Can you convert the UK ILR to British citizenship?

Yes, the UK Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) can be converted to British citizenship if you have lived in the country for 12 months with an ILR status. An ILR in the UK allows you to reside and work in the country on an indefinite basis. To qualify for an ILR, you must fulfill the residency requirement by staying in the country for 5 years, along with other criteria. Once you receive an ILR status, you can apply for British citizenship after living in the UK for at least 12 months. Individuals with a pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme are also eligible to apply for British naturalization.

 

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What are the requirements for British Citizenship?

You can apply for British citizenship at least 12 months after acquiring the Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) status in the UK. The requirements for naturalization in the UK may differ based on whether you are married to a British citizen.

 

Given below are the requirements for British Citizenship:
 

Requirements if you married to a British citizen

You must gather the requirements given below if you are married to a British citizen:

 

• Be over 18 years of age
• Must be a civil partner or be married to a British citizen at the time of application
• Have resided in the UK for a minimum of 3 years
• Are physically present in the UK on the day before submitting your application to the Home Office  
• Have not violated any of the UK immigration laws in the 3 years before applying
• Are free from immigration restrictions on the day of applying
• Must not have been absent from the UK for more than 270 days in the 3-year timeframe before applying
• Must not have been absent from the UK for more than 90 days in the 12-month before applying
• Have cleared the “Life in the UK” test
• Are proficient in English
• Be of good conduct

 

Requirements if you are not married to a British citizen

You must gather the requirements given below if you are not married to a British citizen:

 

• Be over 18 years of age
• Have resided in the UK for at least 5 years before applying
• Have been physically living in the UK on the day before submitting your application to the Home Office  
• Have not violated any of the UK immigration laws in the 3 years before applying
• Are free from immigration restrictions on the day of applying
• Must not have been absent from the UK for more than 450 days in the 5-year timeframe before applying
• Must not have been absent from the UK for more than 90 days in the 12-month before applying
• Must have the intention to continue living in the UK
• Have cleared the Life in the UK test
• Must be proficient in the English language

 

*To know more about the new ILR rules, also read…

What are the new ILR rules?

 

UK ILR vs. British Citizenship

The table below has five main differences between the UK Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) and British citizenship:

Factors	UK ILR	British Citizenship
Absences	Cannot be absent from the UK for more than 180 days	Lasts for a lifetime.
Children	Can apply for citizenship of the child.	The child will automatically get citizenship if born to an individual with British citizenship.
Voting rights	Cannot vote	Can vote
Passport	No, you cannot get a British passport with ILR	Yes, you can get a passport after acquiring British citizenship
When can you apply?	After living in the country for 5  or 10 years (Depending on the circumstances)	After getting the ILR status

 

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