.

5.7 Daytime telephone number:

5.8 Email address:

5.9 Current British citizen passport number (if any):

I understand that I may be liable for prosecution resulting in a penalty of up to 3 months imprisonment or a fine not exceeding £5000 or both, if I knowingly or recklessly make a false declaration.

Signature of referee: Date:

2nd Referee declaration

I declare that I am qualified to act as a referee. The photograph on page 20 is a true likeness of the applicant. I confirm each of the points in 5.1 above. I confirm that to the best of my knowledge the details given on page 3 of this form are correct.

5.10 Say how you know the applicant, and state your age and profession:

5.11 Date of birth:

5.12 2nd referee full name:



5.14 Address:

Postcode:

If you have been at this address for less than 3 years please list previous addresses on page 23.

5.15 Daytime telephone number:

5.16 Email address:

5.17 Current British citizen passport number (if any):

I understand that I may be liable for prosecution resulting in a penalty of up to 3 months imprisonment or a fine not exceeding £5000 or both, if I knowingly or recklessly make a false declaration.

Signature of referee: Date:


Further information not covered in other sections


6. Biometric enrolmentIn accordance with British Nationality (General) (Amendment) (2) Regulations 2015 anyone applying for naturalisation or registration as a British citizen must register their biometric information. For more information about registering your biometric information, see the accompanying guidance notes, which you must read before completing this form.

If you have a current grant of leave on a biometric residence permit (BRP), you must provide your BRP for the application to be valid and complete.

6.1 Have you been issued with a BRP with a previous application for leave?


Give details of your BRP. For the application to be valid and complete, your current BRP must be provided, unless it is not available for one of the reasons specified below.

6.2 BRP number:

6.3 Issue date: 6.4 Expiry date:

6.5 Place of issue:

6.6 Nationality:

6.7 BRP enclosed? Yes go to 6.11 No

If not enclosed then state the location of biometric residence permit:

Returned to Home Office go to question 6.8

Lost go to question 6.9 Stolen go to question 6.10

Other go to question 6.12


6.8 If the required BRP has already been returned to the Home Office, give details of the reason it was sent to us:

Date it was sent to us:

6.9 If the BRP was lost please give the date this was reported to the Home Office card management service:

6.10 If the biometric resident permit was stolen, give the police report number, crime reference number, the police station and the date reported to the police.

Police report number:

Crime reference number:

Police station:

Date reported to the Police:

6.11 Do you want the Home Office to retain your BRP

Yes I confirm that I do not require evidence of my immigration status. Should I subsequently require evidence of my status, I will need to apply for a replacement BRP at my expense.

No I confirm that if granted British citizenship I must return the BRP to the Home Office within 5 days of receiving the grant of citizenship and if I fail to do so I may receive a financial penalty of up to £1,000.

6.12 If the required biometric residence permit (BRP) is not enclosed give details why you are unable to provide it:


If you do not submit your BRP with this application, you must return it to the Home Office no later than 5 days from the date you attended your Citizenship Ceremony or the date you were issued with a certificate of naturalisation, so that it can be securely destroyed. Details of how to return your BRP can be found in the ‘returning your biometric residence permit’ section of the Nationality Forms Guide, which can be found on our website at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-forms-guide or you can find further information at: www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits/report-problem.

If you fail to return your BRP, or notify the department of the reasons for not being able to do so, you may receive a financial penalty of up to £1,000.

If you need to travel to and from the UK after being granted British citizenship you must apply for a British passport or for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode to be placed in your foreign passport. Guidance on applying for a British passport can be found on GOV.UK. Following a grant of citizenship your BRP will be cancelled which means it may not be accepted as evidence that you are entitled to reside in the UK.

6.13 Date your fingerprints were taken:

6.14 Give details where your fingerprints were taken, including the town or city and country:

6.15 Give details of the British diplomatic post(s) involved if the application(s) was or were made abroad:

6.16 Do you have a medical or physical condition which may require special arrangements for your biometric features to be recorded?

Yes provide us with a letter from a doctor registered with the General Medical Council (GMC) giving details of the condition and/or special needs and explaining any arrangements that may be necessary.

No

6.17 DeclarationAs required by British Nationality (General) (Amendment) (2) Regulations 2015, I confirm that I wish to register my biometric information.

Signature:Date:


7. Declaration

Warning: to give false information on this form knowingly or recklessly is a criminal offence punishable with up to 3 months’ imprisonment or by a fine not exceeding £5000 or both. (Section 46(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981, as amended).

By submitting this application, I confirm that to the best of my knowledge and belief:

• the information in the application is correct and complete

• the information in the supporting documents is correct

• the photograph is an accurate likeness

I understand that the data I have given can be used as set out in the privacy policy. For more detail please see the Privacy Notice for the Border, Immigration and Citizenship system at www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-information-use-in-borders-immigration-and-citizenship.

I consent to organisations, including financial institutions, providing information to the Home Office when requested in relation to this application.

I understand that if false information is given the application can be refused and I may be prosecuted, and, if I am the applicant, I may be banned from the UK.

7.1 I confirm that either:

I am the applicant.

I am submitting the form on behalf of the applicant. I have discussed with them and confirmed that the contents of the application are correct and complete and that they understand that their data can be used as set out in the privacy policy and that they consent to organisations providing information to the Home Office in relation to this application.

7.2 If you are submitting the form on behalf of the applicant, in what capacity are you representing the applicant?

Immigration adviser or legal representative

Other (provide information):


7.3 If you are submitting the form on behalf of the applicant, tell us:

Your (representative’s) name:

Your (representative’s) address:

Postcode:

Your (representative’s) email:

Your (representative’s) telephone number:

7.4 I agree that the relevant body may disclose personal information obtained as part of their statutory function

7.5 I confirm that I have read and understood the Guide AN

7.6 I confirm that I have enclosed the appropriate fee and payment slip

7.7 I confirm that I have enclosed the appropriate documents

7.8 Where I have provided a photocopy of my spouse’s or civil partner’s passport, I confirm that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, it is a complete and full copy of that original document.

7.9 I understand that a certificate of citizenship may be withdrawn if it is found to have been obtained by fraud, false representation or concealment of any material fact, or if on the basis of my conduct the Home Secretary considers it to be conducive to the public good.

7.10 Are there any additional facts or further information you would like us to take into account in support of your application? You should use the box on page 29 to tell us about any special circumstances why you think the Home Secretary should grant your application. Continue on a separate sheet of paper if necessary.


Sign below once you are satisfied you have completed the form correctly. Fees are not fully refundable for applications that fail. You are recommended to read the Guide AN, particularly those sections on how to qualify and the residence requirements.

Applicant’s signature Date

Representative’s signature (if applicable) Date


Supporting Documents

Your application cannot be considered without certain evidence. You must provide documents to cover each of the sections shown below that are relevant to your application, and tick to indicate the type of evidence you have enclosed. We reserve the right to call for documents to satisfy ourselves as to their authenticity. Providing forged or fraudulent documents may result in prosecution leading to fines, imprisonment and deportation.

SECTION 1: Evidence of identity: required for all applications, either:

• *your passport• *National identity card • *Home Office travel document • *Home Office entitlement card • *Home Office ARC letter • Home Office Biometric Residence Permit • your birth certificate • *your driving licence

*if you used one of these documents when you took the Knowledge of Life in the UK test you will be expected to use it again by enclosing it with your naturalisation application.

If the name you are currently using is different from the name on your passport or travel document you must send evidence of the change of name.

