British Citizenship (Naturalisation) · sub-route
Spouse of British citizen
£1,839 · no waiting period after ILR
Sourced from GOV.UK · Updated April 2026The short answer
Spouse of British citizen is one way to qualify for the British Citizenship (Naturalisation). The core rules of the British Citizenship (Naturalisation) apply, the specifics that set this route apart are below.
£1,839Application fee from
, IHS per year
For life (revoked only in rare national-security cases)Initial leave
, To settlement (ILR)
Who qualifies for this route
- Married to a British citizen AND hold ILR / settled status (no minimum time on ILR)
- 3 years UK residence (not 5) · Max 270 days absent in 3 yrs
- Max 90 days absent in last 12 months · B1 English + LITUK
Good to know
Form AN, same form as standard, with spouse-route declaration.
Apply the moment ILR is granted if married 3+ years and resident 3+ years.
Other British Citizenship (Naturalisation) sub-routes
Standard naturalisation
£1,839 · 12 months on ILR required
ViewChild registration (Form MN1)
£1,000 · no ceremony required
ViewBritish by descent
Free · automatic, apply for passport only
ViewSource: GOV.UK, Spouse of British citizen · Last verified April 2026
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