Does the UK feel like home? If your time spent here leaves you exploring your options for British citizenship requirements—it’s time to reach out to registration and naturalisation solicitors in London. Gulbenkian Andonian Solicitors specialises in all things immigration and will help you identify the most suitable path to citizenship. We urge you to reach out before you submit your British citizenship application, as this will help you avoid the most common mistakes that lead to denial.
What Do I Need To Naturalise In The UK?
Naturalisation is currently the most common path to citizenship, but you must meet the minimum British citizenship requirements below. Don’t worry if you don’t meet these requirements as we have plenty of other options to explore.
- You must be at least 18 years of age.
- You may not have any immigration offences in the past 10 years.
- You must not have any serious criminal charges.
- You must have lived in the UK for 5 years.
- Your travel outside of the UK in the last 12 months must have been minimal; such as for holidays.
- You must meet the minimum knowledge of English and life in the UK requirements.
- You may qualify for naturalisation if you are currently stateless.
What Do I Need For My British Citizenship Registration?
Registration is another path to citizenship, and again just one of your many options.
Basic requirements British citizenship registration are as follows:
- You have another form of British nationality; overseas citizen, protected person, a British subject, or overseas national.
- Your father is a British citizen.
- Your mother is a British citizen and you were born before 1 January 1983.
- You were born in the UK on or after 1983.
- You are currently stateless.
- You are connected with Gibraltar or Hong Kong.
- You are under the age of 18 and do not meet naturalisation qualifications.
What If My Grandparents Or Ancestors Were Born In The UK?
If you were born outside of the UK, but your parents, grandparents, or qualified ancestors were born in the UK—you may have a claim to British nationality by a Status Trace. Our naturalisation solicitors will perform an in-depth inquiry into essential documents such as birth certificates, marriage certificates, passports, and more. The more removed your ancestor, the more difficult to trace—but in some cases, this is an easy way to prove right to nationality.
How Do I Know If I Have The Right Of Abode?
With the right of abode you can stay in the UK as long as you like, come and go as you please, work, and go to school. Your only requirement will be to obtain a certificate of entitlement and renew it each time your passport expires.
Some of the most common methods of proving your right to abode are:
- One or both of your parents was born in the UK and were a citizen of the UK when you were born or adopted—even if you are not a citizen.
- You were a Commonwealth citizen as of 31 December 1982.
- You are a woman who was married to someone with the right of abode before 1 August 1988.
- You are a woman who entered the UK before 1 August 1988 with their married partner.
Depending on the date of your marriage, women may lose their right of abode if they are divorced and their partner has remarried or remarried and widowed, or their new spouse has a certificate of entitlement.
Do You Meet British Citizenship Requirements But Were Denied Citizenship?
If you meet the criteria outlined above, but your British citizenship application was denied don’t lose hope. Odds are a mistake was made along the way. Therefore we urge you to reach out to our naturalisation solicitors before you apply. We will drastically increase your odds of citizenship on the first try, saving you much time and stress. Some of the most common mistakes made include:
- Applying for an incorrect visa.
- Failing to provide the correct documents.
- Providing the correct documents, but not in the correct format.
- Providing incomplete evidence.
- Following the advice of friends, family members, or anyone who does not specialise in immigration applications.
- Non-disclosure of pertinent information.
- Relying only on the advice of the Home Office, from well-intentioned customer service agents who don’t understand the full scope of immigration law. Gulbenkian Andonian Solicitors aren’t just your run of the mill law firm, but specialised naturalisation solicitors serving the London area. These are the most common citizenship options, there are certainly more options to explore. Reach out today to discuss personal visas, business visas, citizenship, and any and all immigration concerns.
For further information and clarification about the processes involved in naturalisation as a British citizen please do not hesitate to contact us on +44 (0) 20 7269 9590 or fill out the form below (we will reply to you within 24 hours on working days).