SECTION 2: Evidence of knowledge of Language and of Life in the UK:

If you have not passed a speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 CEFR or higher, that is on the Home Office’s list of recognised tests and was taken at an approved test centre, please provide:

• certificate showing that you have obtained an academic qualification deemed by UK NARIC to meet the recognised standard of a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree or PhD in the United Kingdom and (i) UK NARIC has confirmed that the qualification was taught or researched in English or (ii) the qualification was taught or researched in the UK or a majority English speaking country (other than Canada)

• if you are awaiting graduation or no longer have your certificate and cannot get a new one you must send either:

▪ an academic reference from the institution awarding the academic qualification that is on official letter headed paper and shows your name and the title of the award - the letter should also explain when the academic qualification was, or will be awarded; and state either the date that the certificate will be issued (if you have not yet graduated) or confirms that the institution is unable to reissue the original certificate of award

▪ an academic transcript that is on official letter headed paper and shows your name, the name of the academic institution, the course title and provides confirmation of the award

• your passport showing that you are a national of a majority English speaking country

• a letter from a medical practitioner to show that you should be exempt on the grounds of poor physical and/or mental health


SECTION 3: Evidence of lawful residence during the 5 (or, if the applicant is married or in civil partnership to a British citizen, 3) years before the date of the application: required for applications made on the basis of residence in the United Kingdom: required for all applicants, either:

• your passports

• letters from employers, educational establishments or other Government Departments indicating presence in UK

SECTION 4: Evidence of permanent residence for applicants from Switzerland or the European Economic Area or their non-EEA direct family members (see Guide AN), who wish to use permanent residence to support their application. (You do not need to provide this if you have been granted indefinite leave to remain, including under the EU Settlement Scheme - see SECTION 5.)

both of the following:

• your valid passport or valid EEA national identity card as evidence of your nationality• a permanent residence card issued by UKVIFurther information on how to apply for a permanent residence card and the current fee, can be found on the GOV.UK website, at this link:www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/eu-eea-commonwealth

SECTION 5: Evidence of freedom from immigration time restrictions: required for all applicants except those covered by SECTION 4 above, either:

• your passport showing permission to remain permanently in the UK• the Home Office letter by which you were given permission to remain permanently in the UK• if you came to the UK as an asylum seeker you should have evidence of appeal applications • evidence of being freely landed• if you are an Irish national you must provide your Irish passport

SECTION 6: Evidence of marriage for applications made on the basis of marriage or civil partnership to a British citizen, both:

• your spouse’s or civil partner’s current passport or naturalisation/registration certificate showing that he/she is a British citizen - if you are making your application by post, you can send a complete and full copy of your spouse’s or civil partner’s current passport (every page of the passport must be copied including any blank pages)

• the marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate

SECTION 7: Evidence of tax for self-employed applicants only

• the most recent HM Revenue & Customs Self Assessment Statement of Account

SECTION 8: Evidence of Crown service for applications made on the basis of marriage to or civil partnership with a British citizen in Crown or designated service

• a letter from the relevant employer confirming date and place of recruitment, position held, and the extent to which it would be in the employer’s interests for the application to be granted


SECTION 9: Joint applications

• marriage or civil partnership certificate

SECTION 10: Evidence of National Insurance contributions covering the relevant period:

• payslips

• P60’s

• letter or letters from your employer or employers confirming you have worked in their employment including start and finish dates

Guide AN

Naturalisation Booklet –

The Requirements

June 2020

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

1

Contents Naturalisation Booklet – The Requirements ............................................................................. 0

Contents ................................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 3

OISC and Immigration Advice ................................................................................................ 3

Do you qualify? ........................................................................................................................ 5

If you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen (section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981) .............................................................................................................. 5

The residence requirements: ......................................................................................................... 5

If you are NOT married to or the civil partner of a British citizen (Section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981) .............................................................................................................. 6

The residence requirements: ......................................................................................................... 6

The 3 or 5-year qualifying period ............................................................................................. 8

Breach of immigration law ........................................................................................................ 9

Immigration time restrictions .................................................................................................. 10

Absences from the UK ........................................................................................................... 11

European Union (EU), other European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and Swiss nationals ............................................................................................................................................... 14

If you have a permanent residence card .............................................................................. 14

If you do not have a permanent residence card ................................................................... 15

Indefinite leave to enter or remain under the immigration rules ............................................. 17

Irish nationals ......................................................................................................................... 18

Sound mind ............................................................................................................................ 19

Knowledge of language and life in the UK ............................................................................. 20

The life in the UK test ........................................................................................................... 21

Acceptable qualifications for English language .................................................................... 22

Those who have obtained an academic qualification ........................................................... 23

Majority English-speaking countries ..................................................................................... 23

Non-majority English-speaking countries ............................................................................. 23

Nationals of majority English speaking countries ................................................................. 24 If you are living in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man ............................................................ 24

Exemption from the knowledge of language and life in the UK requirement ........................ 24

Good character ...................................................................................................................... 26

Criminality ............................................................................................................................ 26 Genocide ..................................................................................................................................... 30

Crimes against humanity ............................................................................................................. 30

War Crimes ................................................................................................................................. 30

2

Terrorist Activities ........................................................................................................................ 30

Organisations concerned in terrorism .......................................................................................... 30

Deception .................................................................................................................................... 30

Immigration Related Issues ......................................................................................................... 31

What if you haven’t been convicted but your character may be in doubt? .................................... 31

Deprivation of citizenship ............................................................................................................. 31

Crown and designated service ............................................................................................... 33

Biometric enrolment ............................................................................................................... 35

Documents ............................................................................................................................. 36

Evidence of identity .............................................................................................................. 36

Evidence of knowledge of language and of life in the UK ..................................................... 36

Applications made on the basis of residence in the United Kingdom ................................... 37

Evidence of freedom from immigration time restrictions ....................................................... 38

Evidence of UK armed forces service .................................................................................. 38

For applicants from Switzerland or the European Economic Area ....................................... 38 Evidence of Nationality ................................................................................................................ 38

Evidence that you are considered permanently resident in the UK .............................................. 39

If you were granted indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme: ....................... 39

Irish nationals .............................................................................................................................. 39

Applications made on the basis of marriage or civil partnership to a British citizen .............. 40 Evidence of British citizenship ..................................................................................................... 40

Self-employed applicants ..................................................................................................... 40

Applications made on the basis of crown service or on the basis of marriage/civil partnership to a British citizen in crown or designated service ................................................................ 40

Citizenship Ceremonies ......................................................................................................... 41

3

Introduction

This guide summarises the legal requirements for applying for naturalisation.

Naturalisation is not an entitlement. It is a matter of law as set out in the British Nationality

Act 1981. The Home Secretary may exercise discretion to naturalise you only if you satisfy

a number of statutory requirements. They may disregard the extent to which you are

unable to fully satisfy certain requirements but cannot do this in all cases. The way that

discretion is exercised, is described throughout this booklet. This is further described in the

nationality staff instructions which may be accessed on our website.

Becoming a British citizen is a significant life event. Apart from allowing you to apply for a

British citizen passport, British citizenship gives you the opportunity to participate more

fully in the life of your local community.

Before continuing with your application, you must understand that under the nationality

laws of some countries a person will automatically lose their nationality if they become a

citizen of another country. If you have any questions about this, you must ask the

authorities of the country of which you are a citizen through their embassy or high

commission before making your application. If the country of which you are currently a

citizen continues to recognise you as one of its citizens, you may continue to be subject to

the duties of citizens of that country when you are in its territory. This may include

obligations to undergo military service.

You should also note that if you are currently regarded as a refugee in the United

Kingdom, you will lose that status if you naturalise as a British citizen.

The Windrush Scheme is for people who arrived in the UK many years ago and do not

have documentation confirming their immigration status. If you are eligible under the

Windrush Scheme you should not use form AN. You should instead use the form available

from GOV.UK, see

www.gov.uk/government/publications/undocumentedcommonwealthcitizensresident-in-

the-uk. There is no charge for applications made under the Windrush Scheme.

The law covering naturalisation is contained in the British Nationality Act 1981 and the

regulations made under it. This guide is intended to help you to apply. It is not a complete

statement of the law or policy. Other information about citizenship and immigration is

available on our website.

