UK Citizenship Guide for US Applicants

Children born in the UK may automatically be a British citizen or may be eligible to apply for citizenship in the UK, provided they meet certain additional criteria. These criteria vary depending on your date of birth and your parents’ circumstances when you were born.

Children born in the UK with at least one of their parents being a British citizen or an Irish citizen living in the UK, will automatically get UK citizenship regardless of when they were born. If you were adopted by a British citizen in a UK court, you will also be a British citizen.

If you were born in the UK to foreign parents before 1 January 1983, you would be a British citizen automatically unless your father was a diplomat working for a foreign country at the time of your birth or was ‘an enemy alien in occupation’ and you were born in the Channel Islands during World War II.

If you were born in a British colony before 1 January 1983, you would be a British citizen if you were a Citizen of the UK and Colonies (CUKC) on 31 December 1982 and had the ‘right of abode’ in the UK. However, you might not be a British citizen if you had a certificate to confirm that you were registered as a (CUKC) under the ‘British Nationality (No 2) Act 1964.

If you were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983 to foreign parents who are neither British, Irish or EEA nationals, you may still become a British citizen if at least one of your parents was living in the UK when you were born and had ILR, or right of abode, or right of re-admission.

If at least one of your parents was an EEA national living in the UK when you were born, whether you get British citizenship automatically will vary as follows:

• For children born during between 1 January 1983 and 1 October 2000, their EEA national parent must have had free movement rights in the UK
• For children born between 2 October 2000 and 29 April 2006, their EEA national parent must have had ILR/right of abode/right of re-admission
• For children born between 30 April 2006 and 30 June 2021, their EEA national parent must have had ILR/right of abode/right of re-admission/settled status/permanent residence status
• For children born from 1 July 2021 onwards, their EEA national parent must have had ILR/settled status/right of abode/right of re-admission

You may also apply to ‘register’ as a British citizen if you were born in the UK on or after 1 January 1983, if:

• You are under 18
• At least one of your parents became a British citizen, or got permission to stay in the UK permanently, since you were born
• You lived in the UK until you were 10 or older

If You Were Born Before 1983

Americans born outside the UK before 1983 will automatically become a British citizen provided their father:

• Was a British citizen at the time of their birth
• Was married to their mother
• Was able to pass on his citizenship to you since he:
  • Was born or adopted in the UK, or
  • Was granted citizenship after applying for it in his own right and not based on having a British parent himself, or
  • Was in Crown service (e.g. diplomatic services or armed forces) when you were born

Alternatively, you may be eligible to apply for citizenship in the UK provided:

• You have a British father but your parents were not married at the time of your birth
• You have a British mother but not a British father
• At least one of your parents was a citizen of the UK and Colonies when you were born, and they were:
  • Born or adopted in the UK, or
  • Granted UK citizenship after applying for it in their own right, or
  • In Crown service when you were born

If You Were Born Between 1983 and June 2006

You will automatically become a British citizen if:

• You were born outside the UK between 1983 and 30 June 2006
• Either of your parents was a British national at the time of your birth
• Your parents were married when you were born in case your father was a British citizen but your mother was not
• Your British parent is eligible to pass on their citizenship to you

You may be able to apply for UK citizenship even if your British father was not married to your mother at the time of your birth but he is eligible to pass on his citizenship to you.

If You Were Born on or After 1 July 2006

People born outside the UK on or after 1 July 2006 will automatically become British citizens if either of their parents was a British citizen when they were born, and eligible to pass on their citizenship to their children since they themselves were born or adopted in the UK, or applied for and received UK citizenship in their own right.

If they were working as a Crown servant at the time of your birth, they will also be eligible to pass on their British citizenship to you.

Alternatively, if you were born outside the UK on or after 1 July 2006, you may be able to apply for British citizenship by descent if you:

• Have lived with your parents in the UK (only in limited circumstances)
• Have a British parent who lived in the UK before you were born (additional conditions apply)
• Were adopted by a British citizen outside the UK
• Have a British citizen father but your mother was married to someone else when you were born

Additionally, if your father had indefinite leave to remain in the country at the time of your birth but your mother was married to someone else, you may be eligible to apply to become a British citizen by descent.

British citizens by descent enjoy most of the rights similar to British citizens by birth, adoption, naturalization or registration.

However, there is one significant difference according to British nationality law. If you become a British citizen by descent, you will not be able to pass your UK citizenship automatically to your children born outside the UK, unlike other British citizens.

English Language Requirement

To apply for a UK citizenship you may need to prove your knowledge of the English language, unless:

• You are aged 65 or over
• You are unable to take a test to prove your knowledge of English because of a long-term physical or mental condition, as confirmed by a doctor through a completed exemption form
• You belong to certain nationalities (note: US nationals are exempt but if you are a US Green Card holder, check the Home Office website to understand whether you need to take the test)

You need to prove your knowledge of English through either having an English qualification at CEFR B1, B2, C1 or C2 level, or through a degree taught or researched in English.

Note that if you were exempt from proving your language proficiency when you were granted settlement, you will be required to again submit an exemption form when applying for UK citizenship.

Good Character Requirement

According to the British Nationality Act 1981, it is a statutory requirement for those applying for British citizenship through naturalization to be of good character.

In other words, you must observe UK laws and show respect for the rights and freedoms of the citizens.

