British citizenship if you are married to a British citizen
Married to a British citizen? You can apply after three years and do not need to wait a year after ILR.
Rules and fees checked against gov.uk on 8 November 2026. Page updated 8 November 2026. How we check our guides.
- Who it is for
- Spouses and civil partners of British citizens who hold ILR or settled status
- Residence needed
- 3 years, not 5
- Wait after ILR
- None
- Absence limits
- 270 days in the 3 years, 90 in the last 12 months
Section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 gives the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen an easier route to naturalisation. The differences are worth a lot: two fewer years of residence, no 12-month wait after settlement, and no need to show you intend to stay in the UK. Everything else, including the fee, is the same as the standard route.
Who qualifies
- You are married to, or the civil partner of, a British citizen on the date you apply. Unmarried partners do not qualify; neither does a partner who is settled but not British. If your spouse naturalises first, you can apply the day after their ceremony.
- You hold ILR, settled status or permanent residence. There is no minimum period you must have held it.
- You were in the UK three years before the date your application is received.
- Absences of no more than 270 days in those three years and 90 days in the last 12 months. Discretion is normally used up to 300 and 100.
- No immigration breaches in the three years, good character, and the Life in the UK test and B1 English.
How it fits with the partner visa
Most people on this route came on a partner visa, got ILR after five years and can therefore apply for citizenship immediately, because five years of residence more than covers the three required. The three-year rule mainly helps people who got ILR another way: a Skilled Worker who married a British citizen during their visa, or someone with settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
If you came on the ten-year partner route you will have ILR after ten years and qualify for citizenship on the same day, subject to the absence limits.
Crown service abroad
If your British spouse works abroad for the Crown or for certain designated organisations, time you spend with them overseas can be treated as residence in the UK. This is the only route where time outside the UK can count.
Costs
The same as the standard route: £1,605 plus the £130 ceremony. Processing is up to six months.