Guidance

Form RS1: guidance (accessible)

Updated 24 July 2024

July 2024

Introduction

This guide is for people who have renounced British citizenship or citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies and who now wish to resume citizenship and be registered as British citizens.

The law covering registration is set out in the British Nationality Act 1981 and the regulations made under it. The information given here is meant only as a brief guide to the law and to the Home Secretary’s policy. It is not a comprehensive statement of either the law or the policy.

OISC and Immigration Advice

You may, if you wish, use the services of an agent such as a solicitor or other competent adviser to help you with your application.

Immigration or nationality advisers acting in the course of business (whether paid or unpaid) are regulated by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC), an independent body. The provision of such advice is prohibited unless a person works for an organisation registered with, or exempted by, the OISC or is authorised to practise (like solicitors and barristers) by a designated professional body. Certain categories (for example public health bodies) are exempted from the regulatory scheme by Ministerial Order. It is a criminal offence to provide advice or services in contravention of the regulatory scheme. Further information about the regulatory scheme and a full list of OISC regulated advisers is available on its website at www.oisc.gov.uk.

Citizenship ban

The Illegal Migration Act 2023 introduced a citizenship ban for people who had illegally entered the UK, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, or an overseas territory, from 7 March 2023.  Regulations that took effect on 23 July 2024 changed the law so that the ban has not taken effect. Applications will now be considered in the usual way, in line with the law and policy set out in this guide.

The requirements you must meet

You will be entitled to registration if:

• you are of sound mind and

• you are of good character and either

• you have made a declaration of renunciation renouncing British citizenship (after 1 January 1983)

or

• (Before 1 January 1983) you have made a declaration of renunciation renouncing citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies

and either

• you

• your father

• your father’s father

• your husband, wife or civil partner

• your husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s father

• your husband’s, wife’s or civil partner’s father’s father was:

  • born in the United Kingdom, or

  • naturalised in the United Kingdom, or

  • registered as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies in the United Kingdom or

  • registered as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies in an independent Commonwealth country. (The country concerned must have been an independent member of the Commonwealth at the time of the registration – see the list of countries which were in the Commonwealth before 1983).

The Home Secretary has discretion to waive the requirement to be of sound mind if they think that would be the right thing to do in any particular case.

The United Kingdom means England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Do you have a right to registration?

You have a right (once only) to be registered as a British citizen if you previously renounced British citizenship in order to keep or acquire another citizenship.

You have a separate right (once only) to be registered as a British citizen if you previously renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies:

• in order to keep or acquire the citizenship of a Commonwealth country, or

• because you had reasonable cause to believe that you would be deprived of your citizenship of a Commonwealth country if you did not renounce.

If you renounced citizenship for any other reason, or if you have already renounced and resumed British citizenship (as a right), registration is at the discretion of the Home Secretary. Registration will be granted if they see fit.

The citizenship you will acquire

In general terms, you will become a British citizen by descent if, before renouncing, you were a British citizen by descent.

If you had renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies you will become a British citizen by descent if you would have become a British citizen by descent, had you not renounced.

Effect of registration on present citizenship

You do not have to give up your present citizenship or nationality to become a British citizen. But under the nationality laws of some countries, a person automatically loses their existing nationality if they become a citizen of another country. Before you apply for British citizenship you should consider checking what your position would be with the authorities of the country of which you are a citizen.

Further information about the requirements for British citizenship is available on our website.

• If you are in the Channel Islands or Isle of Man you should contact the Lieutenant-Governor’s office

• If you are in a British overseas territory, contact the Governor’s office.

Dates of independence

The list below shows the Commonwealth countries before 1 January 1983.

The dates in brackets are the dates that the country became independent. If you registered as a citizen of the United Kingdom and colonies in that country before the date in brackets you will not have a qualifying connection.

