British citizenship for EU citizens: naturalisation after settled status

In short

• With settled status you can apply for British citizenship (naturalisation) after 5 years in the UK and 12 months with settled status, so usually after about 6 years at the earliest. The spouse or civil partner of a British citizen needs 3 years (as of November 2026; GOV.UK).
• You must pass the Life in the UK test (£50, pass mark 75%) and meet the language requirement in English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic (as of November 2026; GOV.UK).
• On the 5-year route you can spend at most 450 days outside the UK in 5 years and 90 days in the last 12 months (as of November 2026; GOV.UK).
• Cost: £1,839 (£1,709 to apply and £130 for the ceremony, as of November 2026; GOV.UK). A decision usually takes 6 months.
• You become a British citizen when you take the oath at the ceremony (within 90 days (3 months) of your invitation, as of November 2026; GOV.UK). Your naturalisation certificate is not a travel document, and a first British passport costs £102 online (GOV.UK).
• According to gov.pl (as of November 2026), Polish citizenship is lost on the citizen's own application, with the consent of the President of Poland.

When can you apply for British citizenship

According to GOV.UK (as of November 2026) you can apply if you have lived in the UK for 5 years and have had settled status (ILR under the EUSS) for 12 months. The Home Office also requires 12 months free of immigration time restrictions, so you may need to wait until you have been in the UK for at least 6 years (Form AN: guidance). You must also:

• be 18 or over;
• prove you were in the UK exactly 5 years before the day the Home Office receives your application (online, it receives it the same day; by post it takes longer);
• meet the language requirement in English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic (below we explain how to prove your knowledge of English), pass the Life in the UK test and meet the "good character" requirement (below);
• intend to keep living in the UK: if your application states that you are abroad or intend to go abroad for more than 6 months continuously, it will usually be unsuccessful, subject to the exceptions described in Guide AN;
• have permission to stay that lasts until the day of your ceremony.

Proof of your EUSS settled status will normally meet the lawful residence requirement, so you do not send evidence of what you were doing in the UK before it was granted.

Pre-settled status. People from the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein can also apply if they started living in the UK by 31 December 2020 (or are a family member of such a person), have lived in the UK for 5 years in a row and in that time were working (or looking for work for up to 3 months), studying or self-sufficient. After that, according to the citizenship guide, you must live in the UK for another year, unless your spouse or partner is a British citizen. We describe both statuses in the guide EU Settlement Scheme: settled and pre-settled status, share code.

The spouse or civil partner of a British citizen (GOV.UK) must have lived in the UK for at least 3 years before applying and can apply as soon as they have ILR or settled status. You must also prove that you were in the UK exactly 3 years before the day the Home Office receives your application. Being in a relationship, without marriage or a formal civil partnership, is not enough.

How many days can you spend outside the UK before applying

According to Guide AN (as of November 2026) the Home Office counts only whole days outside the UK: the days you leave and return are not absences.

Sources: GOV.UK, GOV.UK (spouse), as of November 2026.

On the application you list your trips as precisely as you can, for example from emails and boarding passes. The Home Office also checks its own records and fills in gaps. It can disregard absences over the limits in some circumstances, but it only very rarely disregards absences of more than 900 days (540 on the 3-year route).

The Life in the UK test and English: what you need to pass

According to Guide AN (as of November 2026), people with EUSS settled status did not have to meet the language or test requirements when they settled, so you do it before applying for citizenship. Without both, your application may be refused and your fee retained.

The test. According to GOV.UK (as of November 2026) you book it online at least 3 days in advance and pay £50. This is the only official booking service.

• The test lasts 45 minutes and has 24 questions from the official "Guide for New Residents". You need at least 75% to pass.
• If you have an eVisa (for example settled status), you book the test with a share code. Bring the original of the same ID to the test: without it you cannot take the test and the fee is not refunded.
• When you pass you get a unique reference number that you need for your application. You can retake a failed test as many times as you need, paying each time.
• People aged 65 or over are exempt from both the Life in the UK test and the language requirement. A medical exemption is not automatic: according to Guide AN, the condition must permanently prevent you from meeting these requirements, and you must provide a Waiver request form completed by a medical practitioner.

English. According to GOV.UK (as of November 2026) you prove it with a qualification at B1, B2, C1 or C2 level (a SELT with an approved provider, valid for 2 years) or a degree taught in English. If your degree was awarded by an institution outside the UK, you need an assessment from Ecctis. For citizenship, you can also use an expired B1–C2 qualification if it was accepted when you settled in the UK. GCSEs, A levels and NVQs are not accepted. Unless you are exempt on grounds of age or a qualifying long-term condition, you must prove your English if your country is not on the GOV.UK list, even if English is an official language there.

