EU, British Citizenship and Brexit

EU citizens who have been in the UK for 5 years or more are applying for the British Citizenship as the D-day for Brexit gets closer. If you are an EU citizen, looking to naturalise as British, you will have to fulfil certain requirement.

You will have to be 18 or above to apply for naturalisation. You will have to prove that you have a good character and have an intention to live in the UK continuously. You will have to meet the English Language, residency and Life in the UK requirements.

To meet your residency requirements, you will have to prove that you are:

1. You are legally settled in the UK
2. Have been in the UK for five years prior to application
3. If you have been away for sometime in this time period, you need to justify your absence.

The naturalisation process for EU citizens in the UK depends on their family and leave circumstances. The EU citizen with a permanentresidence card can apply for the British citizenship. However, this won’t be applicable in case of no-deal Brexit. Once the withdrawal agreement is reached, the EU Free Movement law will be applicable till the 31^st December, 2020. Post this period, all the rights given to the EU citizens in the UK as per the Free Movement law will cease.