How This Tool Works

📋 Purpose

Applying for British citizenship is one of the most significant milestones for long-term residents of the UK, but the fees for naturalisation, child registration, the Life in the UK test, English language evidence, the citizenship ceremony and fresh passports can add up to thousands of pounds for a family. This calculator builds a complete family budget by taking the number of adults and children applying, so you can plan properly and avoid being surprised by costs you had not counted on. It uses the current Home Office fee schedule and can include optional items such as priority services and a document reserve.

⚙️ How It Works

1
Enter the number of adults applying for naturalisation — each adult pays a separate fee.
2
Enter the number of children to be registered as British citizens.
3
Select whether adults need the Life in the UK test and which English language evidence route applies.
4
Toggle the citizenship ceremony fee if your local council charges separately for it.
5
Choose whether to add British passport applications for all applicants.
6
Enter a document reserve for translations, replacement documents and other ancillary costs.
7
Select whether you need a priority service for faster processing.
8
Review the breakdown by adult costs, child costs and optional extras, plus the family grand total.

Naturalisation budget

Price the full citizenship application stack

Add adult and child naturalisation fees, tests, language evidence, document reserves and passports in one place.

Applicants

Adults

Children

Fresh passports

Service level

Translation/document reserve

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Complete Guide: UK Citizenship Costs

Plan adult and child naturalisation budgets including tests, ceremony, passports and document reserves for a complete family application.

📅 Last updated: May 2026

Quick Tips

Jump-start your understanding with these essential tips

An adult applying for British citizenship through naturalisation pays a different fee from a child being registered as a British citizen. Children under 18 who are entitled to register as British citizens (for example, because a parent has naturalised) use the registration route with its own separate fee schedule.

Most adults naturalising through the standard route need five years of lawful continuous residence in the UK immediately before the date of application (or three years if married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen). The application will be refused if there are unexplained gaps in your leave or periods of unlawful residence.

Most adults applying for naturalisation must pass the Life in the UK test — a 24-question computer-based test taken at an approved centre. People aged 65 and over and those with long-term physical or mental health conditions that make sitting the test impractical may be exempt. Check the exemption criteria before booking.

You must provide evidence of English language ability at B1 level or above on the CEFR scale, unless exempt (same age and health exemptions as the Life in the UK test apply). Acceptable evidence includes a SELT (Secure English Language Test) from an approved provider, or a degree taught in English from a recognised institution.

Many applicants underestimate ancillary costs such as certified translations of foreign documents, replacement biometric residence permits, travel documents for emergencies during the application period, and any additional supporting evidence requested by the Home Office. A reserve of £200–£500 per adult is prudent.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps to get the most from this tool

Each adult who is naturalising pays a separate Home Office naturalisation fee. Enter the number of adults in your household who will be applying. If your spouse or partner is naturalising at the same time, count them separately — the fee is per person, not per household.

Children under 18 who are entitled to British citizenship can be registered rather than naturalised. The registration fee is set separately. If a child turns 18 before the application is decided, they may need to apply for naturalisation instead. Count each child separately as the fee is per person.

Select whether adults need to take the Life in the UK test — if so, the current test booking fee is added. Select the English language evidence route: a Secure English Language Test (SELT), a degree recognised by NARIC/ENIC or an exemption. The SELT cost varies by provider but typically ranges from £150 to £200.

Most councils include the citizenship ceremony in the naturalisation fee, but some charge separately. Toggle the ceremony fee if yours applies. If you need a faster decision, a priority service is available for an additional fee. Check whether your specific application type qualifies for priority processing.

New British citizens typically apply for a British passport soon after naturalisation. Toggle the passport option to add the current standard adult or child passport fee for each applicant. Note that a first passport application as a new British citizen requires more evidence than a renewal and takes longer to process.

Enter an estimate for miscellaneous costs: certified translations, replacement documents, postage and return document services, any travel required for appointments, and a buffer for additional evidence requests. The tool sums this with the other fees to give you a conservative total budget.

The results split adult costs, child costs and optional extras (passports, priority, document reserve) separately so you can see which part of the budget to prioritise. The grand total is the realistic amount to save before submitting applications. Compare this with the spouse visa total if planning both together.

Advanced Topics

Deep dives for advanced users

The main routes to British citizenship by naturalisation are: (1) five years of lawful continuous residence in the UK ending with indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or other settled status, followed by a naturalisation application — this is the standard family or work route; (2) three years as the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen, ending with settled status; (3) British citizenship by descent for those born abroad to a British parent, which uses registration rather than naturalisation in many cases; (4) various legacy routes for those with historic connections to the UK.

Each route has specific residence, absence, good character and language requirements. Check which route applies to your situation before budgeting, as the fees and evidence requirements differ.

After a naturalisation or registration application is approved, the applicant is invited to attend a citizenship ceremony. At the ceremony, they make a Pledge of Allegiance and an Oath of Allegiance (or Affirmation for those who prefer) and receive their certificate of naturalisation or registration. Ceremonies are organised by local councils and can include a small number of guests. Most councils include the ceremony in the naturalisation fee, though some charge separately for additional guests or alternative arrangements.

The certificate of naturalisation is a vital document needed to apply for a British passport. Keep it secure — replacement is expensive and time-consuming.

British citizenship by registration is available to certain people as a matter of entitlement or discretion, including: minor children of British citizens, children who have become stateless, children who have lived in the UK for ten years and have good character, and certain Commonwealth citizens who served in HM Forces. Registration fees are set separately from naturalisation fees and in some cases are lower.

If you believe a child is entitled to register as British, take independent legal advice before applying — the entitlement routes have specific conditions and a refused application wastes the application fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers to common questions about this tool

No. It prices the most common adult and child routes for budget planning. Whether you are eligible and which specific route applies depends on your nationality, immigration history, residence record, criminal record and other personal circumstances. Consult an immigration solicitor for route-specific advice.

No. The Home Office naturalisation fee covers the citizenship application only. A British passport is a separate application and fee payable to HM Passport Office. You can apply for a passport immediately after receiving your naturalisation certificate — you do not need to wait for any further leave or permission.

The Life in the UK test is a 24-question computer-based test covering British history, values, culture and governance. It is taken at an approved test centre and currently costs around £50 per sitting. You must pass with at least 75% to satisfy the naturalisation requirement. You can take it as many times as needed, paying the fee each time, until you pass.

The Home Office aims to make a decision within six months of receiving a complete application. In practice, straightforward applications are often decided within three to four months, while complex cases can take considerably longer. A priority service is available for certain application types for an additional fee, targeting a six-week decision.

Not automatically. A child born in the UK is British at birth only if at least one parent was a British citizen or settled in the UK (holding ILR or equivalent) at the time of the birth. Children born before their parent settled in the UK may need to register — check the specific entitlement conditions with an immigration adviser.

All naturalisation applicants must be of good character. This means no serious criminal convictions, no unspent convictions, no deception in previous immigration applications, no unpaid taxes and no other conduct that the Home Office considers contrary to the national interest. Minor driving offences and old spent convictions do not usually prevent naturalisation, but anything more serious should be disclosed and assessed.

Travelling abroad after submitting your naturalisation application does not normally affect it, but avoid changing your immigration status (for example, by applying for a new visa) or exceeding the absence limits for your current leave while the application is pending. Keep your biometric residence permit valid throughout.

The UK allows dual nationality, meaning you can become British without giving up your current citizenship in most cases. However, your country of origin may not allow it — some countries require you to renounce your original nationality if you acquire another. Check the rules of your country before proceeding if retaining your original nationality matters to you.

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