OISC and Immigration Advice You may, if you wish, use the services of an agent such as a solicitor or other competent

adviser to help you with your application.

Immigration or nationality advisers acting in the course of business (whether paid or

unpaid) are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), an

independent body. The provision of such advice is prohibited unless a person works for an

organisation registered with, or exempted by, the OISC or is authorised to practise (like

solicitors and barristers) by a designated professional body. Certain categories (for

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/naturalisation-as-a-british-citizen-by-discretion-nationality-policy-guidance

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/undocumented-commonwealth-citizens-resident-in-the-uk




















https://www.gov.uk/becoming-a-british-citizen




4

example public health bodies) are exempted from the regulatory scheme by Ministerial

Order. It is a criminal offence to provide advice or services in contravention of the

regulatory scheme. Further information about the regulatory scheme and a full list of

OISC regulated advisers is available on its website at www.oisc.gov.uk

Contents

http://www.oisc.gov.uk/

5

Do you qualify?

Naturalisation is not an entitlement and a decision can only be made to grant you

citizenship if you can demonstrate that you satisfy certain legal requirements and the

Home Secretary thinks fit to naturalise you.

The requirements for naturalisation as a British citizen differ depending on

whether or not you are applying on the basis of marriage or civil partnership with

a British citizen.

If you are married to or the civil partner of a British

citizen (section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act

1981)

The legal requirements you should meet before you apply are that you:

• Are aged 18 or over when you apply

• Are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen on the date of application

• Are of sound mind, so that you understand the step you are taking (but see the

section on those who are not of Sound mind)

• Can communicate in English (or Welsh or Scottish Gaelic) to an acceptable level

• Have sufficient knowledge about life in the UK

• Are of good character

• Have lived in the UK for a minimum of 3 years before you apply and meet the

following residence requirements:

The residence requirements:

• You must have been physically present in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern

Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands on the day 3 years before the

application is received by the Home Office.

• For example, if your application is received on 05/05/2021, you should have

been physically present in the UK on 06/05/2018.

• Most applications that fail do so because applicants have applied even though

they cannot satisfy the residence requirement to be present in the UK at the

beginning of the residential qualifying period.

6

• You must not have had more than 270 days outside the UK in the 3-year period

before making the application (but see the section on Absences from the UK).

• You must not have had more than 90 days outside the UK in the 12-month

period before making the application, (but see the section on Absences

from the UK).

• You must be free from immigration time restrictions on the date of application

(see the section on Immigration Time Restrictions).

• You must not have been in breach of the immigration laws in the 3-year period

before making the application (see the section on Breach of Immigration Law).

Some discretion may be exercised over excess absences and immigration breaches

if there are special circumstances. If you do not meet these residence requirements

but believe that there are special circumstances in your case, you should explain

them when you apply.

If you are in Crown service or specially designated service, or are married to or the

civil partner of a British citizen in Crown or designated service, see the section on

Crown and Designated Service for alternative ways that you might qualify.

If you are NOT married to or the civil partner of a British

citizen (Section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981)

The legal requirements you should meet before you apply are that you:

• Are aged 18 or over when you apply

• Are of sound mind, so that you understand the step you are taking (but see

page 11 for those who are not of sound mind)

• Intend to continue to live in the UK, or to continue in Crown service, the service

of an international organisation of which the UK is a member, or the service of

a company or association established in the UK

• Can communicate in English (or Welsh or Scottish Gaelic) to an acceptable

level

• Have sufficient knowledge about life in the UK

• Are of good character

• Have lived in the UK for a minimum of 5 years before you apply and meet the

following residence requirements.

The residence requirements:

7

• You must have been physically present in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern

Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands on the day 5 years before the

application is received by the Home Office.

• For example, if your application is received on 05/01/2022 you should have

been physically present in the UK on 06/01/2017.

• Most applications that fail do so because applicants have applied even though

they cannot satisfy the residence requirement to be present in the UK at the

beginning of the residential qualifying period.

• If you are a current or former member of the UK armed forces, you may not

have to meet this requirement, if you were serving outside of the UK on the

date 5 years before applying.

• You must not have had more than 450 days outside the UK in the 5-year period

before making the application (but see the section on Absences from the UK).

• You must not have had more than 90 days outside the UK in the 12-month

period before making the application (but see the section on Absences

from the UK).

• You must be free from immigration time restrictions on the date of application

and have been free from immigration time restrictions for the 12-month period

before making the application (see the section on Immigration Time

Restrictions).

• You must not have been in breach of the immigration laws in the 5-year period

before making the application (see the section on Breach of Immigration Law).

Some discretion may be exercised over excess absences, immigration

breaches, and immigration time restrictions in the last 12 months (as long as you

are free from immigration time restrictions on the date of application) if there are

special circumstances. If you do not meet these residence requirements but

believe that there are special circumstances in your case, you should explain

them when you apply.

If you are in Crown service or specially designated service, see the section on Crown

and Designated Service for alternative ways that you might qualify.

Contents

8

The 3 or 5-year qualifying period

Time spent in the UK while exempt from immigration control (for example, as a

diplomat or a member of visiting armed forces) or while in any place of detention (or

unlawfully absent from such a place) does not normally count as residence in the UK

for the purpose of calculating the residential qualifying period. It is usually treated as

absence from the UK.

If you are a national of a member state of the EEA and do not have indefinite leave to remain in the UK, you will need to have been resident in the UK for at least five years even if you are married to a British citizen. See the section on European Union (EU), other European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and Swiss nationals for more information.

Contents

9

Breach of immigration law

To meet the residence requirements, you should not have been in breach of

immigration law during the residential qualifying period. You should have been here

legally. This means you must have had the necessary permission under the

immigration laws and complied with any requirements to be in the UK. You may be

refused if you have been in breach of immigration laws during the residential

qualifying period. This is especially relevant if you came to the UK as an asylum

seeker and your application for refugee status and any appeals were refused

during this period.

If you came to the UK as an asylum seeker and/or as an illegal entrant (for example

if you entered the UK clandestinely) you must have evidence that you were here

legally during the residential qualifying period. You may be in breach of immigration

laws during the residential qualifying period if you had exhausted all your appeal

rights and had not left the country, even if you were subsequently given indefinite

leave to remain as a concession. If you were not covered by temporary leave to

remain during the whole residential qualifying period while appeals were under

consideration, then your application will fail on breach of immigration conditions.

Just because you were given indefinite leave to remain does not mean that we will

automatically disregard the time you were in breach of immigration laws during the

residential qualifying period. Any immigration offences will also be considered as

part of the good character requirement. This includes immigration breaches in the

10 year period before you apply for naturalisation – see the section on good

character.

Contents

10

Immigration time restrictions If you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen, you will need to be free

from immigration time restrictions on the date you make your application.

If you are not married to or the civil partner of a British citizen you should have been

free from immigration time restrictions during the last 12 months of the 5 year

qualifying period.

Usually there is a stamp or sticker in your passport, or you have a biometric residence

permit, saying that you have indefinite leave to enter or remain or no time limit on your

stay. But you may have a letter from the Home Office saying that you are free from

immigration conditions. If you do not have a passport or letter which says this and you have

lived here many years you may still be free from an immigration time restriction. If you are

from an EEA member state or Switzerland, you will be free from immigration conditions if

you have been exercising EEA free movement or establishment rights in the UK for 5

continuous years or if you have been granted indefinite leave to remain under the EU

Settlement Scheme (see EEA and Swiss nationals).

A person who is outside the UK is, by definition, not subject to any restriction under the

immigration laws on his or her maximum length of stay in the UK. However, the Home

Secretary will normally refuse an application made outside the UK where it appears that the

main reason for making the application in this way was to avoid the requirement about

immigration restrictions. If you make your application overseas, but would have had only a

conditional right to remain in the UK on the date of application if you had remained in the

UK, your application is unlikely to succeed.

