What do you need to know about British citizenship by marriage?

What do you need to know about British citizenship by marriage?

British citizenship by marriage requirements You must be aged 18 or over. You must be married to (or in a civil partnership with) a British citizen on the date of application. You must have the mental capacity to understand you are applying for citizenship. You must meet the residence requirements – 3 years for the spouse of a British citizen.

Can a British citizen apply for a Spouse Visa?

You can apply for a UK spouse visa if you are lawfully married to a British citizen. This is the most common type of partner.

Can you apply for British citizenship if your partner has died?

You cannot apply for citizenship as the partner of a British citizen if your partner has died. Check if you’re eligible another way – for example if you have indefinite leave to remain in the UK or permanent residence status.

What do you have to do to become a British citizen?

You’re married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen. To apply as the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen you must have lived in the UK for the last 3 years. You’ll also need to have one of the following: indefinite leave to remain.

Do you have to be married to be a British citizen?

British citizenship through marriage is the settlement route for those who are married to or in a civil partnership with a UK national or settled person. To qualify, you must also meet the following citizenship requirements: Do I need to be a settled person to become a British citizen?

How long do you have to be in the UK before you can apply for citizenship?

After you’ve held ILR status for at least one year and you meet all the other requirements, you can apply for citizenship. If you’re married to a British citizen, you don’t need to wait a year to apply. You must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in a 12-month period while on a visa in the UK.

Can you still live in the UK with your spouse?

At this point you can apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) provided you are still married and living in the UK with your spouse and continue to meet the maintenance requirements. After you have been granted ILR you may be eligible to apply for naturalisation as British citizen.

How to check marital status in the UK?

Depending on when you think the couple married, you can search online at FreeBMD.co.uk with only one partners’s name. Regional searches, if you know where the event would have taken place, are quicker, but logically the more detail you know, the easier it is to check.