British Citizenship Application Fees

Updated on 15 October 2023

The British Citizenship fee as of 04 October 2023 is £1,580 and remains unchanged from last year. This is the cost for the Home Office to process the British Citizenship application, also known as Naturalisation, which also includes the British Citizenship Ceremony fee. In this post, we explore the costs involved in an application for British Citizenship by Naturalisation besides the Home Office fee.

Application Cost for British Citizenship by Naturalisation

English Language Test

If you are a non-EU national, you will have already passed an English Language Test for your Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application. If you are an EU national, you will not have been required to sit an English Language Test for any previous application or your application for Permanent Residence. 

Either way, unless you are exempt, you may be required to pass an English Language Test for your British Citizenship application.

You must pass a Home Office-approved English language test at B1 CEFR or higher from the Secure English Language Test list. This test will typically cost £150 each time you take the test. 

You do not need to sit the test if you are exempt from doing so. You are exempt from sitting a test if:

• You are a national of one of the following ‘majority English-speaking’ countries – Antigua and Barbuda; Australia; the Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Canada; Dominica; Grenada; Guyana; Jamaica; New Zealand; St Kitts and Nevis; St Lucia; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; or the United States of America. These are the countries that the Home Office (HO) has classed as majority English-speaking countries.
• You are aged 65 years or over at the date of the application, or
• Have a medical condition, either physical or mental, which prevents you from sitting the test. This condition must be long-term. You must provide proof of this from a doctor or medical professional.
• You have a degree certificate that was taught or researched in the UK, or that was taught in English outside the UK. The degree must be declared equivalent to a UK qualification or confirmed to have been taught in English by UK NARIC. 

Life in the UK Test

To apply for citizenship, not only are you required to pass an English Language Test, you must also pass the Life in the UK Test.

If you are a non-EU national, you will already have passed your Life in the UK test when you applied for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR). You will not have to apply and pay for it again as the Life in the UK test is valid for life. If you are an EU national, you will not have sat the Life in the UK Test when you applied for Permanent Residence or EU Settled Status. However, you must take the test for your British citizenship application.

The test costs £50 and can be booked through the UK government website.

Document Translations

Vital documents that are not in English or Welsh are required to be translated by a qualified translator. If your application relies on the information contained within your document, you will need to get it translated. Your application may be refused if you do not follow these requirements. Important documents may include your marriage certificate, divorce certificate, birth certificate, degree certificate and so on.

Translation costs may vary, and you can typically expect to pay around £40-£60 per page. The total cost of translating your documents will depend on the number of documents you require to be translated.

Lawyer Fees

You may want to get an immigration lawyer to help prepare your application. This typically costs between £500 to £2000. Lawyers base their fees on several different factors but mainly on their level of experience and the complexity of your case or, in other words, the time taken to prepare your application. You may wish to submit your application and, in this case, will not have to pay anything towards legal fees.

Total Cost for a British Citizenship Application

As discussed in this post, the British Citizenship application cost will vary depending on your circumstances and can range upwards of £1580 to £2000. 

How can we help

We are experienced in British Citizenship applications and have successfully assisted many individuals and families in acquiring British Citizenship. Contact our friendly and professional team for assistance with your application today. 

Frequently asked questions