Spouses and civil partners of British citizens have the option to become citizens themselves. As a British citizen, you will be able to live and work in the UK permanently. You will be guarded by the protections of UK laws in the UK and outside of the UK. You will be able to travel with a UK passport. And, you will be granted all the freedoms of a citizen such as the right to privacy, liberty and fair trial.

Naturalisation Requirements

If you want to become a naturalised British citizen through your marriage or civil partnership to a current British citizen, then you must meet the following requirements:

• Age. You must be at least 18 years old.
• Sound Mind. The UK Border Agency defines sound mind as: “Having the ability to make your own decisions and have some understanding of the meaning and consequences of the action you are taking.”
• Life in the UK. You must have knowledge of Life in the UK and pass the Life in the UK test. This includes knowledge of UK laws, history, culture and customs.
• English language. You must have sufficient knowledge of the English language and must pass an English language test. If you live in Wales or Scotland, you can substitute this requirement if you can communicate in Welsh or Scottish Gaelic.
• Residential Requirement. You must have been physically present in the UK for at least 3 years prior to your applying for naturalization. You cannot have been absent from the UK for more than 90 days in the 12 months before submitting your application and cannot have been absent for more than 270 days in the entire three year period.

Form AN is the application form for British citizenship. Becoming a British citizen is a life-changing event that offers amazing opportunities. You’d be awarded not only the ability to live and work permanently in the UK, but also all the protections and freedoms of British law and the ability to travel freely with a British passport.

The application process for British citizenship is complex, however, and it all begins with Form AN.

Form AN Eligibility Requirements

British citizenship requirements are dictated by British nationality law in a legalese language that is difficult to understand. Here are the basic requirements, written in plain English:

Residency Requirement

• 5 years. You must have been physically present in the UK for five years to be eligible for citizenship, in most cases.
• 450 days.You cannot have been absent from the UK for more than 450 days during the five years prior to submitting your application.
• 3 years. If you were married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, then you are only required to have been physically present in the UK for three years to be eligible for citizenship.
• 270 days. You cannot have been absent from the UK for more than 270 days during the three years prior to submitting your application.
• 90 days.You must also not have been absent from the UK for more than 90 days in the 12 months prior to submitting your application.

Good Character

You must prove that you are a person of good character by providing the following personal information:
• Taxes. You must demonstrate that you have paid income tax and National Insurance contributions.
• Criminal Convictions. You must provide details of any criminal convictions, from inside and outside the UK.
• Civil Judgements. You must provide details of any civil judgements passed on you under UK Immigration Acts.
• Impending court case. If you have been charged with an offence and are waiting to go to court, you will need to provide details of this.
• Terrorism. You may have to prove you were not involved in terrorism.