Good character and referees

According to Guide AN (as of November 2026), the "good character" requirement means observing UK law. Criminal record checks are carried out in every case, and knowingly making a false declaration is a criminal offence. You must declare:

• all criminal convictions in the UK and overseas;
• fixed penalty notices, for example for speeding or parking. They are not normally taken into account unless you failed to pay and there were criminal proceedings, or you received several in a short time;
• bankruptcy, unreasonably failing to pay council tax, an unpaid NHS debt of £500 or more, and deception in dealings with the Home Office.

The Home Office may ask HMRC whether your tax and National Insurance affairs are in order. We describe the rules in the guide Income tax in the UK: tax code, PAYE, Self Assessment. If you are awaiting trial or sentencing, you are advised to wait before applying. If you have a conviction or another doubtful matter, get free advice before you apply (see "Where to get help").

Referees. Your application must be endorsed by 2 referees. One can be of any nationality but must be a professional person. The other referee must hold a British citizen passport and be either a professional person or over 25. Each must have known you for at least 3 years. Neither may be related to you or to the other referee, work for the Home Office, or represent you as your solicitor or agent in this application. The Home Office will not usually accept someone convicted of an imprisonable offence during the last 10 years.

How much naturalisation costs and how to apply

The amounts come from the Home Office fees table in force from 8 October 2026 and GOV.UK (as of November 2026). From April 2027 the amounts may be different.

A decision usually takes 6 months. With the priority service, citizenship applications usually take 30 working days, but you cannot use it with a paper form.

1. Pass the Life in the UK test, get proof that you meet the language requirement and find 2 referees.
2. Fill in form AN online. As proof that you are free from immigration time restrictions, the 16-digit UAN from your settled status grant is enough.
3. Book an appointment at a UKVCAS service point and give your fingerprints and photo, usually within 45 days of submitting your application (otherwise the application is invalid). You upload or scan your documents at the appointment.
4. Wait for the decision. If your situation changes (you move house, get married or are arrested), tell UKVI: nationalityfurtherinformationrequests@homeoffice.gov.uk.

The ceremony, your certificate and your first British passport

According to GOV.UK (as of November 2026) your local council organises the ceremony, usually in groups. Guide AN says 90 days and GOV.UK says 3 months from your invitation: book and attend your ceremony within 90 days (3 months), because without good reason your application will be refused and you will need to re-apply. You can usually bring 2 guests. You make an oath and a pledge, and that is the point at which you become a British citizen.

Your naturalisation certificate is not a travel document. According to GOV.UK (as of November 2026) a first adult passport costs £102 online or £115.50 with a paper form and is valid for 10 years. You include your naturalisation certificate and either the passport you used to enter the UK or the foreign passport you are included on. Do not book travel until you get your passport. We describe the rules for entering the EU on a British passport in the guide EES and ETIAS: travelling to the EU on a UK passport. We cover children's citizenship in the guide Child born in the UK: British citizenship and passport.

Will you lose Polish citizenship, and can you hold two

GOV.UK (as of November 2026) says the UK allows dual citizenship, but advises you to check whether the country of your current nationality allows it.

According to gov.pl a Polish citizen loses Polish citizenship on their own application, after the President of Poland has consented to the renunciation. In a statement of 7 October 2026 the Polish Embassy says that a person with Polish and another citizenship is treated by the Polish authorities solely as a Polish citizen, and that a valid Polish passport should be used when crossing the Polish border.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to apply for citizenship if I have settled status?

No. According to Citizens Advice (as of November 2026), with settled status you can live and work in the UK permanently, but you can also apply for citizenship if you want to. With citizenship you can leave the UK for as long as you want without losing your right to return.

Can I leave the UK after I have applied?

According to Guide AN (as of November 2026), while you wait for a decision you can travel using your valid passport and evidence of your valid immigration status. Remember the biometrics step (usually within 45 days of submitting your application) and the ceremony after a successful decision.

What if I fail the Life in the UK test?

According to GOV.UK (as of November 2026), you can rebook the test as many times as you need. You pay separately for each attempt.

Will the announced reform change my settled status?

The Home Office said on 2 November 2026 (as of November 2026) that settled status will never be removed from anyone who already holds it. According to the consultation document of November 2025, EUSS settled status is outside the scope of the settlement reforms. A reform of citizenship has been announced and will need new legislation, and according to Citizens Advice the government has not said when the rules will change.

Where to get help

Numbers and hours: as of November 2026.

• Citizenship and Nationality Enquiries (Home Office): nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk (Guide AN).
• Life in the UK Test helpline: 0800 015 4245, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm (GOV.UK).
• Passport Adviceline: 0300 222 0000, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, weekends and UK bank holidays, 9am to 5:30pm (GOV.UK).
• Immigration Advice Authority (IAA): a register where you can check an agent or representative before you pay.
• Citizens Advice: Deciding if citizenship is right for you.