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British citizenship
British Citizenship Application Lawyer in Bedford: Naturalisation and Child Registration
Ready to take the final step after settlement? Basharat Hussain, an IAA regulated Immigration Lawyer at 93 Ford End Road, Bedford, checks your residence dates, absences and good character before you apply, so the citizenship fee is not spent on an application that was never going to succeed.
Adult citizenship and registering children, on fixed fees from £300. Appointments at our Bedford office, by phone or on video, Monday to Friday, with Saturdays by appointment.
IAA regulated · Ref F201800051
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Office, phone & video
Quick answer: how do you become a British citizen?
Most adults become British by naturalisation. You usually need ILR or settled status held for 12 months, 5 years living in the UK with no more than 450 days abroad, a Life in the UK test pass, English at B1 level and good character. Children can often be registered as British. You become a citizen at your citizenship ceremony.
Ways to become a British citizen
| Your situation | Route | Main condition |
|---|---|---|
| Adult with ILR or settled status | Naturalisation | 5 years’ residence and ILR held for 12 months |
| Child born in the UK to a settled parent | British at birth | A parent was British or settled when the child was born |
| Child born in the UK before a parent settled | Registration | Parent later becomes British or settled, or child lives here for 10 years |
| Child who moved to the UK | Registration | Assessed on the child’s ties and parents’ status |
| Born abroad to a British parent | British by descent | Depends on how the parent became British |
Written and reviewed by Basharat Hussain, IAA regulated Immigration Lawyer (Ref F201800051). Rules checked October 2026 against GOV.UK.
Citizenship requirements for adults
Naturalisation is not automatic once you have ILR. The Home Office checks five things, and each one has its own evidence:
- Residence: you were in the UK on the date exactly 5 years before the Home Office receives your application.
- Settled status: you hold ILR, settled status or permanent residence, usually for at least 12 months.
- Knowledge: a Life in the UK test pass and English at B1 level, which you may already have from your ILR application.
- Good character: honesty in past applications, respect for UK law and your financial obligations.
- Future intention: you plan to keep living in the UK, or to work abroad in specific roles.
For a full walkthrough of the adult application, see our naturalisation guide. Source: GOV.UK citizenship after ILR.
Absence limits for British citizenship
| Route | Total days abroad allowed | In the final 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (5 years) | 450 days | 90 days |
These limits are counted differently from the ILR absence rule, so passing one does not mean you pass the other. The Home Office can overlook small excesses where there is a strong reason, such as caring for a sick relative, but it needs evidence.
Good character: where an accountant helps
Citizenship has the strictest character test in the immigration system, and it includes your financial affairs. Basharat, who is also an accountant, checks the areas that catch people out:
- Late or unpaid tax, and self-assessment returns that were never filed
- Income declared in earlier visa applications compared with HMRC records
- County court judgments, bankruptcy and unpaid NHS charges
- Driving offences and fixed penalties that must be declared
Recent Home Office guidance also makes citizenship much harder for people who arrived in the UK illegally, whatever their later status. Source: GOV.UK good character guidance.
Book a citizenship eligibility checkRegistering a child as a British citizen
Children are not naturalised; they are registered. Whether a child is already British, or can be registered, depends on where they were born and the parents’ status at the time.
- A child born in the UK after a parent got ILR is usually British already and can apply straight for a passport.
- A child born in the UK before a parent settled can usually be registered once that parent becomes British or settled.
- A child born in the UK who lived here for their first 10 years, without long absences, can usually be registered.
- Other children, including those who moved here young, may be registered at the Home Secretary’s discretion.
Registration fees for children are high, so it is worth confirming first whether your child is already British. Source: GOV.UK registering as a British citizen.
Citizenship ceremony, certificate and first passport
Once your application is approved, you must book and attend a citizenship ceremony within 3 months. Ceremonies for people living in Bedford are held by the local register office. You become British on the day you receive your certificate of naturalisation, and you then use it to apply for your first British passport.
The UK allows dual nationality, but some countries do not. Pakistan allows its citizens to hold British nationality too; India does not, so Indian nationals usually lose Indian citizenship on becoming British. Check before you apply. Sources: GOV.UK citizenship ceremonies and GOV.UK dual citizenship.
Citizenship routes
Your path to a British passport
Not settled yet? Start with our ILR guide. Already settled? One of these is your next step.
Naturalisation
Adults with ILR or settled status who have lived in the UK for 5 years, usually holding ILR for the last 12 months.
Naturalisation guideRegistering a child
Children born in the UK, or who moved here young, can often be registered as British citizens.
Child registrationCeremony and passport
After approval you attend a ceremony, receive your certificate and apply for your first British passport.
After approvalCitizenship packages
Fixed-fee citizenship packages
Three levels of help for adult naturalisation and child registration, each handled by Basharat Hussain. Fixed fees from £300, agreed in writing before any work begins.
How payment works:1. Pay just £50 today2. We study your case & confirm your fee in writing3. Pay the package fee later & we start
Silver package
Expert Check
Starts from£300
Today you pay only £50. The package fee is paid later, after we study your case and confirm it in writing.
