Naturalising as a British citizen is a significant life event. It will not only allow you to hold a British passport to travel freely in and out of the UK, this will give you the opportunity to participate fully in the life of your local community, including the right to vote.
There are different ways to apply to naturalise as a British citizen based on your set of circumstances. You may be able to apply for British citizenship, for example, if you are either married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, so long as you have lived in the UK for the last 3 years and have been granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS). In either of these circumstances, you may be eligible to apply for citizenship immediately on the grant of ILR or settled status.
You may also be eligible to apply for British citizenship by way of naturalisation, even if you do not have a British spouse or civil partner, so long as you have lived in the UK with ILR or settled status under the EUSS for a period of 12 months before submitting your application.
If you are eligible in more than one way, you may be able to choose which way to apply, although it is always best to seek specialist advice to explore your available options. You may even be able to ‘register’ for British citizenship in certain circumstances, for example, where you are UK-born but are not automatically classed as a British citizen.