The Home Office caseworkers may refuse your citizenship application if:

• You have not respected or are not prepared to abide by the law
• You have been involved in or associated with war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, terrorism, or other actions not conducive to the public good
• Your financial affairs are not in order
• Your activities have been notorious and cast serious doubt on your standing in the local community
• You have deliberately been dishonest or deceptive while dealing with the UK government
• You have broken UK immigration laws
• You have previously been deprived of British citizenship, etc.

Life in the UK Test

As part of your application to become a British citizen through naturalization, you will need to pass the Life in the UK test unless you are under 18 or over 64, exempted because of a physical or mental condition, or have passed it once already (e.g., as part of your settlement application).

The test comprises questions about British traditions and customs, UK laws and the legal system, working in the UK, and other such details of life in the country.

You will have to score at least 75% to pass the test. There is no limit, however, as to how many times you can take the test, but you will have to pay a fee every time you apply.

British Citizenship Referee Requirements

The Home Office mandates that two referees will need to endorse your citizenship application. Each referee must:

• Know you personally for at least a period of three years
• Be willing to declare in full what they know of you
• Be ready to advise the Home Office of any reason(s) due to which you must not be registered as a British citizen

One of the referees can be a professional person of any nationality, such as a minister of religion or a civil servant. They may also be a member of a professional body, e.g., an accountant or a solicitor.

The second referee must be a British citizen passport holder, and must either be a professional person or aged over 25.

Neither of the referees must be:

• Related to you or to each other
• A solicitor or agent representing you on your citizenship application
• Employed by the Home Office
• Convicted of an imprisonable offence during the past 10 years (unless that conviction can be disregarded per the Home Office specifics)

The Home Office may run background checks to determine whether the referees have any unspent convictions, and are qualified to act as a referee for you. They will also review the genuineness of the referees’ signatures. Applicants providing false information will be punished in accordance with the British Nationality Act 1981.

You will be required to submit documentary evidence in support of your claim to British citizenship. The documents you will be required to submit will vary depending on your chosen pathway to citizenship in the UK.

Usually, you will need to submit the following supporting documents:

• Your current, valid passport
• Your ILR or settled status in the UK, for the naturalization route
• Relevant birth certificates for citizenship by descent (or double descent)
• Marriage/civil partnership certificate if you are applying for citizenship because you are married to, or in a civil partnership with, a British citizen
• Documents as specified in ‘Annex A’ that prove your five-year (or three-year) continuous residence in the UK prior to your application date
• Your biometric details and residence permit
• Your English language proficiency certificate (you must have at least a B1 level proficiency on the CEFR scale)
• The reference number on your pass certificate for the ‘Life in the UK’ test
• Documents showing any absences from the UK during the five years (including permitted absences)

• Endorsement from two referees
• Any other documentary proof that support your citizenship application

Annex A categorizes the proof of continuous living into two categories: preferred evidence and alternative evidence. A single document from the preferred evidence list may suffice as proof of residence for a significant period. That is why they are considered as preferred evidence, also known as long-term documents in common parlance.

However, in case an applicant does not have any of the documents mentioned on the preferred evidence list to cover a period of their stay in the UK, they may submit documents mentioned in the alternative evidence list to cover for the said period.

Note that your Home Office caseworker may also ask you to submit further evidence depending on your circumstances. It is advisable that you provide as much information as possible that helps prove that you have a lawful claim to apply for British citizenship, especially so given the fact that the UK’s immigration rules are getting stricter by the day.

Any misinformation or false document will jeopardize your naturalization claim in the UK, and you may be detained and subsequently deported to your country of origin.

If you qualify to automatically become a British citizen, you will only have to apply for a British passport if you so wish. In such a scenario, you may apply for:

• A child’s passport if you are under 16
• An adult passport if you are aged 16 or more
• A letter confirming your British citizenship

However, if you are eligible to apply to become a British citizen by descent instead, you will have to fill in your relevant online application form (depending on when you were born) on the Home Office website.

For all British citizenship applications through the naturalization route, including the ones by marriage, you must fill in Form AN. If you are applying online, you will have to apply through the Home Office website. If you are applying by post, you can download the latest version of Form AN, the paper form to be used by those applying on or after 29 January 2025, from the same website.

Before you are filling in the form, either online or the paper version, we recommend you to read the Guide AN, to ensure that you understand the criteria for naturalization before submitting your application so as to minimize the risk of a refusal.

You can apply online or by post. If you are a US national but currently live in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory and are applying from there, you must apply by post or in person though.

Applying for British Citizenship Online

1. Create an account on the Home Office website with an email ID
2. Have all your supporting documents and other relevant information ready with you so as to answer the questions on the online form completely and accurately
3. Submit the completed form along with scanned copies of your supporting documents and pay the fees online (unless you are eligible to apply for a fee waiver)
4. Book an appointment with a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point to provide your biometric details

You may either upload your documents into the UKVCAS online service or have them scanned at your UKVCAS appointment.

Applying for British Citizenship by Post

If you are applying by post, fill in the paper version of Form AN and send the same along with payment slip (including the fee) and supporting documents to:

• The Lieutenant Governor if you are living in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man
• The Governor of the territory if you are living in a British Overseas Territory
• UK Visas and Immigration at the following postal address (for people living elsewhere but opting to apply by post instead of online):

Department 1
UK Visas and Immigration
The Capital Building
New Hall Place
Liverpool
L3 9PP