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The documents we require for a British national to register as a British citizen

This page provides details of the documents you will need to supply to us to support your registration as a British citizen.

You should send the original document, not a copy. Your documents will be returned to you by secure post. If you wish your documents to be returned to you by an alternative postal service or by courier you should include a pre-paid delivery envelope with your application.

You should provide translations of any documents not in English.

The documents you need to supply to us will depend on the basis of your application. If you do not send us all the documents we need, we will write to you to request them. This will delay your application.

Evidence that you are a British overseas territories citizen, a British national (overseas), a British overseas citizen, a British subject or a British protected person

You should send:

  • your passport; or
  • your registration or naturalisation certificate

If you cannot provide one of the documents listed above and your claim is through your birth and/or your parents' birth, you should send:

  • your birth certificate; and, if possible
  • your parents' birth and marriage certificates.

Evidence of your residence in the United Kingdom during the qualifying period

If you are applying on the basis of residence in the United Kingdom, you should send:

  • your passport(s) covering the whole qualifying period.

If you cannot provide your passport please explain why and send as much of the following as possible to cover the whole qualifying period:

  • letters from your employer(s); and
  • letters from schools or other educational establishments that you attended; and
  • a letter from HM Revenue & Customs National Insurance Contributions Office showing you paid National Insurance contributions; and
  • P60 forms or a letter from HM Revenue & Customs showing that you paid tax; and
  • any other documents which show you lived in the United Kingdom.

Evidence of your crown or similar service

If you are applying on the basis of your crown or similar service, you should send:

  • a letter from the authorities of the British overseas territory concerned, giving details of the post that you held, your length of service and the organisation you served.

Application forms

Registration as a British citizen by a British overseas territories citizen, a British overseas citizen, a British protected person, a British subject (under the British Nationality Act 1981), a British national (overseas)

Terms explained

  • Crown service

    Working in the direct employment by the United Kingdom Government, the Northern Ireland Government, the Scottish Administration, the Welsh Assembly Government (from 6 November 2009) or, on or after 21 May 2002, the governments of the qualifying territories. (See Qualifying territory.) This does not include someone who is subcontracted on government projects or in the service of Crown servants, such as Royal Navy laundrymen or teachers working in schools on British bases.

  • Residential qualifying period

    This is the length of time a person must have lived legally in the United Kingdom before qualifying to apply for naturalisation as a British citizen or for permanent residence. For naturalisation, the period is five years, or three years if you are married to or in a civil partnershp with a British citizen.

All glossary terms