There are many ways to go to Rome. Perhaps the adage is appropriate if you want to get British citizenship. There are various avenues you can take to become British citizenship. Like most Anglophiles (people who are fascinated and greatly admired by England), you will have to go through several stages of immigration, in addition to living in England for a few years. However, if one of your parents or spouse is a British citizen or if you are a citizen of a country that was or is currently a territory of the United Kingdom, the process can be quicker.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Obtaining Citizenship as a Foreign Resident
Step 1. Print the application form
You can find it on the UK government website. This form is known as the AN form, or naturalization application to acquire British citizenship. You can also obtain this form at your local city council or local government office.
In some cases, you can use the services provided by the city council or the relevant office to check your application form for errors with certain fees
Step 2. Ask for an unlimited stay permit
Once you get this license, you can stay in the UK as long as you want. This is an important step because to become a UK citizen you must have spent at least 12 months in UK territory under this licence. You should also plan to continue living in the UK.
- Visit this interactive UK government website to find out if you are eligible to apply for an indefinite stay as requirements vary depending on the type of visa you have at the time of application.
- If you are a citizen of Switzerland or a country included in the European Economic Area, you must present a permanent resident card or other document proving that you have a permanent residence permit.
Step 3. Stay at least 5 years in the UK
To automatically meet this requirement, you must enter the UK as a resident (or join the UK armed forces) and have lived there for at least 5 years and must not spend more than 450 days outside the UK. However, there is a possibility that the UK government will extend this limit to 480 days.
- If you have family and home in the UK, you may be allowed to spend up to 730 days outside the UK as long as you meet the other requirements of the application, and have lived in the UK for at least 7 years.
- If you meet the same requirements, but have lived in the UK for at least 8 years, or are outside the UK due to obligations to you or your spouse, or a civilian partner serving in the armed forces, or because of a business trip for work in the UK, the government may allow you to spend up to 900 days outside the UK.
Step 4. Calculate how long you were absent in the previous year
Officially, the time you've spent outside the UK during the last 365 days can't exceed 90 days, although 100 days isn't usually a problem. In the following cases, you are allowed to be absent for up to 179 days:
- You have a family and a home in England,
- and also meet other application requirements,
- or have a good reason to be outside the UK (e.g. business travel for work in the UK, UK armed forces),
- The UK government very rarely makes exceptions and allows you to leave the UK for 180 days because you must meet all three of the above criteria.
Step 5. Meet the age and good behavior requirements
To apply for citizenship as a foreign resident, you must be at least 18 years old and answer all the questions in section 3 of the application form entitled “Good Character”. These questions ask for information on whether you have ever been subject to civil or criminal penalties (including minor traffic offences) whether occurring in the UK or in any other country. If you give positive answers to these questions, you should describe the incident in detail in the space provided at the end of section 3, and on an additional sheet if necessary. If you have a history of serious crime or unresolved bankruptcy issues, the government may reject your application.
- If your UK driver's license has court support, attach a copy of the file to the application.
- Family law processes, such as divorce, do not need to be described on the form. However, you must mention the offense the child has committed, and indicate whether there is a court order against them.
Step 6. Check if you qualify for any exceptions
For example, if you are over 65, you do not need to pass the Life in the UK test, or prove proficiency in English. If you are under 65 years of age, but have long-term physical or mental problems that make it impossible to pass this test, you must request an exception by checking the appropriate box on the application form. Explain the reason for the request for an exception in the section entitled “Further Information” on page 22 and attach a doctor's certificate.
- Health conditions that are still treatable, such as depression, are considered ineligible for exemption.
- No other exceptions apply, even if you have used them for an unlimited stay application.
Step 7. Try to pass the Living in UK test
The test consists of 24 multiple choice questions covering English tradition, history, law and values. The test lasts 45 minutes and you must answer at least 18 questions correctly. You can schedule a test on the government website and it will cost you £50 (approximately IDR 900,000). After taking the test, wait inside the building to receive a corrected copy and a letter certifying you passed. You need to attach this affidavit to the application. If you have passed the test when you applied for an unlimited stay permit, you can simply attach the same statement and do not need to repeat the test.
- The official study guide for this test is titled Life in the United Kingdom: A Journey to Citizenship.
- You must present the same photo ID that you used when submitting your citizenship application. Write your name exactly as it was used during the test. You will also need to submit documents to verify your address.
Step 8. Demonstrate your proficiency in English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic
In the case of English, you must pass an English language test administered by the UK Ministry of Home Affairs and have at least a B1 level from the CEFR (European Common Framework of Reference for Languages). There are two B1 tests you can take: the IELTS Skill Test or the Trinity Grade 5 test. Alternatively, you can contact the UK NARIC center for the necessary documents to ensure that the degree you earn by taking an English course meets these requirements. Or, you can take another way by showing a passport from a country whose primary language is English.
If you choose to meet these requirements with Welsh or Scottish Gaelic skills, you must submit an affidavit explaining your level of proficiency in these languages
Step 9. Ask two people to complete the references section
As explained in the form, one of them must have British citizenship, while the other, while allowed to hold another nationality, must have a certain professional status, such as a public official or member of a professional organization. Please read the other requirements listed on the form carefully to find two eligible references.