Antigua and Barbuda (01/11/1981)

Nauru (31/01/1980)

Australia (01/01/1949)

New Zealand (01/01/1949)

The Bahamas (10/07/1973)

Nigeria (01/10/1960)

Bangladesh (04/02/1972)

Papua New Guinea (31/01/1980)

Barbados (30/11/1966)

Pakistan (01/01/1949 until 31/08/1973)

Belize (21/09/1981)

St Lucia (22/02/1979)

Botswana (30/09/1966)

St Vincent & the Grenadines (27/10/1979)

Canada (01/01/1949)

Seychelles (29/06/1976)

Republic of Cyprus (16/08/1960)

Sierra Leone (27/04/1961)

Dominica (03/11/1978)

Singapore (16/09/1963)

Fiji (10/10/1970)

Solomon Islands (07/07/1978)

The Gambia (18/02/1965)

South Africa (01/01/1949 until 30/05/1962)

Ghana (06/03/1957)

Sri Lanka (22/05/1972)

Grenada (07/02/1974)

Swaziland (06/09/1968)

Guyana (26/05/1966)

Tanzania (29/10/1964)

India (01/01/1949)

Tonga (04/06/1970)

Jamaica (06/08/1962)

Trinidad and Tobago (31/08/1962)

Kenya (12/12/1963)

Tuvalu (01/10/1978)

Kiribati (12/07/1979)

Uganda (09/10/1962)

Lesotho (04/10/1966)

Vanuatu (30/07/1980)

Malawi (06/07/1964)

Western Samoa (31/01/1980)

Malaysia (15/09/1963)*

Zambia (24/10/1964)

Malta (21/09/1964)

Zimbabwe (as S. Rhodesia – 01/01/1949)

Mauritius (12/03/1968)

• Parts of Malaysia, i.e. Penang, Malacca and the Malay States became independent on 31/8/1957

Good character

The British Nationality Act 1981 contains a statutory requirement that those seeking to register as British under these provisions must be of good character. This means you must observe UK laws and show respect for the rights and freedoms of its citizens.

Before you complete this section, you are advised to refer to the good character policy guidance which caseworkers use to decide your application. This is available on the GOV.UK website.

Checks will be carried out to ensure that the information you provide is correct. This may include checks with other government departments such as HM Revenue and Customs. If you are not honest about the information you provide, and you are registered on the basis of incorrect or fraudulent information you will be liable to have your British citizenship taken away (deprivation) and you may be prosecuted. It is a criminal offence to make a false declaration knowing that it is untrue.

Criminality

You must give details of all criminal convictions in the UK and overseas. This includes if you went to prison, or you received a non-custodial sentence such as a suspended sentence. You should also include any out-of-court disposal such as a fine, a caution, a warning or reprimand, a community sentence, a civil order, a civil penalty, a civil judgment, a hospital order or a restriction order. All fiscal fines must also be disclosed. If you are not sure, you should declare all penalties or orders.

Fixed penalty notices such as those issued under the coronavirus Regulations, or for traffic offences such as speeding or parking tickets must also be disclosed, although will not normally be taken into account unless you have failed to pay and there were criminal proceedings as a result, or you have received multiple fixed penalty notices in a short space of time.

Where a fixed penalty notice or fiscal fine in Scotland has been referred to a court due to non-payment, or the notice has been unsuccessfully challenged by the person in court, we will consider it as a conviction and assess it in line with the new sentence imposed.

Drink driving must also be declared. If you have any endorsements on your driving licence you must access the DVLA website to download and print a summary of your record and send it with your application, or provide the paper counterpart.

Criminal record checks will be carried out in all cases. If you have been charged with a criminal offence and are awaiting trial or sentencing, you are advised not to make any application for registration until the outcome is known.

You must give details of all civil judgments which have resulted in a court order being made against you, as well as any civil penalties under the UK Immigration Acts. For applicants from Scotland any recent civil penalties must also be declared. If you have been declared bankrupt at any time you should give details of the bankruptcy proceedings. (Your application is unlikely to succeed if you are an undischarged bankrupt).

You do not need to give details of family law proceedings such as divorce decrees, dissolved civil partnerships, guardianship orders, and parental responsibility orders.

You must also tell us if you have any children who have been convicted of an offence or who have received a court order.

You must say if your details have been recorded by the police as a result of certain sexual offences, or if you are subject to one of the following orders: notification order, sexual offences prevention order, foreign travel order, risk of sexual harm order (or equivalent order made in a British overseas territory or any other country).

You must say if there is any offence for which you may go to court, or which is awaiting hearing in court. This includes having been arrested for an offence and waiting to hear if you will be formally charged. If you have been arrested and not told that charges have been dropped, or that you will not have to appear in court, you may wish to confirm the position with the police. You must tell us if you are arrested or charged with an offence after you make your application and while the application is under consideration. You risk prosecution under section 46 of the British Nationality Act 1981 if you do not do so.

