British Citizenship

Turkish nationals who meet the eligibility requirements for British citizenship can become British citizens. As a Turkish national, you can become a British citizen by naturalisation, marriage and other routes depending on your situation.

When you become a British citizen, you will be allowed to live, work, study, and carry out every other activity in the UK without immigration restrictions. Also, you will be free to leave the UK and re-enter for as long as you want.

Moreover, becoming a British citizen will grant you access to the UK public funds and even the National Health Service (NHS). Generally, you will be entitled to all the benefits the UK natives enjoy. You must live in the country for some years before you can apply for British citizenship.

You will need permission to remain in the UK when you apply for British citizenship. This permission, such as Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), settled or pre-settled status, must be valid until your citizenship ceremony. If you already have ILR, you must wait for an additional 1 year before you apply for British citizenship.

Page Contents

• Becoming a British Citizen
• Getting British Citizenship
• British Citizenship by Naturalisation
• British Citizenship by Birth
• British Citizenship by Descent
• British Citizenship by Marriage
• British Citizenship by Investment
• UK Dual Citizenship
• How to Apply for British Citizenship?
• Requirements for British Citizenship Application
• British Citizenship Application Fee
• How Long Does it Take to Get British Citizenship?
• Pass the Life in the UK Test
• Prove You Understand English
• Check You’re of Good Character
• Provide 2 Referees
• British Citizenship Ceremony
• How Can Total Law Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

There are several ways to be eligible for British citizenship. They include:

• If you have a British parent, you may become eligible to obtain British citizenship. However, this depends on your parents’ situation, where and when you were born.
• If you have another nationality, such as a British overseas citizen, British subject, British protected person, or British national (overseas).
• If one of your parents is a citizen of British overseas territories.
• If you had renounced your British citizenship.
• If you are not a citizen of any country (stateless).

As a Turkish citizen, other situations are likely to qualify you for British citizenship status. Therefore, it’s best to seek expert guidance from an immigration lawyer to help you assess your situation. Talk to one of our immigration lawyers today for immediate assistance by calling us on +44 (0)333 305 9375 or contacting us online.

Getting British Citizenship for Children

Most times children of individuals granted British citizenship are not automatically British. Therefore, they need to fulfil certain requirements and make a proper application to be British citizens.

To obtain British citizenship for your child, you must make a separate application (if you are also applying for the same). Apply to register children under 18 years old as British citizens. This application process is seamless as the child will not be required to prove English proficiency, pass the Life in the UK Test or do the citizenship ceremony.

The formal procedure for obtaining British citizenship if you were not born in the UK is known as British naturalisation. You’ll be able to apply for a UK passport and have all the privileges and rights British citizens enjoy after becoming a naturalised citizen.

Living in the UK, working there, and accessing public funds will all be possible. When you enter the UK via a Spouse visa, Family Reunion visa, Parent visa, etc., you can renew your visa when its validity period expires.

After renewing the visa, and remaining in the UK for up to 5 years, you can qualify to remain in the UK indefinitely. You may then apply to become a British citizen by naturalisation after residing in the UK for an additional 1 year after obtaining the Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Children born in the British territory do not automatically become British citizens. They must meet certain requirements to become British citizens. As a Turkish citizen who was born in the UK and resided there until you turned 10 years old, you can apply for British citizenship.

You can apply for British citizenship if you were raised in the UK and were under 18 when at least one of your parents obtained citizenship or permanent residency in the country.

This British citizenship route grants individuals born outside the UK the right to become British citizens because they have a British parent.

An individual can obtain British citizenship through descent by registration or being born outside the UK to a British parent.

Merely getting married to a British citizen does not automatically grant you British citizenship. You may become eligible to apply for British citizenship when you meet the requirements.

That being said, you can qualify for UK citizenship by marriage if you live with a British citizen for up to 3 years in the UK. You are also required to be 18 years old or above before getting married among other requirements.

British citizenship by Investment, otherwise known as economic citizenship or investment migration permits its holder to invest significantly in the British economy. The UK does not grant a route to British citizenship via British citizenship by investment currently.

To obtain British citizenship status, Turkish citizens must meet certain requirements. To meet the British citizenship requirements, you must:

• Provide your Turkish international passport.
• Get your residence card to prove you have the ILR status.
• Provide your biometric residence permit.
• Present evidence of your paid citizenship application fees.
• Present your unique reference number for a passed Life in the UK test.
• Show proof that you were in the UK during the assessment period.
• Get evidence of your immigration status.
• Provide your birth or marriage certificate (if applying with your family).
• Provide your bank statement.
• Get your proof of tax payment.
• Present your parents’ passport if you are applying for British citizenship via the birth route.
• Complete an Application for Naturalisation (AN) form as a British citizen.
• Get your admission or employment letter.
• Provide reference forms signed by your referees.
• Get the test result to prove your English proficiency.
• Prove that you have a home address in the UK. To do this, provide your property deed or tenancy contract with your landlord in the UK.

