British Citizenship Through Marriage: Step-by-Step Guide

Table Of Contents:

1. What is British Citizenship through Marriage
2. Step-by-step Guide
3. Meeting Eligibility Criteria
4. Apply for British Citizenship
5. Prove Your Identity
6. Pay the Application Fee
7. Submit the Documents
8. Await a Decision
9. Attend a Citizenship Ceremony
10. Final Thoughts

British citizenship through marriage is a way to naturalise as a British Citizen. If you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, you can apply to naturalise as a British citizen after living in the UK for a minimum of 3 years before you apply. Once you obtain citizenship, you will have the same rights and responsibilities as ordinary citizens of the UK. You can live, work, and study in the UK without restrictions. You can participate in the country’s democratic system by voting in national and local elections, can access free NHS services, and claim UK state benefits and access various social security benefits such as pensions and unemployment support.

The UK also offers dual citizenship, which means you can be a citizen of the UK and another country at the same time, provided the other country also accepts dual citizenship.

What is British Citizenship through Marriage?

If you are a non-UK national and you are married to a British citizen, you may be eligible to naturalise as a British citizen. However, being married to a British citizen does not mean that you will automatically become a British citizen. You will need to meet the eligibility criteria under the British Nationality Act 1981 and apply for citizenship to the Home Office.

Once you meet the eligibility criteria, fill up the naturalization application form, submit supporting documents, and pay the application fee, you may be granted British Citizenship. You need to attend a citizenship ceremony where you will be awarded British citizenship, after which you can apply for a British passport.

Step-by-step Guide

The application for British citizenship is a complex and long process. You need to understand the stages involved in the application process and be prepared for it. You are required to go through each step properly to avoid mistakes and hence make a successful application.

Let us see the step-by-step process for British citizenship through marriage.

1. Meeting Eligibility Criteria

The process to British citizenship through marriage starts with meeting the eligibility criteria. Here are the eligibility criteria you need to meet to naturalise:

• You are aged 18 or over when you apply.
• You are married to, or the civil partner of, a British citizen when you apply.
• You have lived in the UK for at least 3 years before you apply.
• You are of sound mind to understand the steps you are taking.
• You must have been physically present in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, or the Channel Islands exactly 3 years before the Home Office receives your application.
• You must be free from immigration restrictions, for example, you have ILR, ILE, or settled status under the EUSS, on the date of application.
• You were not in breach of the immigration laws in the 3-year period before making your application. If you have been granted Indefinite Leave To Remain (ILR) or ILE in the UK, the Home Office may assume you meet this requirement without making further enquiries.
• You must not have been outside the UK for more than 270 days in the 3-year period before making the application.
• You must not have been outside the UK for more than 90 days in the 12-month period before making the application.
• You have passed the ‘Life in the UK’ test.
• You must prove your knowledge of English, Welsh, or Scottish Gaelic to an acceptable level.
• You are of a ‘good character’.

You can apply as soon as you have one of the following:

• ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) status in the UK.
• ‘Settled Status’ under the EU Settlement Scheme
• UK ILE (Indefinite Leave to Enter) status (permission to move to the UK permanently from abroad)

2. Apply for British Citizenship

You can apply yourself or through an agent or representative.

Applying Yourself – If you are in the UK, you can apply online or by post, and if you are applying from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory, you have to apply by post or in person instead. If you are applying online, you can fill in the form online here.

Applying through an Agent or Representative – If you apply through an agent or representative, they must be registered with the IAA (Immigration Advice Authority). You can also apply through solicitors or barristers who are not registered with the IAA. In that case, the solicitor or barrister must be registered with one of the following organisations:

• General Council of the Bar
• Law Society of England and Wales
• Chartered Institute of Legal Executives
• Faculty of Advocates
• Law Society of Scotland
• General Council of the Bar of Northern Ireland
• Law Society of Northern Ireland

3. Prove Your Identity

As part of your application for British citizenship through marriage, you will need to prove your identity. For this, you will need to book an appointment at a UKVCAS (UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service) point in the UK. On your appointment date, you need to visit the UKVCAS service point and enroll your biometric information, which means your fingerprints and facial photograph.

4. Pay the Application Fee

British citizenship through naturalization costs £1,735 to apply. This includes the citizenship ceremony fee of £130. For online payment, you must use a debit card or a credit card. Postal applicants can complete the payment slip and send it by post.

If your application is rejected, you will not be refunded the fee that you paid.

5. Submit the Documents

You need to submit the copies of documents either during the online application or get your documents scanned at the UKVCAS on your appointment date. You don’t need to send your documents anywhere.

As a minimum, you should submit the following documents:

• Proof of your ILR, ILE, or EUSS.
• Your spouse or civil Partner’s passport.
• Your marriage or civil partnership certificate.
• Documents such as Life in the UK test reference number and IELTS test certificates to prove that you meet the KOLL (knowledge of life and language in the UK) requirements.
• A valid identification document such as a valid passport, valid travel document, or birth certificate.
• Evidence of residence in the UK for the relevant period, with documents such as a tenancy agreement, mortgage statement, tax documents, or council tax bills.
• Travel documents to prove your absences from the UK during your qualifying period, including details.
• Details of 2 referees

6. Await a Decision

Applicants usually get their decisions from the Home Office within 6 months. Some applications take more than 6 months. The Home Office will tell you if your application will take longer.

The Home Office may ask you to provide more information to help you with your application.

If your circumstances change during your application (for example, you move house, get married, or are arrested), you should contact UKVI.

7. Attend a Citizenship Ceremony

If your application for British citizenship through marriage is successful, you will need to attend a citizenship ceremony. The Home Office will send you an invitation for this, and you must attend the ceremony within 3 months after receiving an invitation.

• Book Your Ceremony – You need to book your citizenship ceremony with your local authority, which will organise the ceremony for you.

You must go to the ceremony with your invitation. You can take 2 guests to the ceremony with you.

• If You are Living Outside – If you are living outside the UK, you can ask the embassy or consulate in your country to have your citizenship ceremony there instead.
• At the Ceremony – During the citizenship ceremony, you will have to make an oath of allegiance (You can choose to make an affirmation instead if you prefer not to swear by God) and a pledge. This means you promise to respect the rights, freedoms, and laws of the UK.

At the end of the ceremony, you will receive your certificate of British citizenship and a welcome pack.

Final Thoughts

British citizenship through marriage requires a deep understanding, as citizenship cannot be awarded to everyone. Your application goes through rigorous scrutiny before you are granted British Citizenship. The Home Office will ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria, which include proving you are of good character and sound mind. Proving good character is a technically complex task. Hence, for this reason and other reasons, you should either seek a solicitor’s advice or apply through them.

Once you get a British citizenship, you can apply for a British passport. You can live outside the UK for any amount of time without having a fear to lose your British citizenship.

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