Contents

11

Absences from the UK

To satisfy the residence requirement you should not have been absent for more than 90

days in the last 12 months. If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen,

the total number of days absence for the whole 3-year period should not exceed 270.

Otherwise, you should not have been outside the UK for more than 450 days in the 5-year

qualifying period.

There is discretion to disregard absences in excess of the limits. This discretion is

outlined in the following tables

Absences from the UK during your residential qualifying period will be considered in the following way:

6(1) application

5-year qualifying period

6(2) application

3-year qualifying period

(applicants married to,

in a civil partnership

with, a British citizen)

Normal permitted absences in

QP

450 days 270 days

Total number of

absences normally

disregarded

480 days 300 days

Absences normally disregarded only if:

• you meet all other

requirements

and

• you have established your

home, family and a

substantial part of your

estate here.

900 days

Please note: if your absences are up to 730 days we would expect you to have been resident in the UK for the last 7 years.

For absences exceeding

730 days we would expect

you to have been resident

in the UK for the last 8

years unless the absences

were a result of one of the

reasons given below.

540 days

Please note: if your absences are up to 450 days we would expect you to have been resident in the UK for the last 4 years.

For absences exceeding

450 days we would expect

you to have been resident

in the UK for the last 5

years unless the absences

were the result of one of

the reasons given below.

12

For absences exceeding 730 days (or 450 days for 6(2) applications) we would

expect you to have been resident in the UK for the last 8 years (5 years for 6(2)

applications) unless the absences were a result of either:

• A posting abroad in Crown or designated service (see the section on Crown

and designated service. For example, as a member of HM Forces, or as the

husband, wife or civil partner of a British citizen serving abroad in Crown or

designated service

• An unavoidable consequence of the nature of your work. For example, if you

are a merchant seaman or someone working for a UK based business which

requires frequent travel abroad

• Exceptional or compelling reasons of an occupational or compassionate nature

such as having a firm job offer for which British citizenship is a genuine

requirement.

Only very rarely would we disregard absences in excess of 900 days (540 days for

section 6(2) applications). If your absences are more than this limit your

application is likely to fail and your fee will not be fully refunded.

Absences from the UK during the last 12 months of your qualifying period will

be considered in the following way:

6(1) and 6(2)

applications

Normal permitted absences in final 12 months of your qualifying period 90 days

Total number of absences normally disregarded 100 days

Total number of absences normally disregarded only if all other requirements are met and

• you have demonstrated links with the UK through presence of family,

and established home and a substantial part of your estate.

101 – 179 days

Total number of absences that may be disregarded if you do not meet all the other requirements providing the following criteria are met:

• you have demonstrated links with the UK through presence of

family, and established home and a substantial part of your estate

and

• the absence is justified by Crown service or by compelling

occupational or compassionate reasons taking account of the

criteria listed on page 8

101 – 179 days

13

Please note: Only in the most exceptional circumstances would total absences

exceeding 180 days in the final 12 months of the qualifying period be disregarded

if all other requirements were not met.

Contents

14

European Union (EU), other European Economic Area (EEA) nationals and Swiss nationals

This section covers you if the country of which you are a national is part of the EU,

other EEA or Switzerland. It tells you how you can show that you are free from

immigration time restrictions by either:

• having a permanent residence document issued under the EEA Regulations

• having been granted indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK, including

under the EU Settlement Scheme (referred to as “settled status”)

If you are a national of a country which is a member state of the EEA or Switzerland,

or the family member of such a person and providing you complied with the

requirements of the EEA Regulations, such as holding comprehensive sickness

insurance, you will automatically have permanent residence status after exercising

free movement rights in the UK for any continuous period of 5 years ending on or

after 30 April 2006. If you wish to, you can apply for a permanent residence card to

prove that you hold the status before applying for citizenship. Information on

permanent residence cards can be found on the Gov.UK website.

Unless you are married to or are the civil partner of a British citizen, you should

normally have held permanent resident status for 12 months before applying for

naturalisation. This means that you may need to wait until you have been in the UK

for 6 years before you can apply.

If you have a permanent residence card To be used in your application, a permanent residence card must show that you

have permanent residence – it is not the same as a “registration certificate” or

“residence card” which you may have applied for when you first told us you were

living here. It will say ‘Document Certifying Permanent Residence’ if you are a

national of a country that is part of the EU, EEA or Switzerland and will be placed on

page 4 of the card. It will say ‘Permanent Residence Document’ if you are the family

member of such a person and will be in the passport you supplied with your

application.

If you are a national of a country that is not part of the EU, EEA or Switzerland, then

evidence of your permanent residence will be different. If you received your

permanent residence before 2015, non-EU, EEA or Swiss citizens would receive

their status printed on a vignette (sticker) which would be placed in their passport.

This would be next to your photograph and will show the type of document which

has been issued to you. If you received your permanent residence after 2015, you

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-a-uk-residence-card/permanent-residence-card

15

will have received a biometric residence card.

We will use the date that you acquired permanent residence to consider your

naturalisation application and not the date on which any document was issued.

If you do not have a permanent residence card

Showing that you are free of immigration time restrictions

If you are a national of a country which is a member state of the EEA or Switzerland,

or the family member of such a person, who does not have a permanent residence

card and would like to naturalise as a British citizen, you must prove you are free

from immigration time restrictions.

You will be free from immigration time restrictions if you have been granted indefinite

leave to remain under the immigration rules. This includes if you:

• were granted indefinite leave to enter or remain under the EU Settlement

Scheme (referred to as “settled status”).

• were issued indefinite leave as an EU, EEA or Swiss national before 30 April

2006 (the date on which permanent residence was created under the EEA

Regulations)

• are the spouse or civil partner of a person present and settled in the UK and

were granted indefinite leave under the Immigration Rules on that basis

If you have been granted indefinite leave to enter or remain in the UK, including

under the EU Settlement Scheme, and use that to support your application we will

use the date you were granted ILR as the date that you became free from

immigration time restrictions. If you acquired permanent residence before being

granted indefinite leave to enter or remain under the EU Settlement Scheme and

want to rely on the date that you acquired permanent residence for your citizenship

application, you will need to have a permanent residence document.

If you believe you are free from immigration time restrictions to reside in the UK for

another reason, please give details at section 2.8 and provide evidence of this.

Showing that you were lawfully resident in the UK

You must also provide evidence that you were in the UK lawfully during your 3 or 5

year residence period. This includes meeting any additional requirements, such as

having comprehensive sickness insurance if you needed it. We will still request this

information even if you have been granted indefinite leave to enter or remain (“settled

status”) under the EU Settlement Scheme.

When applying for British citizenship, you should demonstrate that you were in the

UK lawfully as an EU, other EEA or Swiss national, or their family member prior to

16

any grant of pre-settled or settled status. The EEA Regulations specify that to be

lawfully resident here, you must be undertaking permitted activity as a:

• worker

• student

• self-employed person

• self-sufficient person

• retired person

• person who was incapacitated

You must include this information in the table at section 2.6 of the form, but if you

have already provided information regarding your employment status elsewhere on

the form, you do not need to enter this information again. If this is the case, please

say that you have already provided the information at section 1.50. If you were not

undertaking a permitted activity, please explain in your application why. You can tell

us about any additional factors that may help us decide your application at section

7.10 of the form.

For example, if you needed to have comprehensive sickness insurance (CSI) to be in

the UK in line with EEA regulations (for example as a student or self-employed

person, or their family member), you must confirm on the form whether or not you had

CSI during that time. If you did have CSI, please enclose a copy of your policy with

your application when applying. If you did not have CSI, please explain in your

application why you did not and whether you were aware you needed to hold it. You

can tell us about any additional factors that may help us decide your application at

section 7.10 of the form.

If you were refused permanent residence because you did not have CSI, please

explain why you did not obtain it after this.