After gathering the above-mentioned documents, ensure that all documents in Turkish or other foreign languages are translated into English by a licensed translator. Also, ensure that those translated documents are notarised.

Turkish citizens applying for British citizenship are required to pay some amount of money in the process. The British citizenship cost include:

• Pay £1,605 for your British citizenship application. Included in this amount is the British ceremony fee of £130
• Pay £1,214  to apply for a child under 18 but you may apply for a fee waiver if you cannot afford the application fee.
• Pay £19.20 for your biometric appointment.
• Pay the Life in the UK Test fee of £50 . If you already took this test before you were granted ILR, you don’t need to retake the test.
• Pay £150 for English language test.

Fee Waivers for Children

Children under 18 who qualify to register for British citizenship may be exempted from paying the British citizenship cost. The children who can benefit from the fee waiver or fee exemption are children who are:

• Taken care of by a local authority.
• Residing outside of the UK and are in a situation where they are being taken care of by a local authority and seeking to register as British citizens.
• Applying to register as British citizens and can prove along with their guardians or parents that they cannot afford the fee.

Additionally, there is a corresponding exemption from the costs associated with administering a citizenship oath and vow or having a citizenship ceremony.

It typically takes the UK Home Office about 6 months to process your citizenship application. However, the process may dwell even longer should there be inaccuracies in your application. In some situations, you may be required to provide further documentation to support your application.

Passing the Life in the UK exam is a requirement for Turkish nationals seeking British citizenship. Your knowledge of the customs, cuisine, politics, culture, history, and day-to-day life in the United Kingdom will be examined.

Go to the Home Office’s website and use the Life in the UK examination portal to schedule the exam. It’s vital to remember that the only location to schedule the test is on the Home Office website. You must pay £50 to schedule the test.

Turkish citizens who wish to take the test must make a reservation at least 3 days in advance with the Home Office. You are free to select the location that is most convenient or closest to you. To register for the test, you’ll need a valid ID (biometric residence permit or passport), a credit or debit card, and an email address.

Fill in the same name you have on your ID while registering for the test. The test is accessible to everybody; individuals with impairments are provided for. Additionally, the Home Office provided resources for those who would wish to rehearse for the exam.

You may get a manual on their website to help you get ready. The manual can be downloaded in print, text, and audio forms. You have 45 minutes to complete all 24 questions on the Life in the UK test. You need to get at least 75% to pass the test.

After passing the test, you will receive a special reference number that you can include as documentation with your citizenship application. You are allowed to retake the test as many times as necessary until you pass it. But each retake will cost you money.

If you fall under these categories of people, you can be exempted from taking the test:

• Turkish citizens who already passed the test to obtain ILR.
• Turkish nationals who may not be able to take the test due to a chronic physical or mental illness. To prove this, get a letter or form from your doctor.

Turkish nationals applying for British citizenship must prove they understand English, Welsh or Scottish Gaelic. However, some individuals are exempted from proving they understand English. They include:

• Individuals from English-speaking countries.
• People who have a degree that was taught in English.
• Individuals who are under 18 or over 65 years old.
• Applicants aged 60 to 65 who can prove they may not learn English until they turn 65.
• People who suffer from mental or physical conditions that prevent them from passing the test.

Turkish nationals applying for British citizenship must prove they are of good character. To prove this, you must ensure you do not owe any kind of debt and have not engaged in unlawful activities, such as having an NHS debt, unpaid taxes, a criminal record, or breaking the UK immigration law, etc.

Note that it’s crucial to include all relevant information to your application, such as criminal conviction. Your application may be rejected if the Home Office discovers you hid some details intentionally.

The Home Office requires you to provide 2 names of people who will help prove your identity. They must have known you for more than 3 years and must be:

• A civil servant of any country (someone with professional standing).
• British passport holder and over 25 years old (also with professional standing).

The British citizenship ceremony is an event where new citizens take an oath of allegiance and a pledge (or they might affirm if they would rather not swear by God) to uphold the UK laws, freedoms, and rights. Following the ceremony, you will be given a welcome package and a certificate of British citizenship.