Terrorism and International Crimes

You must say whether you have had any involvement in terrorism or whether you have been involved in any crimes in the course of armed conflict, including crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide, or if you are the subject of an international travel ban. If you are in any doubt as to whether something should be mentioned, you should mention it.

This guidance is not exhaustive. Before you answer these questions, you should consider the full definitions of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide which can be found in Schedule 8 of the International Criminal Court Act 2001.

Alternatively, copies can be purchased from: The Stationery Office (TSO).

It is your responsibility to satisfy yourself that you are familiar with the definitions and can answer the questions accurately.

Genocide - acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

Crimes against humanity - acts committed at any time (not just during armed conflict) as part of a widespread or systematic attack, directed against any civilian population with knowledge of the attack. This would include offences such as murder, torture, rape, severe deprivation of liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law and enforced disappearance of persons.

War Crimes - grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions committed during an armed conflict. This includes an internal armed conflict and an international armed conflict. The types of acts that may constitute a war crime include wilful killing, torture, extensive destruction of property not justified by military necessity, unlawful deportation, the intentional targeting of civilians and the taking of hostages.

Travel bans - travel bans restrict the movement of individuals associated with regimes or groups whose behaviour is considered unacceptable by the international community.

Terrorist Activities - any act committed, or the threat of action, designed to influence a government or intimidate the public and made for the purpose of advancing a political, religious or ideological cause and which involves serious violence against a person or which may endanger another person’s life; creates a serious risk to the health or safety of the public; involves serious damage to property; is designed to seriously disrupt or interfere with an electronic system.

Organisations concerned with terrorism - an organisation is concerned with terrorism if it:

• commits or participates in acts of terrorism,

• prepares for terrorism,

• promotes or encourages terrorism (including the unlawful glorification of terrorism), or

• is otherwise concerned with terrorism.

Financial soundness

You must tell us if you have ever been declared bankrupt, found to have unreasonably failed to pay your council tax, engaged in fraud in relation to public funds (including claiming public funds to which you were not entitled or were prohibited from accessing, or failing to declare your full circumstances), or have an unpaid NHS debt of £500 or more.

Deception

You must tell us if you have practised deception in your dealings with the Home Office or other government departments (for example, by providing false information or fraudulent documents).

What if you haven’t been convicted but your character may be in doubt?

You must say if there is any offence for which you may go to court, or which is awaiting hearing in court. This includes having been arrested for an offence and waiting to hear if you will be formally charged. If you have been arrested and not told that charges have been dropped, or that you will not have to appear in court, you may wish to confirm the position with the police. You must tell us if you are arrested or charged with an offence after you make your application and while the application is under consideration. You risk prosecution under section 46 of the British Nationality Act 1981 if you do not do so You must say whether you have been involved in anything which might indicate that you are not of good character. You must give information about any of these activities no matter how long ago it was. Checks will be made in all cases and your application may fail and your fee will not be refunded if you make an untruthful declaration. If you are in any doubt about whether you have done something, or it has been alleged that you have done something, which might lead us to think that you are not of good character, you should say so.

What if you consider that you have mitigating factors?

You can also tell us about any genuine, meaningful attempts to change your behaviour and comply with the law. For example, any voluntary or charity work you participate in, or where you have engaged with programmes or activities aimed at addressing the cause of your offending such as treatments aimed at reduction of alcohol consumption, drug dependency or anger management courses.

You can tell us about this in the further details box on your application.

Referees

Your application must be endorsed by 2 referees.

One referee can be of any nationality but must be a professional person. A professional person could include:

• a minister of religion

• civil servant

• a member of a professional body such as an accountant or a solicitor (but not one who is representing you with this application).

The other referee must be the holder of a British citizen passport and either a professional person or over the age of 25.

Each referee must have known you for at least 3 years.

Each referee must not be:

• related to you

• related to the other referee

• your solicitor or agent representing you with this application

• employed by the Home Office

We will not usually accept a referee who has been convicted of an imprisonable offence during the last 10 years.

Checks may be carried out to ensure that the referees do not have unspent convictions and are qualified to act for you and that their signatures are genuine. It is a criminal offence to provide false information knowingly or recklessly, punishable with up to 3 months imprisonment or by a fine not exceeding £5,000 or both under section 46(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981.