If you do not have a permanent residence card but think that you were in the UK

lawfully because you acquired permanent residence in the UK before being granted

indefinite leave to remain in the UK, please fill in the box at section 2 and say how you

acquired that status.

Contents

17

Indefinite leave to enter or remain under the immigration rules

For information about indefinite leave to enter or remain under the

immigration rules, including under the EU Settlement Scheme, and whether

you qualify see our website.

It will be for you to decide whether to use permanent residence or indefinite leave to

enter or remain to support an application for naturalisation and based upon your

circumstances. You should ensure you are aware of how to qualify for citizenship

based on either permanent residence or indefinite leave to enter or remain, and the

implications of doing so in terms of how long you may have to wait before you can

apply to naturalise.

Contents

https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/eligibility

https://www.gov.uk/settle-in-the-uk

18

Irish nationals The position of Irish citizens is different to that of other EEA nationals. Irish citizens

are not normally subject to any form of immigration control on arrival in the UK

because Ireland is part of the Common Travel Area. If you are an Irish national, you

will be free from immigration time restrictions for naturalisation purposes. You do

not need to apply for a permanent residence document or indefinite leave to remain

(ILR) under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) before you apply for

naturalisation.

Contents

19

Sound mind

The Home Secretary has discretion to waive the requirement to be of sound mind

if they think that would be the right thing to do in any particular case. If you are

applying on behalf of someone who is not of sound mind and for whom you are

responsible, you must complete the form as fully as possible, highlighting those

areas which cannot be completed and explaining why it would be in the

applicant’s best interests for naturalisation to be granted despite their inability to

understand fully what is involved. The application must be supported by

confirmation of the applicant’s mental condition and of the fact that they are in

your care. This must include documentation proving the care arrangements.

Contents

20

Knowledge of language and life in the

UK

Applying to become a citizen of the UK is an important decision and commitment.

You will be agreeing to accept the responsibilities which go with citizenship and to

respect the laws, values and traditions of the UK. It is important that you are able to

communicate with the wider community and are equipped to play a part in

community life. Being able to speak English is a very important part of this and

learning about Life in the UK will help you understand what it means to be a British

citizen.

You can satisfy the knowledge of language and life in the UK requirement if you:

• Have passed the Life in the UK test

and either:

• Have a valid speaking and listening qualification in English at B1 CEFR or

higher, that is on the Home Office’s list of recognised tests and was taken

at an approved test centre

or

• Have a degree taken in the UK

or

• Have a degree certificate that was taught or researched in a majority English

speaking country and:

o an Academic Qualification Level Statement (AQUALS) from UK NARIC

confirming the qualification is equivalent to a UK qualification

• Have a degree certificate that was taught or researched in a non-

majority English speaking country and:

o an Academic Qualification Level Statement (AQUALS) from UK NARIC


and

o an English Language Proficiency Statement (ELPS) from UK NARIC

showing that your degree was taught in English.

21

or

• Are a national of a Nationals of majority English speaking countries.

Notes

CEFR – The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:

Learning, Teaching, Assessment.

UK NARIC is the UK’s National Agency responsible for providing information and

opinions on academic qualifications from across the world.

Further details on acceptable evidence can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/english-language

The life in the UK test

Before attempting the test, you should read the publication “Life in the UK: A Guide

for New Residents” published on behalf of the Life in the UK Advisory Group by TSO

(The Stationery Office) ISBN-978-0-11-341313-3, and available to order from

www.tso.co.uk/bookshop or by contacting:

www.tsoshop.co.uk

Tel: +44 (0)333 202 5070

Email: [email protected]

It is also available from TSO shops or TSO accredited agents or from other

booksellers. There are a number of unofficial study guides available however, you

should only need to read the official handbook “Life in the UK: A Guide for New

Residents” in order to pass the Life in the UK test.

Once you feel confident that you have sufficient knowledge from the handbook, you

may apply to take a test at a Life in the UK Test Centre. Further information that will

help you to prepare yourself for the Life in the UK Test is available on the test

website: www.lifeintheuktest.gov.uk

The Life in the UK Test website will give you all the help you need, including mouse

and keyboard training to build your IT skills. To find your nearest test centre visit the

website and click onto the link “Test Centres”. You must book a test in advance.

There is considerable demand and you are advised to book early. Prior to taking the test you will be asked to confirm your identity by producing one of the following:

• Your passport • Your biometric residence permit/card

• Home Office Travel Document • European Union (EU) Identity Card

https://www.gov.uk/english-language

http://www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

http://www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/

http://www.tsoshop.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.lifeintheuktest.gov.uk/

22

If you have a biometric residence permit, you must use it as evidence of identity to

take the test.

Once you are registered at the test centre you can take the Life in the UK test. The fee for taking the test is given on the life in the UK test website and is payable directly to the test centre. Please note that fees are subject to review; you should check current fees with the test centre.

The test will be taken on a computer. You will be given an opportunity to practise

using the equipment and have an option to complete a short trial test before

beginning the Life in the UK test. The test will last for up to 45 minutes and comprise

24 questions based on the handbook “Life in the UK: A Journey to Citizenship”.

Support will be available at test centres for people with limited reading and writing

ability or who lack basic IT skills.

Staff at test centres will report any attempts at cheating or pressure to provide false

results applied to them through bribery, physical threats or emotional blackmail. This

may result in your prosecution. Any naturalisation application based on false results

will fail.

If you passed the test before 1 October 2019 you will have been given a letter that shows you have passed the test. You must provide this with your application. If you passed the test on or after 1 October, you must fill in your test reference number on the application form. If you took the Life in the UK test before 17 December 2019, your reference number will be at the top of your results letter and is 7 numbers long. If you took the Life in the UK test on 17 December or later, your reference number will be in the email sent to you with your results and will be in the format ‘HOM/010114/123456/123456789’.

Before you take the test, you should make sure you meet all the other requirements

for naturalisation. Whilst the Home Office will retain the information it gets from test

centres for a reasonable period, you should submit your application as soon as

possible after taking the test. If you are not successful, you may book and take a

further test. There is no limit on the number of times you may take the test, but

remember that you must pay an additional fee each time you take it. Since the

questions set are drawn randomly from a large bank of questions any further test will

be different from the earlier one that you took.

Acceptable qualifications for English language

We will only accept an English language qualification that is on the Home

Office’s list of approved tests as evidence that you have met the requirement to

hold a B1 level English qualification. The test must be taken at a Home Office

approved test centre. Test results are only valid for two years from the date the test

is taken. Once the validity of your test expires after two years, the qualification

23

cannot be relied upon to support your application to naturalise.

The list of recognised tests can be found on the gov.uk website:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-applying-for-uk-

visaapproved-english-language-tests.

Those granted Indefinite Leave to Remain on the basis of a B1 qualification If you successfully made an application for indefinite leave to remain on the basis of a B1 level qualification, you would meet the English language requirement for naturalisation and do not have to pass another test.

Those who have obtained an academic qualification

You will not be required to show a formal speaking and listening qualification if you

have an academic qualification which is equivalent to a UK Bachelor’s or Master’s

degree or PHD, which was taught in English. If you have a UK degree you must

provide your degree certificate.

Please note that you still need to pass the Life in the UK test to demonstrate your

knowledge of life in the UK.

Majority English-speaking countries

If you have a degree that was taught or researched in a majority English- speaking

country (excluding Canada), you must provide:

• your degree certificate

• an Academic Qualification Level Statement (AQUALS) from UK NARIC


Non-majority English-speaking countries

If you have a degree that was taught or researched in a non-majority

English speaking country, you must provide:

• your degree certificate

• an Academic Qualification Level Statement (AQUAL) from UK NARIC


• an English language Proficiency Statement (ELPS) from UK NARIC, which will

confirm that the degree was taught in English

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-applying-for-uk-visa-approved-english-language-tests



















24

Nationals of majority English speaking countries

If you are a national of a majority English speaking country, you will not be required

to show a formal speaking and listening qualification. Nationals of majority English

speaking countries are considered automatically to meet the English language

component of the Knowledge of language and life in the UK requirement. You will

still be required to pass the Life in the UK test to demonstrate your knowledge of life

in the UK.

