The United Kingdom Home Office has outlined four specific financial circumstances under which children under the age of 18 can apply to have their British citizenship application fee waived. This scheme offers a route that removes a significant cost barrier for qualifying families.
Eligibility for the Fee Waiver
The fee waiver scheme is open to children who are already eligible for British citizenship. A child may qualify for citizenship if one of their parents treated the UK as their permanent home and, after the child was born, either became a British citizen, obtained indefinite leave to remain, secured settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, received indefinite leave to enter, or was granted permanent residence status.
The Home Office accepts a fee waiver application when the child and their parent or guardian are unable to cover the citizenship fee for any of the following reasons:
- The family has no stable place to live and cannot afford one.
- They cannot meet basic living costs such as food and heating.
- After covering accommodation and other essentials, there is not enough money left to pay the fee.
- Paying the fee would mean a child's needs go unmet.
Children being cared for by a local authority are not required to use this process at all. Their citizenship application is automatically free, provided they supply evidence of their care arrangement when applying.
How to Apply for the Waiver
A parent or legal guardian can apply for the fee waiver on a child's behalf and may include additional children in a single application. The application can be submitted either online or by post. Those applying from Guernsey or Jersey must use the postal route, while applicants from the Isle of Man are currently unable to use this fee waiver process at all.
One important condition applies to online applicants: if the fee waiver is granted through the online system, the citizenship application that follows must also be completed online. Where that is not possible, both steps must be done by post instead.
Decision Timing and Age Considerations
The Home Office also stipulates that a fee waiver decision must be received before the citizenship application is submitted. However, if a child turns 18 while waiting for a decision on their waiver, they may still proceed with their citizenship application as a child and retain eligibility for the waiver if they qualify.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Related Citizenship Rules in Australia
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship. Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship. The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
