Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to her oral contribution of 10 October 2016, Official Report, column 62, how an EU citizen demonstrates their having lived in the UK for five or more years; how citizenship is claimed after six years; which Department will be responsible for confirming the right to (a) remain and (b) citizenship; what certification of these rights will be provided; what estimate she has made of the cost to the applicant of that process; and if she will make a statement.

We wish to guarantee the rights of EU citizens already in the UK, and the only circumstances in which this would not be possible would be if British citizens’ rights in EU Member States were not protected on a reciprocal basis.

The UK is currently a member of the EU, and remains one until Article 50 negotiations have concluded. This means EU law continues to apply. Although not mandatory, after 5 years of continuous and lawful residence in the UK, EU citizens may apply for a document to confirm their EU right to reside in the UK permanently. Further information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-document-certifying-permanent-residence-or-permanent-residence-card-form-eea-pr

In terms of British citizenship, under UK law, EU nationals who are married to or the civil partner of a British citizen can apply for naturalisation as a British citizen once they have obtained permanent residence in the UK.

Other EU nationals may apply for a certificate of naturalisation once they have resided in the UK for six years. This because they need to show they have completed 12 months of residence in the UK free of immigration time restrictions once they have acquired a permanent right to reside.

Further guidance on the application process to naturalise as a British citizen is available via the link below:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-naturalise-as-a-british-citizen-form-an