FAQ

Why does being ‘lawfully resident’ matter?

Those wishing to become British citizens by naturalisation will need to show that they were lawfully resident for a period of time in the UK.

If you were not lawfully resident, your application to become a British citizen might be unsuccessful. If you have concerns that you might not have been lawfully resident in the UK for the period you want to rely on in your naturalisation application, you should contact an expert.

There are many organisations and individuals providing advice on citizenship. In the UK, all immigration advice is regulated, so please make sure you go to someone who is qualified to give you advice on this area of law. On the ILPA website, you can find a directory of members to find an immigration advisor near your area: https://ilpa.org.uk.

On our Useful Links page we also provide a dedicated section "Legal advice on British citizenship".