Biometric enrolment

Once your application has been submitted and you have paid the required application fee you will be required to enrol biometric details

You will be provided with instructions explaining where and how you need to enrol your biometric information after you have submitted your application. We may be able to re-use biometrics previously provided with earlier immigration applications. You will not be able to book a biometrics appointment, even if you know you will need one, until we have contacted you.

Your application may be rejected as invalid if you do not enrol your biometrics when requested. There is no longer a fee for enrolling biometrics in the UK.

For more information about enrolling biometrics, please visit the following section of our website: Biometric residence permits (BRPs): Give your fingerprints and photo.

Documents

This section tells you the sort of documents you will need to provide so we can consider your application. We cannot consider your application unless we have supporting documents.

You must provide:

• evidence of identity

• your copy of your Declaration of Renunciation (for example of form RN1, RN2, RN3, RN or form R6).

• Evidence of your present citizenship or nationality

  • your passport or certificate of naturalisation or registration.

• If you renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies – evidence of your connection with the United Kingdom:

  • the birth, naturalisation or registration certificate of the person through whom you have the connection

  • evidence of your relationship to them, for example - birth, marriage or civil partnership certificates.

• Evidence that if you had not made a declaration of renunciation you would have lost or failed to acquire the citizenship or nationality of another country. This applies if you renounced British citizenship for another citizenship or if you renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies for the citizenship of a Commonwealth country.

  • A letter or statement confirming this from the authorities of the country concerned.

• If you renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies because you believed you would be deprived of your citizenship of a Commonwealth country unless you did so, include an explanation of why you believed this. If you have any documentary evidence, include it with your application.

Understanding the process

Before you apply

Please ensure you have the correct documents before you apply. If you do not submit your application with supporting documents and pay the correct fee, then the application will be returned to you unprocessed. You should indicate in the space provided what documents you have supplied and why.

Dual nationality

Dual nationality (sometimes called dual citizenship) is when someone holds British nationality and the nationality of at least one other country at the same time.

The UK recognises dual nationality and allows British nationals who have dual nationality, to hold a British passport.

Before applying, you should be aware that not all countries allow dual citizenship and you may therefore lose, or have to give up, your existing nationality in order to become a British citizen. If you have any questions about this, you should seek advice from the country of which you are already a citizen before making your application.

Evidence of identity

If you were issued with a Biometric Residence Permit, you must provide/use it in support of your application, alongside:

• Your passport or

• National identity card or

• Home Office travel document or

• Home Office entitlement card or

• Home Office ARC letter or

• Your birth certificate or

• Your photo driving licence or

• A bank, building society or credit card statement issued to you within the last 6 months

If you have changed name and/or gender and do not have, or cannot obtain, any of these documents in your acquired identity you are also required to provide evidence of that change. This can include:

• a Gender Recognition Certificate or

• a letter from your doctor or medical consultant confirming that your change of gender is likely to be permanent

• change of name deed poll

• marriage certificate

• a civil partnership certificate

Biometric Enrolment

All applicants applying to register will need to enrol their biometric details to verify their identity as part of the application process. You will usually need to complete this step of the application process within 45 days of submitting your application and failure to do so would invalidate your application.

You will be provided with instructions explaining where and how you need to enrol your biometric information after you have submitted your application. We may be able to re-use biometrics previously provided with earlier immigration applications.

Enrolling biometrics for children

All citizenship applications require biometric enrolment. If you made a registration application for your child under the age of 18 at the same time as you applied to register, your child will also need to enrol their biometric details as part of their registration application.

Children under the age of 5 do not need to provide fingerprints but must have a digital photograph taken of their face. Up to the age of 5 the Home Office only requires a digitised image of the child’s face, although the regulation does not prevent fingerprints being recorded from children aged less than 5 years. There is no upper age limit for biometric information to be taken. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian at their biometric enrolment appointment.

Application Processing Times

We aim to conclude applications within 6 months from the date on which we receive your application. Please do not contact us within this timeframe to request an update on your application – we will get in touch if we need any more information to help us make a decision.

You will usually get a decision on your application within 6 months – but some applications may take longer. If we expect that it will take longer than 6 months to decide your application, we will contact you to advise of this.

Travel after submitting an application

After submitting your application, you are free to travel whilst you are waiting for a decision using your valid passport and evidence of your valid ILR, or other valid status. You do not need to tell us about your travel plans.

