British Citizenship After ILR: When You Can Apply
Once a person has held ILR for 12 months, they can usually apply for British citizenship after ILR. ILR, or indefinite leave to remain, lets you live and work in the UK permanently, with no limit on how long you may stay. When your British citizenship application is based on marriage to a British citizen, the 12-month wait is not required.
What You Need for Naturalisation in the UK
Becoming a British citizen as an adult with ILR happens through naturalisation, a legal process. Before you apply, the standard UK citizenship requirements call for at least five years of living in the UK.
Physical presence in the UK on the exact date five years before your British citizenship application reaches the Home Office is also required. Passing the Life in the UK Test for settlement already earns you a unique reference number for your form, so taking it again is not necessary.
Time Abroad Allowed in Those Five Years
A cap applies to how long you spend abroad while naturalising in the UK, just as it did when you recorded ILR absences for settlement.
During those five years, your time outside the UK must stay at or below 450 days, with no more than 90 days abroad in the latest 12 months.
Costs and Waiting Times for a British Citizenship Application
Online British citizenship applications require the fee to be paid when you submit the form, separate from the ILR fees you paid earlier.
Within six months of applying, you will usually hear a citizenship decision, and adults attend a local ceremony afterwards.
| Applicant | Total Cost | Fee Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £1,839 | £1,709 application fee plus a £130 ceremony |
| Child | £1,000 | Standard child application fee |
eVisa and Share Code: Ways to Check Your UK Visa Status
To prove your ILR while waiting to apply for citizenship, go online. With an eVisa, your UK immigration status is held as a digital record, and it replaces physical documents like a biometric residence permit or BRP.
To run a UK visa status check and receive a share code, sign in to your UKVI account. When you give a share code to an employer or landlord, that short code confirms your status. Delaying your citizenship application carries a risk: spending more than two years outside the UK can mean ILR is lost.
Common Questions About British Citizenship After ILR
How Long Do I Have to Wait for British Citizenship After ILR?
Settlement through a work route, for example Skilled Worker settlement, usually means a wait of at least 12 months with ILR before you apply. Even after those 12 months have passed, confirm your travel dates first, so that when your submission goes in, you were physically present in the country on that same date five years before.
After You Get ILR, How Long Until Citizenship?
You do not have to wait 12 months after settlement when marriage to a British citizen lets you qualify following a spouse visa. The Home Office usually decides within six months once your online application is submitted, and your ceremony is where you formally become a British citizen.
Is the Life in the UK Test Required Again for Citizenship?
No. The unique reference number you got when you passed it for your settlement application is what you enter on your citizenship form.