Nationals of the following countries are accepted as majority English speakers for

naturalisation purposes:

Antigua and Barbuda Ireland

Australia Jamaica

The Bahamas New Zealand

Barbados St Kitts and Nevis

Belize St Lucia

Canada St Vincent and the Grenadines

Dominica Trinidad and Tobago

Grenada The United States of America

Guyana

If you are living in the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man You should seek advice from the Immigration Office.

Exemption from the knowledge of language and life in the

UK requirement

If you are aged 65 or over or have a long term physical or mental condition that

prevents you from meeting the knowledge of language and life in the UK

requirement, you may be exempt. You may apply for exemption by indicating this on

your application.

Please note that physical or mental illness will not automatically exempt you from

this requirement. If your illness responds to treatment, then we will expect you to

prepare yourself to meet this requirement. Only if your condition prevents you

permanently from meeting this requirement would we consider an exemption.

Temporary illnesses, such as depression or stress, would not normally be grounds

for exemption. You will need to provide evidence from your doctor or medical

professional. If you are requesting an exemption from either or both parts of this

requirement you must also complete the Waiver request form published on Gov.uk.

This form must be completed by a registered medical practitioner who has met with

you as part of their assessment. You will not be exempted on grounds of illiteracy.

https://www.gov.uk/english-language/exemptions

https://www.gov.uk/english-language/exemptions

25

Long residence is not a reason for exemption either. The requirement to

demonstrate knowledge of language and of life in the UK is specified in law and

these are not grounds for exemption.

If you were exempted from the knowledge of language and life requirements when

you applied for indefinite leave to remain you must now meet the requirement

before applying for naturalisation unless you are exempted on grounds of age or

physical or mental impairment.

Contents

26

Good character

To be of good character you should have shown respect for the rights and freedoms

of the UK, observe its laws and fulfilled your duties and obligations as a resident of

the UK. Checks will be carried out to ensure that the information you give is correct.

If you are not honest about the information you provide, and you are registered on

the basis of incorrect or fraudulent information you will be liable to have British

citizenship taken away (deprivation) and you may be prosecuted. It is a criminal

offence to make a false declaration knowing that it is untrue.

Among the duties and obligations which you are expected to fulfil is payment of

income tax and National Insurance contributions. We may ask H.M. Revenue &

Customs for confirmation that your tax and National Insurance affairs are in order.

If you do not pay income tax through PAYE you must demonstrate that you have

discharged your obligations towards the H.M. Revenue & Customs, by attaching a

Self Assessment Statement of Account.

Criminality

You must give details of all criminal convictions both within and outside the UK.

These include road traffic offences.

Fixed penalty notices (such as speeding or parking tickets) must be disclosed,

although will not normally be taken into account unless:

• you have failed to pay and there were criminal proceedings as a result

• you received 3 or more fixed penalty notices at any level

• in the past 3 years you received 2 or more fixed penalty notices, at least one

of which was at the upper levels (fine of £200 or more).

We will consider the applications against the factors listed in the Good Character

guidance

Where a fixed penalty notice or fiscal fine has been referred to a court due to non-

payment, or the notice has been unsuccessfully challenged by the person in court,

we will consider it as a conviction and assess it in line with the new sentence

imposed.

Drink driving offences must be declared. If you have any endorsements on your

driving licence you must provide the paper counterpart.

A driving conviction may not be disregarded despite any penalty points being

removed from your driving licence.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/good-character-nationality-policy-guidance


27

Criminal record checks will be carried out in all cases. If you have a conviction within

the relevant sentence based threshold you are unlikely to be registered as a British

citizen. Similarly, if you have been charged with a criminal offence and are awaiting

trial or sentencing, you are advised not to make any application for registration until

the outcome is known. If you are convicted, you should then consult the table below.

Sentence Impact on Nationality

4 Years or more imprisonment Application will normally be refused,

regardless of when the conviction

occurred.

Between 12 months and 4 years

imprisonment

Application will normally be refused

unless 15 years have passed since

the end of the sentence.

Up to 12 months imprisonment Application will normally be refused

unless 10 years have passed since

the end of the sentence.

A non-custodial offence or other out of

court disposal that is recorded on a

person’s criminal record

Application will normally be refused if

the conviction occurred in the last 3

years.

Notes:

• A person who receives a sentence of life imprisonment is included in the ‘4

years or more imprisonment’ category.

• A person who receives a custodial sentence of exactly 4 years is included in

the ‘4 years or more imprisonment’ category.

• A person who receives a custodial sentence of exactly 12 months or exactly 1

year is included in the ‘Between 12 months and 4 years imprisonment’

category.

• The “end of the sentence” means the entire sentence imposed, not just the time

the person spent in prison. For example, a person sentenced to 3 years’

imprisonment on 1/1/2013 will normally be refused citizenship until 1/1/2031 –

the 15 year ‘bar’ added to the 3 year sentence.

• A “non-custodial offence or other out of court disposal that is recorded on a

person’s criminal record” includes Fines, Cautions, Warnings and

Reprimands, Community Sentences, Civil Orders, Hospital Orders &

Restriction Orders and Potential Court Orders.

• A person who is subject of an extant Deportation Order will be refused

citizenship regardless of when they apply.

• Some extremely short periods of imprisonment may not be included in the ‘up

to 12 months imprisonment’ category. This will depend on whether the person

28

was convicted & sentenced or simply committed to prison. The latter is not a

sentence and the vast majority of those detained for one day– will have been

committed by the court and not sentenced. The decision maker will instead

treat this as a “non- custodial offence or other out of court disposal that is

recorded on a person’s criminal record”.

• A suspended prison sentence will be treated as a “non-custodial offence or

other out of court disposal that is recorded on a person’s criminal record”.

• The exception is where that sentence is subsequently ‘activated’. This means

that the person re-offended or failed to adhere to/breached the conditions of

that sentence. Where this happens, the sentence length will be the one

originally imposed.

Example 1: a person is sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment, suspended for

two years. If they ‘activate’ this, the sentence should be 6 months and fall into

the ‘up to 12 months’ imprisonment’ category above.

Example 2: a person is sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment, suspended for

two years. If they ‘activate’ this, the sentence should be 12 months and fall into

the ‘Between 12 months and 4 years’ imprisonment’ category above.

• Sentences imposed overseas will normally be treated as if they occurred in the

UK.

• For concurrent sentences, the decision maker will take the longest single

sentence imposed. For example, a sentence of 9 months’ imprisonment served

concurrently with a sentence of 6 months’ imprisonment will be treated the

same as one 9-month sentence.

• For consecutive sentences, the decision maker will add together the total of all

the sentences imposed. For example, a sentence of 9 months’ imprisonment

served consecutively with a of 6 months’ imprisonment will be treated the same

as one 15 month sentence.

You are also advised to refer to the good character policy guidance which

caseworkers use to decide your application. This is available on the website.

You must give details of all civil judgments which have resulted in a court order being

made against you as well as any civil penalties under the UK Immigration Acts. If

you have been declared bankrupt at any time you should give details of the

bankruptcy proceedings. (Your application is unlikely to succeed if you are an

undischarged bankrupt).

You do not need to give details of family law proceedings such as divorce decrees,

dissolved civil partnerships, guardianship orders, parental responsibility orders.


https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/770960/good-character-guidance.pdf

29

You must give details of any cautions (simple or conditional), warnings or reprimands

you have received in the UK or any other country. Cautions, warnings and

reprimands are out of court disposals that are recorded on a person’s criminal record

and are taken in to account when assessing a person’s character.