Best for you if… Your case is simple and you are happy to prepare and submit the application yourself. You just want an expert to check it first.
- One-to-one consultation (office, phone or video)
- Your case and documents reviewed by an IAA-regulated immigration lawyer
- Residence, absence and good character checks
- Every weak point identified, with clear advice on how to fix it
- Personal document checklist for your route
- Email support throughout your review
You prepare and submit the application yourself. Re-check after corrections is included in Gold.
Select SilverGold package
Full Review & Re-check
Starts from£450
Today you pay only £50. The package fee is paid later, after we study your case and confirm it in writing.
Best for you if… You want it right first time. You make the corrections and we re-check everything before you submit.
- Everything in Silver
- Line-by-line review of your form and every document
- We re-check your application after you make corrections
- Email support plus phone support when you need it
Submit with confidence, knowing an expert has checked it twice.
Select Gold
Most popular
Platinum package
Complete Peace of Mind
Starts from£650
Today you pay only £50. The package fee is paid later, after we study your case and confirm it in writing.
Best for you if… You have a previous refusal or a complex history, or you simply want us to handle everything for you.
- Everything in Gold
- We prepare every part of your application for you
- We upload your documents and submit on your behalf
- Unlimited support by phone, WhatsApp and email until the decision
Smooth, stress-free and fully managed. Our most popular choice.
Select PlatinumGet started for just £50
A £50 working fee gets your case moving today. We study your case, review your documents and recommend the right package for you. Your package fee is then confirmed in writing, with no surprises and no obligation to continue.
- ✓ Just £50 to get started
- ✓ Expert case study first
- ✓ Clear fee in writing
Note: Package prices are starting fees. Every case is different, so your final fee is confirmed in writing once we have assessed your case. Home Office fees and the Immigration Health Surcharge are paid separately.
Silver suits…
Applicants with ILR for over a year, few trips abroad and nothing to declare.
Gold suits…
Anyone close to the absence limits, or with minor offences or tax issues to declare.
Platinum suits…
Past immigration issues, tax questions, or families who want the whole process managed.
Children and families: Registering a child as a British citizen is from £500, depending on the route. Each extra family member applying at the same time is £200.
Not included: the Home Office citizenship fee, the ceremony fee, passport fees, translations and other third-party costs. If a decision needs to be challenged in court, we will tell you and refer you to a solicitor or barrister.
How we help
From settled status to citizen
Basharat Hussain handles your citizenship application personally, on a fixed fee agreed in writing before any work starts.
1
Fix your start date
We find the date you must have been in the UK, exactly 5 years before you apply, and count your absences against it.
2
Clear the character check
Basharat reviews tax, debts, driving offences and past immigration issues, so anything relevant is declared properly.
3
Prepare the application
We help you choose two suitable referees, gather your evidence and complete the form accurately.
4
Ceremony to passport
We explain the ceremony booking and the first British passport application once your certificate arrives.
Client reviews
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What our clients tell others
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Is your child already British?
Before paying a registration fee, let us check the dates. Many children born in the UK after a parent settled are British already.
Check my child’s status
FAQ
Citizenship questions
Something else on your mind? Call 01234 962804, Monday to Friday, or on Saturdays by appointment.
Most people must hold ILR or settled status for 12 months before applying to naturalise.
On the standard 5-year route you can be absent for up to 450 days in total, and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months. The Home Office can use discretion for small excesses with a good reason.
No. If you passed the Life in the UK test for your ILR application, the same pass counts for citizenship. You only need to show the English requirement again if your earlier evidence no longer applies, which we check for you.
A child born in the UK is British automatically if, at the time of birth, one parent was British or had settled status such as ILR. If neither parent was settled at the birth, the child can often be registered later, for example once a parent settles or after the child has lived here for their first 10 years.
The UK allows dual nationality, so British law does not require you to give up your existing citizenship. Whether you can keep it depends on your other country: Pakistan allows dual nationality with the UK, but India does not. Check with your embassy before you apply.
Most citizenship applications are decided within 6 months, although many are quicker. After approval you have 3 months to attend a citizenship ceremony, and only then do you become British.
You make an oath or affirmation of allegiance and a pledge to the UK, usually at a local register office in a small group. You receive your certificate of naturalisation at the ceremony, which you then use to apply for your first British passport.
There is no appeal against a citizenship refusal, but you can ask the Home Office to reconsider within 3 months if you think the decision is wrong, or make a fresh application once the issue is fixed. We review the refusal with you and tell you plainly which option makes sense.
Answers reviewed by Basharat Hussain, IAA regulated Immigration Lawyer. Last reviewed: October 2026. Fees change regularly, so check the current Home Office fees on GOV.UK.
Contact
Talk to a citizenship lawyer in Bedford
Tell us when you got ILR, whether your partner is British and how often you have travelled. We will confirm your earliest application date and anything in your history that needs explaining.
- 93 Ford End Road, Bedford MK40 4JT
- 01234 962804
- info@immigrationinn.co.uk
- Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 18:00, and on Saturdays by appointment
We help new citizens from Bedford, Kempston, Luton, Dunstable, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Cambridge, and on video calls UK-wide.