Please be aware, however, that you will usually be required to enrol your biometric information within 45 days of submitting your application. This may involve attending an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Service (UKVCAS) Centre (operated by Sopra Steria) in person and failure to do so would invalidate an application. You will receive instructions on how to provide your biometric details once you have submitted your application.

In addition, please note that should we grant an application, there is a 90-day period where you will need to arrange attendance at a citizenship ceremony.

But, outside of these timeframes, there is nothing in the citizenship process that would prevent you from travelling while your application is being considered.

Please bear in mind that a citizenship application does not provide you with immigration permission and you will need to demonstrate your entitlement to re-enter the UK at the UK border.

You should ensure that we are able to contact you quickly if we have any queries about your application.

Citizenship Ceremonies

Arranging a citizenship ceremony

If your application is successful, you will be invited to attend a citizenship ceremony if you are over 18. You will receive an invitation from the Home Office, and this will confirm the local authority you should contact to arrange your ceremony.

Your ceremony invitation may be sent to you via email if you have applied online and we recommend checking your email’s spam or junk folder for any correspondence about your application.

We normally expect you to arrange to attend a ceremony within 3 months of receiving your invitation otherwise it will expire, and you will have to re- apply for registration and pay a further processing fee.

If you are outside the UK, arrangements will be made for you to make the oath/affirmation and pledge at the British Embassy, High Commission, Consulate, Governor’s Office or Lieutenant Governor’s Office.

You must make immediate contact with the local authority once you have been informed that your application is successful, as you only have 90 days in which to attend the ceremony. The date by which you must attend your ceremony will be given in your Home Office citizenship ceremony invitation. If you do not attend the ceremony within 90 days without good reason, your application for citizenship will be refused and you will need to re-apply.

At the ceremony

You will be asked to affirm or swear an Oath of Allegiance to the Monarch and to pledge your loyalty to the UK. This is a legal requirement for adults and is the point at which you will become a British citizen.

Following this you will be presented with your certificate of registration as a British citizen.

If you have special needs or concerns about saying the Oath (or Affirmation) and Pledge in English, you should bring these to the attention of the local authority once you have received your invitation. Please be assured that the wording is of a level that a person who has met the language requirement should be able to understand.

You must ensure you have sufficient immigration permission to remain in the UK until you have attended your ceremony and made the Oath and Pledge. A citizenship application does not, in itself, give permission to stay in the UK.

Next steps

What to do if there is an error on your citizenship certificate

If you notice a mistake on your citizenship certificate, you will need to download and complete an application for a correction of a registration or naturalisation certificate. You will then need to send the form and your original certificate to the following address:

Department 201 UKVI
The Capital New Hall Place
Liverpool
L3 9PP

You may need to pay to change the details on your certificate, depending on if the mistake is your fault (for example, if you provided incorrect details when you applied). UKVI will send you a letter telling you if you need to pay.

Returning your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

You must send your BRP (or BRC) if you hold one back to the Home Office within 5 working days of getting your certificate of British citizenship. You do not need to send us any letters granting settled status under the EUSS.

Please cut your BRP/BRC into 4 pieces and put it in a windowless envelope.

Please enclose a note saying you are returning your permit because you have become a British citizen. Include your name, date of birth and the document number (found on the front of the card) in the note.

Naturalisation BRP Returns
PO Box 195
Bristol
BS20 1BT

Please note that you may be fined up to £1,000 if you do not return your permit within 5 working days.

Travelling to and from the UK after registering

Once you become a British citizen, you will no longer be able to enter the UK using your BRP or digital status, or by presenting your citizenship certificate at the UK border.

For travel purposes, you can apply for a British passport or for a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode that can be placed in a valid foreign passport.

Please refer to GOV.UK for information on how long it may take to get a British passport or how long it may take to get a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. You may wish to consider this before applying for citizenship (for example, if you have plans to travel outside of the UK).

Citizenship-related queries

If, having read the information set out in this guidance, you have questions about applying for British citizenship, you can email the Citizenship and Nationality Enquiries team at [email protected].

You should also contact them to let them know if you have made an application and your circumstances change (for example, you move house, get married or are arrested).

If you’ve not had a response, we recommend checking your email’s spam or junk folder before contacting UKVI again.

Alternatively, you can get in touch via telephone on 0300 790 6268. You will need to select option 2, then option 2 again. You can get in touch Monday to Thursday from 9am to 4:45pm, or Friday, 9am to 4:30pm. Information about call charges can be found here.