You must say if your details have been recorded by the police as a result of certain

sexual offences, or if you are subject to one of the following orders: notification

order, sexual offences prevention order, foreign travel order, risk of sexual harm

order (or equivalent order made in a British overseas territory or any other country).

If your details are recorded on the “sex offenders” register, even if any conviction is

spent, the Home Secretary is unlikely to be satisfied that you meet the good

character requirement and so an application for citizenship is unlikely to be

successful.

You must say if there is any offence for which you may go to court or which is

awaiting hearing in court. This includes having been arrested for an offence and

waiting to hear if you will be formally charged. If you have been arrested and not

told that charges have been dropped, or that you will not have to appear in court,

you may wish to confirm the position with the police. For applicants from Scotland

any recent civil penalties must also be declared. You must tell us if you are arrested

or charged with an offence after you make your application and while the

application is under consideration. You risk prosecution under section 46 of the

British Nationality Act 1981 if you do not do so.

You must also say whether you have had any involvement in terrorism. If you do not

regard something as an act of terrorism but you know that others do or might, you

should mention it. You must also say whether you have been involved in any crimes

in the course of armed conflict, including crimes against humanity, war crimes or

genocide. If you are in any doubt as to whether something should be mentioned,

you should mention it.

You should refer to the definitions in this Guide on actions which may constitute

genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

This guidance is not exhaustive. Before you answer these questions you should

consider the full definitions of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide

which can be found in Schedule 8 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001.

Alternatively, copies can be purchased from The Stationery Office, telephone 0870

600 5522.

It is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that you are familiar with the definitions and

can answer the questions accurately.

http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010017.htm

http://www.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2001/20010017.htm

30

Genocide

Acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial

or religious group.

Crimes against humanity

Acts committed at any time (not just during armed conflict) as part of a widespread or

systematic attack, directed against any civilian population with knowledge of the

attack. This would include offences such as murder, torture, rape, severe deprivation

of liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law and enforced

disappearance of persons.

War Crimes

Grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions committed during an armed conflict. This includes an internal armed conflict and an international armed conflict. The types of acts that may constitute a war crime include wilful killing, torture, extensive destruction of property not justified by military necessity, unlawful deportation, the intentional targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages.

Terrorist Activities

Any act committed, or the threat of action, designed to influence a government or

intimidate the public and made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or

ideological cause and that involves serious violence against a person; that may

endanger another person’s life; creates a serious risk to the health or safety of the

public; involves serious damage to property; is designed to seriously disrupt or

interfere with an electronic system.

Organisations concerned in terrorism

An organisation is concerned in terrorism if it:

• commits or participates in acts of terrorism,

• prepares for terrorism,

• promotes or encourages terrorism (including the unlawful glorification of

terrorism), or

• is otherwise concerned in terrorism.

Deception

If you have practised deception in your dealings with the Home Office or other

Government Departments (such as by providing false information or fraudulent

31

documents) this will be taken in to account in considering whether you meet the

good character requirement.

Your application will be refused if you have attempted to deceive the Home Office

within the last 10 years.

Immigration Related Issues

Your application may also be refused if you have evaded immigration control in the

last 10 years or helped someone else to evade immigration control or employed

illegal workers, at any time. Full details of our policy can be seen on the website.

What if you haven’t been convicted but your character may be

in doubt?

You must say if there is any offence for which you may go to court or which is

awaiting hearing in court. This includes having been arrested for an offence and

waiting to hear if you will be formally charged. If you have been arrested and not told

that charges have been dropped, or that you will not have to appear in court, you

may wish to confirm the position with the police. You must tell us if you are arrested

or charged with an offence after you make your application and while the application

is under consideration. You risk prosecution under section 46 of the British

Nationality Act 1981 if you do not do so.

You must say whether you have been involved in anything which might indicate that

you are not of good character. You must give information about any of these

activities no matter how long ago this was. Checks will be made in all cases and

your application may fail and your fee will not be fully refunded if you make an

untruthful declaration. If you are in any doubt about whether you have done

something or it has been alleged that you have done something which might lead us

to think that you are not of good character you should say so.

Deprivation of citizenship

You may be deprived of British citizenship if it is found to have been obtained by

fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact. The Home

Secretary may also deprive you of British citizenship if, in their opinion, it would be

in the public interest to do so and you would not thereby be made stateless.

Ministers suggested during the passage of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality

Act 2006 that deprivation may be appropriate where the person-

• has encouraged or assisted others to commit acts of terrorism;

• has committed war crimes, public order offences or other serious crime; or



32

• has carried out acts seriously prejudicial to vital national interests, including

espionage and acts of terrorism directed at the United Kingdom or an allied

power.

A certificate of registration will, as a matter of law, be ineffective from the outset if it

is obtained by means of impersonation.

Contents

33

Crown and designated service

If you are applying for citizenship on the grounds of your Crown service rather than

UK residence, you must show that you:

• Are serving overseas in Crown service on the date that your application is

received

• Have been the holder of a responsible post overseas

• Have given outstanding service, normally over a substantial period. (There is no fixed period and naturalisation is not granted merely on completion of satisfactory service)

• Have some close connection with the UK

Crown service as far as your application is concerned, means working overseas

directly for Her Majesty’s Government in the UK (or Northern Ireland, Scotland or

Wales). It is only an alternative to the requirements about residence in the UK: you

must still satisfy the requirements about character, language skills, knowledge of life

in the UK and future intentions.

Designated service means service of any description designated by the Home

Secretary as being closely associated with activities abroad by Her Majesty’s

Government in the UK. A list of the types of services that have been designated is

given Annex A to Chapter 4 of the Nationality guidance on the GOV.UK website.

If you are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen who is in Crown service or

a similar service, there is a possible alternative to the 3-year residential qualifying

period. To apply on this basis, you will need to show that:

• On the day you apply your husband, wife or civil partner is working outside the

UK either in Crown or designated service.

• Your husband, wife or civil partner should have been recruited in the UK to that

service.

• Your naturalisation on Crown or designated service grounds should be in the

interests of your husband/wife or civil partner’s employing organisation. The

organisation should provide a letter to this effect.

• If you are in the UK on the day you apply, you must not be subject to time

restrictions on your stay.

• You were not in the UK in breach of the immigration laws during the period of

3 years immediately before applying.

• Your marriage/civil partnership should have lasted 3 years or more

Marriage or civil partnership to a British citizen in Crown or designated service is

only an alternative to certain of the requirements about residence in the UK. You

must still satisfy the requirements about character, language skills and knowledge

of life in the UK and, if you have been in the UK, you must comply with the above

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chapter-4-acquisition-by-birth-outside-the-uk-nationality-instructions

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/chapter-4-acquisition-by-birth-outside-the-uk-nationality-instructions

34

requirements about lawful residence and freedom from immigration time

restrictions.

Contents

35

Biometric enrolment

As part of your application, all applicants are required to enrol their biometric

details for the purpose of identity verification.

Children under 18 applying for registration as a British citizen must also enrol their

biometric details. Children under the age of 6 do not need to provide fingerprints,

but must have a digital photograph taken of their face.

Up to the age of 6 the Home Office only requires a digitised image of the child’s

face, although the regulation does not prevent fingerprints being recorded from

children aged less than 6 years. There is no upper age limit for biometric information

to be taken.

Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian

at their biometric enrolment appointment.

Where you give your biometric information depends on how you’re making your visa or immigration application. You’ll be told where to go after you’ve applied.

Your application may be rejected as invalid if you do not enrol your biometrics

when requested. For more information about enrolling biometrics and the current

fee, please visit the following section of our website:

http://www.gov.uk/biometricresidence-permits.

Contents

http://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits





36

Documents This section tells you the sort of documents you will need to provide for us to

consider your application. We cannot consider your application unless we have

supporting documents. If you do not submit your application with supporting

documents and the correct fee, then the application will be returned to you

unprocessed. You should indicate in the space provided what documents you

have supplied and why.

