Under the UK Immigration Rules, certain visa routes enable you to take up permanent residence in the country, and eventually apply for British citizenship. This comes with a number of benefits, including the ability to live, work and vote without any restrictions imposed by UK immigration laws. During the British citizenship application process, you must supply a number of necessary documents to support your application and prove that you meet the eligibility requirements.

You must be certain that you meet all of the relevant British citizenship requirements and that you have all of the relevant supporting documents to hand to have the best chance of success in your application.

Here, the UK citizenship experts at Latitude Law explain the evidence you need for British citizenship applications, how to determine whether you are eligible, and how a solicitor can support you during the process.

What are the eligibility requirements to become a British citizen?

To become a British citizen, you must meet a number of eligibility requirements before you apply. These are based on the British Nationality Act 1981, but they vary based on the specific circumstances of each individual applicant. As such, it is important to check the criteria you must meet before you move ahead with your application. You can also seek expert legal advice from the team at Latitude Law to support you throughout the process.

The minimum requirements to apply for British citizenship include:

• Applicants must be at least 18 years old, be of sound mind, and fully understand the implications of becoming a British citizen. It may mean, for example, that you need a visa to travel back to the country where you were born, so you must consider the implications of this before proceeding.
• You must have good character. To demonstrate good character, you must have:
• No serious or recent criminal convictions;
• No involvement in immigration offences; and
• No history of bankruptcy or financial irresponsibility.

Speak to a solicitor for guidance if you are concerned that any of the above factors could affect your British citizenship application.

• You need to show adequate knowledge of English or Welsh. You can do this by passing a government-approved language test at B1 level or higher. If you hold a degree taught or researched in English, or come from a majority English-speaking country, you may be exempt from this requirement.
• You must pass the Life in the UK Test, which covers British traditions, customs and legal matters. If you passed this test at an earlier stage of your immigration journey you will not need to pass it again. 
• You must hold settled status or indefinite leave to remain in the UK. In some cases, you may need to hold indefinite leave to remain or settled status for 12 months before applying for British citizenship.
• There are strict residency requirements that apply. If you are married or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, you must reside in the UK for at least three years before you can apply. During that time, you must spend no more than 270 days outside the UK, and no more than 90 days in the 12 months before your application. You must have been in the UK three years ago to the day that you make your application.
• If you are not married or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, you need to have lived in the UK for at least five years before you can apply. You cannot have spent more than 450 days outside the UK in those five years, nor more than 90 days in another country in the 12 months before you apply. You must have been in the UK five years ago to the day that you make your application.
• Applicants - except those married to a British citizen - should have a clear intention to live in the UK after gaining citizenship.

Meeting these requirements, and proving that you meet them, can be complicated. You will need several types of supporting documents that demonstrate your eligibility to apply and prove that you are entitled to become a British citizen. Professional legal support is often the best way to manage the application process successfully, because it can help to verify that you have all the documents you need from the outset.

What supporting documents do I need?

The documents you will need to support a British citizenship application vary depending on the situation, but it can help to gather as much evidence as possible. If you do not have access to all of the necessary documents, you should speak to a solicitor about your application and the best ways to prove your identity or eligibility.

• Proof of identity: there are several types of documents you can use for this purpose, and you may need a combination of two or more to fully verify your identity:

A valid passport or national identity card

A Biometric Residence Permit, if you have one, or electronic proof of status (eVisa). This will also prove that you have been granted indefinite leave to remain

Your birth certificate

A Home Office travel document

A photographic driving licence

A recent bank, building society, or credit card statement issued within the last six months

• Proof of lawful residence: you must prove that you have been living in the UK during the required residency period, for which you should provide a copy of your passport (or passports). If you cannot provide a passport, documents like payslips or P60s that can demonstrate your work history, letters from educational institutions confirming periods of study, or documents from government departments that attest to your presence in the UK can all be used.
• Evidence of indefinite leave to remain or settled status: The main way to prove this is with a Biometric Residence Permit or eVisa that shows your indefinite leave to remain status.
• Proof of English language proficiency: Unless you are exempt as discussed above, you will need to provide a certificate for an approved English language test demonstrating at least a B1 level of proficiency in speaking and listening. You must provide a degree certificate (if your studies were conducted in English), a certificate of equivalence for your qualification (in some cases), or a passport from a majority English-speaking country as evidence of your exemption.
• Life in the UK test certificate: You need to have passed the Life in the UK test, and to provide a certificate or notification confirming that you have successfully completed the test.
• Proof of marital status: If you are applying as the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, you should provide a marriage or civil partnership certificate that proves the relationship.
• Biometric information: If you have not already supplied biometric information as part of the visa application process, you will need to have your fingerprints and a photograph taken to secure British citizenship.

Any documents not in English must be accompanied by a certified translation. Note that applicants aged over 65 are not required to meet the English language or Life in the UK requirements. If you are successful, and you are over 18, you will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony, typically within three months of your application’s approval, and be presented with a certificate of British citizenship, either through naturalisation or registration. You can apply for a British passport once you have your certificate.

It is important to note that you do not necessarily need to give up your passport as part of the application process to become a citizen. If your country of origin permits dual citizenship (as the UK does), you can retain your original nationality and passport while becoming a British citizen.

However, some countries do not allow their citizens to hold multiple nationalities, and you may need to give up your passport when you acquire British citizenship. This is another reason why it is important to understand the potential consequences of your decision when you apply for British citizenship.
For advice on the implications of your immigration decisions, or support to give yourself the best chance of success, contact the expert immigration solicitors at Latitude Law today. Call us on 0300 131 6767 or use our online enquiry form to request a call back at your convenience.