The UK government has officially released guidelines for foreign nationals who wish to obtain British citizenship through marriage to a UK national. The guidelines, published by the Home Office, detail the requirements, fees, and processing times for these applications.
Mandatory Three-Year Residency Requirement
According to the official guidance, anyone applying for citizenship as the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen must have been physically present in the United Kingdom for a full three years before the date their application reaches the Home Office. The three-year window is calculated precisely, and even a brief absence from the country immediately before that date can render an application invalid.
To illustrate how strictly the rule is applied, the guidance includes a specific example: if the Home Office receives an application on 20 June 2022, but the applicant left the UK on 10 June 2019 and only returned on 25 June 2019, they would not qualify. In that scenario, the earliest valid date to apply would be 24 June 2022. The Home Office does allow for exceptions under special circumstances, such as health conditions or travel restrictions that prevented someone from being in the country at the start of the three-year period, or situations where a person was ordered to leave the UK but had that decision later overturned.
Application Fees and Breakdown
The total cost of applying comes to £1,839 (N3.37 million), broken down into £1,709 (N3.13 million) for the application itself and a separate £130 (N238,000) fee for the citizenship ceremony.
Processing Times and Priority Options
Under standard processing, applicants can expect a decision within six months, though the Home Office notes that some cases may take longer. Where an application is likely to exceed that timeframe, applicants are informed before the six-month mark passes.
For those who need a faster outcome, a priority service is available, which typically delivers a decision within 30 working days for citizenship applications. A super priority service, which promises a decision by the end of the next working day, is available for visa and settlement applications but cannot be used for citizenship applications.
Impact of Partner's Death
The guidance also addresses what happens if an applicant's British partner passes away during the process. In such cases, the spouse can no longer apply for citizenship on the basis of that relationship, though they may still be eligible through other routes, such as holding indefinite leave to remain in the UK.
This development comes as part of the UK's ongoing efforts to streamline and clarify immigration rules for foreign spouses seeking to become British citizens.