Evidence of identity

If you were issued with a Biometric Residence Permit, you must provide/use it

in support of your application, alongside:

• Your passport* or

• National identity* card or

• Home Office travel document* or

• Home Office entitlement card* or

• Home Office ARC letter* or

• Your birth certificate or

• Your photo driving licence* or

• A bank, building society or credit card statement issued to you within the last

6 months

* if you used one of these documents when you took the Knowledge of Life in the

UK test you will be expected to use it again by enclosing it with your naturalisation

application.

Evidence of knowledge of language and of life in the UK

We will only accept English language qualifications from the Home Office

approved list of acceptable qualifications.

You will need to provide either:

• a letter confirming success in the Life in the UK Test, stamped and signed

by the Test Supervisor, if you passed the test before 1 October 2019

• your test reference number if you took the test on or after 1 October 2019.

(If you took the test before 17 December 2019, your reference number will

be at the top of your results letter and is 7 numbers long. If you took the Life

in the UK test on 17 December or later, your reference number will be in the

email sent to you with your results, and will be in the format

‘HOM/010114/123456/123456789’.) You will be asked to fill in this number

on your application form.

37

and either

• a Home Office approved qualification in English at B1 CEFR or higher, from

the Secure English Language Test list. You must ensure that you state the

test number in your application. For tests taken on or after 6 April 2015, you

do not need to supply any evidence of the English language test. You must

provide the unique reference number (URN) on your application form,

• a UK degree certificate,

• a degree certificate that was taught or researched in a majority

English speaking country and:

o an Academic Qualification Level Statement (AQUALS) from UK

NARIC confirming the qualification is equivalent to a UK qualification

• A degree certificate that was taught or researched in a non-majority English

speaking country and both of the following:

o an Academic Qualification Level Statement (AQUALS) from UK

NARIC confirming the qualification is equivalent to a UK qualification

o an English Language Proficiency Statement (ELPS) from UK NARIC showing that your degree was taught in English.

• Your passport showing that you are a national of a majority English

speaking country

If you have a B1 level qualification that was accepted for the purposes of an

indefinite leave to remain application, then you do not need to pass another English

language test for your citizenship application.

If you seek exemption from this requirement on the grounds of age or poor physical

and/or mental health you must indicate this on the application form. If you wish to

apply for exemption on grounds of poor physical or mental health, you must

provide evidence from your doctor or medical professional. This must include

confirmation that this is not a temporary condition. There is a form for your doctor

or medical professional to complete. This is available to download from the

Gov.UK website.

Further guidance can be found in the Nationality case working instructions

available on our website.

Applications made on the basis of residence in the

United Kingdom

Evidence of lawful residence during the 5 years (or, if the applicant is married to or

in civil partnership to a British citizen, 3 years) before the date of the application.


https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-in-the-uk-test-exemption-long-term-physical-or-mental-condition

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/life-in-the-uk-test-exemption-long-term-physical-or-mental-condition

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-naturalise-as-a-british-citizen-form-an

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-naturalise-as-a-british-citizen-form-an

38

• Your passports

• If you are unable to provide your passport explain why and supply letters

from employers (including start and finish dates), payslips, P60s, educational

establishments or other government departments indicating the applicant’s

presence in the United Kingdom during the relevant period

If your passport is not stamped when you come into the United Kingdom, for

example because you have a right of abode in the United Kingdom or you are a

national of the “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” or Taiwan, you must provide

your passport and also provide alternative evidence of residence as above. If you

are an EEA national, you must additionally provide the information listed below.

Evidence of freedom from immigration time restrictions • Your passport showing permission to remain permanently in the UK

• The Home Office letter by which you were given permission to

remain permanently in the UK

• If you came to the UK as an asylum seeker you should have evidence that

you were not in the UK without permission between exhausting your appeal

rights and being granted indefinite leave to remain.

• Evidence of being freely landed, if you did not receive specific permission

because you were freely landed as a Commonwealth citizen before 1971

or arrived as a child on your parent’s passport.

Evidence of UK armed forces service

If you were in the UK armed forces and want us to overlook some of the

residence requirements on that basis, you must provide confirmation from your

employer of your dates of service.

For applicants from Switzerland or the European

Economic Area

Evidence of Nationality

• Your valid passport or valid EEA national identity card as evidence of

your nationality.

39

Evidence that you are considered permanently resident in

the UK

• A document certifying permanent residence or a permanent residence

card issued by the Home Office.

If you were granted indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme:

• Evidence that you have been in the UK lawfully for your 3 or 5 year qualifying residence period. This should be evidence that you were here as a worker, student, self-employed, self-sufficient, retired or incapacitated person

• If you spent some of that time in the UK as a student or as a self-sufficient person, and had comprehensive sickness insurance (CSI), a copy of your sickness insurance policy

Further information on how to apply for a document certifying permanent

residence or a permanent residence card, along with the current fee for such

documents can be found on our website.

You can tell us about any additional factors that may help us decide your

application at section 7.10 of the form.

Irish nationals

The position of Irish citizens is different to that of other EEA nationals. Irish citizens

are not normally subject to any form of immigration control on arrival in the United

Kingdom, because Ireland is part of the Common Travel Area. If you are an Irish

national, you will be free from immigration time restrictions for naturalisation

purposes.

You do not need to apply for a permanent residence document before you apply

for naturalisation.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-a-uk-residence-card

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-a-uk-residence-card

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Applications made on the basis of marriage or

civil partnership to a British citizen

Evidence of British citizenship

• Your spouse’s or civil partner’s current passport or

naturalisation/registration certificate showing that he/she is a British citizen.

You should provide a complete and full copy of your spouse’s or civil

partner’s current passport. Every page in the passport must be copied

including the blank pages, and

• The marriage certificate or civil partnership certificate.

Self-employed applicants

If you do not pay tax through Pay As You Earn (PAYE) arrangements, we require

the most recent HM Revenue & Customs Self-Assessment Statement of Account.

Applications made on the basis of crown service or on

the basis of marriage/civil partnership to a British citizen

in crown or designated service

A letter from the relevant employer confirming date and place of recruitment,

position held, and the extent to which it would be in the employer’s interests for the

application to be granted

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Citizenship Ceremonies

If your application is successful and you are living in the UK, you will be invited to

attend a citizenship ceremony if you are over 18. You will receive an invitation

from the Home Office and this will confirm the local authority you should contact to

arrange your ceremony. We expect you to arrange to attend a ceremony within 3

months of receiving your invitation otherwise it will expire and you will have to re-

apply for registration and pay a further processing fee.

If you outside the UK, arrangements will be made for you to make the

oath/affirmation and pledge at the British Embassy, High Commission,

Consulate, Governor’s Office or Lieutenant Governor’s Office.

If you are over the age of 18 when your application is decided, you will need to

attend a citizenship ceremony. At the ceremony, you will be asked to affirm or swear

an oath of allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen and to pledge your loyalty to the UK.

Following this you will be presented with your certificate of registration as a British

citizen.

You must make immediate contact with the local authority once you have been

informed that your application is successful, as you only have 90 days in which to

attend the ceremony. The date by which you must attend your ceremony will be

given in your Home Office citizenship ceremony invitation. If you do not attend the

ceremony within 90 days without good reason, your application for citizenship will be

refused and you will need to re-apply.

Making the Oath (or Affirmation) and Pledge at a citizenship ceremony is a legal

requirement for adults, and the point at which you will become a British citizen. You

are therefore expected to attend a ceremony. If you have special needs or concerns

about saying the Oath (or Affirmation) and Pledge in English, you should bring these

to the attention of the local authority once you have received your invitation.

Contents

Application for Naturalisation as a British...

Documents

Transcript of Application for Naturalisation as a British...