Step 10. Complete the rest of the form
This includes personal information, contact information and employment. Follow the instructions on the form when you need to attach certain documents and don't forget to include your biometric residence permit (which you should get when you apply for an unlimited stay permit), or if you can't get it, drop this requirement.
Step 11. Submit your application form
If you live in the UK, Hong Kong or most other countries, please submit your application to “Department 1 / UKVI / The Capital / New Hall Place / Liverpool / L3 9PP . If you live in an overseas territory of the UK, submit an application to the governor.
Don't forget to include the application fee. For the latest information on costs, visit this website
Step 12. Attend the citizenship ceremony
Usually you will receive a response within 6 months. If the application is approved, you will get contact information to contact to schedule the ceremony. You must attend a citizenship ceremony within 90 days to obtain citizenship. In this ceremony, you will swear an oath of allegiance to the country and the king/queen of England.
Method 2 of 3: Obtaining Citizenship as Spouse of British Citizens
Step 1. Send confirmation of your marriage or civil partnership
If you wish to meet this lighter requirement, you must submit the following documents:
- A valid spouse's passport, a copy of each page of the passport (including blank pages), or a certificate of registration or naturalization certificate as proof of legal UK citizenship.
- Marriage certificate or civil union certificate. You can still meet these requirements even if you have a different civil union certificate, or if you're a homosexual couple from a country that doesn't recognize same-sex marriage. However, contact the UK Visa and Immigration Office to be sure.
Step 2. Stay in the UK for 3 years
To be eligible for citizenship, you must have lived in the UK for at least 3 years prior to submitting an application. You are allowed to spend 270 days outside the UK or 300 days in some cases during this period. If you have family and home in the UK, and meet all the other requirements, you may be allowed to spend more time abroad:
To be able to be abroad for 450 years in a 3-year period, you must stay 4 to 5 years in the UK, or 540 days if you are staying for 5 years. If you have a compelling reason not to be in the UK, such as traveling on business for work in the UK or serving in the UK armed forces, you can waive the residency requirement
Step 3. Know when you can waive the residency requirement
If your spouse or civil partner works for the UK government, or other designated service, you do not have to live in the UK for several years. This also applies if the spouse works for a specific organization that is not directly under the UK government, such as the British Red Cross, a member of the Council of Voluntary Welfare Work, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Step 4. Complete the rest of the form
Despite the above differences, the citizenship application form applies equally to foreigners living in the UK. You must fill out the AN form and attach any other documents or additional information as per the instructions. If you have questions about foreigners living in the UK, you can refer to the previous section of this article.
Method 3 of 3: Obtaining Citizenship as a British Citizen or Child of a British Citizen
Step 1. Find out if you already have British citizenship
A British citizen may hold a British passport, but does not automatically have the right to live and work in the UK. There are certain laws that grant British citizenship to citizens residing in countries that are currently or have been British territories abroad, and persons born in those territories who would otherwise be stateless. In some cases, the spouse or children of a British citizen may apply for citizenship. Contact the UK Visa and Immigration Office to see if you are eligible for UK citizenship.
Step 2. Fill in the relevant forms
If you have British citizenship, you will usually have to fill out a simpler application form. You can find it on this website. Choose a form based on your status:
- Form B(OTA) if you are a citizen of another country.
- Form B(OS) if you have no other nationality.
- S1, S2, or S3 forms if you are stateless (read the instructions to determine the correct form for your situation).
- EM form if you are registered as Hong Kong resident since 4 February 1997.
- RS1 form if you have ever renounced British citizenship.
- UKM form (mother is a British citizen) or UKF (father is a British citizen) if one of your parents is a British citizen, but you did not acquire that citizenship due to the laws in force at the time you were born.
Step 3. Determine if you are eligible for British citizenship if you are not yet 18 years of age
You can get British citizenship even if you are not yet 18 years old in certain circumstances such as:
- If one of your parents had or obtained an indefinite residency permit at the time of your birth, use the MN1 form.
- If both parents are not UK citizens or have an indefinite residency permit, but you have lived in the UK from birth to age 10, use the T form.
- If at the time of your birth, at least one of your parents was a British citizen or had an indefinite residency permit, you do not need to submit an application as this automatically makes you a UK citizen.
Step 4. Contact the UK Visa and Immigration Office if your situation is different
If your situation does not match the descriptions given in this article, but you have another relationship with the UK, contact the UK Visa and Immigration Office as there are a large number of cases in which you can become a UK citizen. The Home Office can also grant citizenship to those under the age of 18, which means you can also waive official requirements if you have good reason.
If you are 18 years or older, you must apply for citizenship through the usual process for foreigners living in the UK, as detailed in the first part of this article
Tips
- If you've been convicted of an offence, but have "served" your sentence and haven't been sentenced a second time, you can apply for British citizenship. However, please note that the UK government has the power to refuse your application, especially if you are convicted of a sex crime or other serious crime.
- You can apply for British citizenship on behalf of a person who is mentally unstable or unable to apply on their own. Attach a cover letter along with a certificate from a doctor or other medical professional who can verify the person's condition.
