Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent assessment she has made of the potential merits of (a) introducing a fee waiver for applications for British citizenship for children and (b) reducing the level of fees for such applications.

Where changes to fee legislation are made, Impact Assessments are produced which identify potential impacts resulting from the changes. The most recent Equality Impact Assessment which includes considerations in respect of citizenship fees for children is published here:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukia/2026/44/pdfs/ukia_20260044_en.pdf.

Fees for immigration and nationality applications are kept under review. From 08 April 2026, the fee for an application to register as a British citizen for individuals under the age of 18 was reduced from £1,214 to £1,000. The reduction aligns with the Government’s commitment to lower financial barriers for children and young adults who are rooted in the UK and who may otherwise face challenges in accessing British nationality.

Children seeking to register as a British citizen will have the fee waived if they are able to credibly demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee. In addition, where an application has been made by or on behalf of a child who is looked after by a Local Authority, no fee is payable and it is not necessary for the child’s financial circumstances to be evidenced.

Information on eligibility for under-18 Fee Waiver applications can be found on GOV.UK at the link below:

Get a citizenship application fee waiver if you’re under 18 - GOV.UK.