Immigration options

British citizenship

What is British citizenship

British citizenship gives a person the right to live permanently in the UK and access the full rights and benefits of citizenship, including the right to apply for a British passport and vote in elections.

A person may be British automatically at birth, or they may be able to apply to become a British citizen later in life.

The most common routes to British citizenship are:

• acquiring citizenship automatically at birth
• registering as a British citizen
• naturalising as a British citizen

This page covers some of the most common routes to British citizenship. It does not cover other forms of nationality, such as British Overseas citizenship, or provide a complete summary of British nationality law.

Who can apply

A child or adult may be British automatically, or may be able to become a British citizen through registration or naturalisation.

Children

A child may be British automatically at birth or may be able to apply to become a British citizen later.

A child will usually be British automatically if they were born in the UK to a British citizen or a parent who was settled in the UK at the time of birth. A child who has acquired citizenship by birth can apply for a British passport.  

A child may be entitled to register as a British citizen if:

• they were born in the UK and a parent subsequently becomes British or acquires settled status before the child turns 18
• they were born in the UK and lived here until they were at least 10 years old

The Home Office also has discretion to register other children as British citizens.

Children aged 10 or over must also satisfy the good character requirement.

Adults

An adult may be able to become a British citizen by naturalisation if they:

• have lived in the UK lawfully for at least 5 years
• have been settled in the UK for at least 12 months

The spouse or civil partner of a British citizen may be able to apply after 3 years' residence if they are settled in the UK.

An adult may also be entitled to register as a British citizen in certain circumstances. This includes:

• people who were born in the UK before 1 July 2006 to a British or settled father who was not married to their mother
• people who were born in the UK and lived here until they were at least 10 years old 

A Commonwealth citizen may be able to apply for British citizenship through the Windrush Scheme.

How to apply

Applications for British citizenship must be made to the Home Office.

The current fees are:

• £1,000 for a child registration application (unless the child is exempt or eligible for a fee waiver)
• £1,839 for an adult naturalisation application (including the citizenship ceremony fee)
• £1,670 for an adult registration application based on 10 years' residence in the UK (including the citizenship ceremony fee)

For information about the different routes to citizenship and how to apply, see the Home Office guidance on British citizenship.

Getting help

As British nationality law is complex and application fees are costly, immigration advice should be obtained before making an application.

The Project for the Registration of Children as British Citizens (PRCBC) provides information about registration routes for children and may be able to assist some children and young people with applications.

See our information about finding immigration and asylum advice.

Page updated: 05 August 2026