Can children in an ILR family obtain citizenship on their own? Requirements and fees

Home Office, *Guidelines on the Registration of Children as British Nationals* (22 September 2026 edition), states in the section entitled ‘Residence and Settlement’:

“the child’s parents have lived in the UK for five years and are settled there”

This provision requires parents to have lived in the UK for five years and to be settled; it does not require them to have become British citizens first. It provides a route for children to register their status for families wishing to retain their permanent residence. Below, we set out the application process, waiting times and costs item by item, based on the rules and fees in force as at 24 October 2026.

If the parents retain permanent residence, can the child apply independently?

Provided the specified conditions are met, that is acceptable.

Section 3(1) of the current British Nationality Act 1981 permits discretionary registration of minors. Home Office sets out the conditions under which applications are normally approved in the ‘Children with settlement and residence’ category: the child must have lawfully resided in the UK for more than five years, must have acquired settled status and held it for at least twelve months; both parents must also have resided in the UK for five years and must both have settled status; parental consent must be obtained as required, and character requirements must be met. In this context, ‘settled status’ generally includes ILR; the mere possession of a valid temporary visa is not a substitute. When determining the child’s period of residence, the time spent in the UK by the parents prior to the child’s arrival cannot be counted towards the child’s period of residence.

My view is that families who already meet these criteria and have decided to apply for British citizenship for their child do not need to alter their own naturalisation plans solely to accommodate their child. Arranging the applications for the two generations separately will better align with the family’s original choice.

‘Discretion’ still implies that the case officer will consider the full circumstances. Where the required period of residence or the duration of the settlement permit has not yet been met, approval cannot be presumed on the basis of ‘having attended school here’; where there are special reasons, the specific impact should be explained and supported by evidence. In families where one parent does not hold permanent residence and the child holds a temporary permit, other registration categories should also be taken into account; one cannot simply focus on the five-year requirement specified in this policy. For those approaching adulthood, whether there is still time to meet the conditions must be assessed in conjunction with the date of application.

If I apply together with my parents, do I have to wait a full year?

If applying with your parents, please refer to the ‘Children applying in line with parents’ section of the guidance; a separate set of criteria applies.

It is usually required that one parent is already a British citizen, or is in the process of acquiring British citizenship through registration or naturalisation; the other parent involved in the child’s life is already a British citizen or has settled status; the child has settled status and has resided in the UK for the last two years (for children under the age of two, a shorter residence period may be accepted depending on their age); and parental consent and character requirements must also be met. This section does not specify a requirement for the child to have held settled status for a full twelve months. The time requirements that parents themselves must meet when applying for naturalisation must still be calculated separately.

Consequently, both ‘children must wait until they have held permanent residence for one year’ and ‘children do not have to wait a year under any circumstances’ are too broad. Whether applications can be submitted simultaneously depends on which set of registration policies is applied; it would be best to specify the relevant category clearly in the application guidelines.

Do the entry points differ depending on where you were born?

For children born in the UK, it should first be checked whether they already hold British nationality; where registration is required and one parent acquired settled status or British nationality after the child’s birth, reference may be made to section 1(3) of the current British Nationality Act 1981. Children born in the UK who have spent the first ten years of their lives there may also refer to section 1(4) and the residence requirements set out in Guide T. Children born abroad to parents who were British nationals at the time of their birth may be covered by the rules on descent or the registration conditions set out in sections 3(2) and 3(5). Each of these categories has its own evidence requirements; the birth certificate, the parents’ status at the time and the manner in which they acquired that status must all be consistent.

The first two questions in this article are primarily intended to assist families in determining whether they need to take Section 3(1) into account. This provision requires applicants to be under the age of eighteen at the time of submission; those aged ten or over at the time of application must also undergo a ‘good character’ check.

How much does it cost? If I can’t afford it, can the fee be waived?

According to the fee schedule Home Office, which comes into effect on 8 October 2026, the application fee for ordinary British citizenship registration for children covered in this document is per person, amounting to £1,000. If the applicant turns 18 during the processing period, a Citizenship Ceremony fee of £130 is usually payable. The passport application constitutes a separate charge; translation and any professionally commissioned services should also be itemised separately. The budget should be calculated separately for each child; even when siblings’ applications are processed together, the application fees for each must be verified individually, and the cost for one child must not be treated as the total cost for the whole family.

If the fee would encroach on basic living costs or essential expenditure for children, you may be eligible for an exemption from the registration fee for minors; having an income from employment does not automatically disqualify you.

The official guidelines on fee exemptions take into account a family’s actual ability to pay, including housing, food, heating and children’s needs. When preparing your documents, your bank statements should correspond to your salary, rent, essential expenses and any financial assistance received; submitting only a screenshot of your account balance makes it difficult to demonstrate ongoing expenditure. The online process requires you to obtain an exemption decision first, before submitting your citizenship application using the approval code. Children in the care of local authorities are covered by a specific, free scheme; proof of care must be provided when applying.

Approval of an exemption only covers the payment of fees; eligibility for registration will still be assessed separately. Children granted an exemption who reach the age of majority during the assessment process will also be exempt from the ceremony fee that would normally be payable.

Before you start filling in the form, which section are you most likely to overlook?

The ‘MN1 Application Guide’ (Home Office, 20 August 2026 edition) begins with a practical detail: when parents and children apply together, the form requires confirmation as to whether, should the parents’ application be refused but the child remain eligible, the child’s application should proceed. If this section is left blank, the child’s application will be treated as withdrawn should the parents’ application be refused. This choice reflects the family’s genuine intentions and should be discussed thoroughly before submission; those wishing to proceed must state this clearly, whilst those who are undecided should ensure they understand the options and consequences before submitting, to avoid the blank field being mistakenly interpreted as a default option to continue the application.

It is advisable to contact referees in advance: generally, two are required—one who has had contact with the child in a professional capacity, such as a teacher; the other must hold a British passport and be over 25 years of age or a member of the professions. Restrictions regarding the length of acquaintance and family relationships must also be verified.

The documentation should focus on ‘identity, duration of residence and consent’: the child’s birth certificate and passport, stating the parents’ names; relevant identity documents for the parents and child, and evidence of residence in the UK; and, where applicable, parental consent and guardianship documents. School certificates may help to demonstrate the child’s residence status, but should be supplemented by the identity documents required for this category. If the parents are separated, there is a dispute over custody, or it is not possible to obtain the other parent’s signature, a statement of facts and relevant documents should be attached; the signature of the parent with whom the child lives should not be taken to mean that all consent issues have been resolved.

[Source] Home Office ‘Guidelines on the Registration of Children as British Nationals’, ‘Guidelines on MN1 Applications’, the October 2026 Schedule of Fees and the Explanatory Notes on Fee Exemptions for Minors.

This article is for information purposes only; please consult a qualified solicitor regarding specific matters.

1. List the child’s place of birth, date of arrival in the UK, date of settlement approval and 18th birthday, and check the applicable category to determine the submission window.
2. Costs should be calculated on a per-child basis; if you require an exemption, first organise your household income and expenditure, and check the submission deadlines for the exemption process.
3. Ensure you have all the necessary proof of identity and residence, obtain the consent of your referee and parents, check the options for continuing your enrolment, and keep a copy of your submission.

Dealing with a UK legal matter? JustiScript can help