Simplified registration process for Irish citizens comes into force

On 1 July 2025, the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024 (Commencement) Regulations 2025 made provisions for the British Nationality (Irish Citizens) Act 2024 to come into force on 22 July 2025.

The Act introduces a simplified route for Irish citizens who have been resident in the UK for five years to register as British.

As many will know, this has been a long wait, as the Act was one of the final pieces of legislation passed by the previous government before its dissolution in May 2024, and the journey to this point began as early as 2005.

When can applications be made and what is the cost?

There was uncertainty as to when Irish citizens would be able to make use of this more simplified route to British citizenship, and of how much the fee for this application would be.

The route officially opened to adults and children on 22 July 2025. The application is made online under form B(OTA), unless the applicant lives in the Channel Islands, Isle of Man or a British Overseas Territory in which case there is a paper form. Home Office guidance on making an application can be found under Guide B3: Registration as a British citizen – Irish citizens, and the Home Office have also released caseworker guidance: Acquisition of British citizenship: Irish citizens.

The Home Office application fees are £723 and £607 for adults and children respectively. Whilst still significant, these fees are far lower than (what is currently) the £1,605 fee for a naturalisation application.

Additionally, the Migration and Citizenship minister, Seema Malhotra, confirmed that a fee waiver would be available for children looked after by a local authority, or if their family can demonstrate that they cannot afford the fee.

What are the requirements? 

The Act inserts the rather concise Section 4AA into the British Nationality Act 1981 (‘BNA’):

4AA Acquisition by registration: Irish citizens

(1) An Irish citizen is entitled to be registered as a British citizen if—
(a) an application for their registration is made under this section, and
(b) they satisfy the requirements specified in subsection (2).

(2) The requirements are that—
(a) the person was in the United Kingdom at the beginning of the period of five years ending with the date of their application;
(b) the person was absent from the United Kingdom for—
(i) no more than 450 days in the period of five years ending with the date of their application, and
(ii) no more than 90 days in the period of 12 months ending with the date of their application; and
(c) the person was not in the United Kingdom in breach of the immigration laws at any time in the period of five years ending with the date of their application.

(3) If in the special circumstances of a particular case the Secretary of State thinks fit, the Secretary of State may treat the person as satisfying a requirement specified in subsection (2), even if they did not in fact satisfy the requirement.

(4) This section is subject to sections 31, 32 and 36 of the Illegal Migration Act 2023 (restriction of eligibility for citizenship etc).

Section 41A(1) of the BNA will also be amended to input the good character requirement to these applications.

The main benefit of this route, aside from the reduced fee, is that there is no requirement to have completed the Life in the UK test. There is also no requirement to provide proof of English language. Although, of course, Irish citizens applying for British citizenship would have previously been exempt from proving their knowledge of English in any event.

Irish citizens in the UK

Irish citizens already have a great deal of security in the UK, as they have a unique status under the Common Travel Area, and they are treated as ‘settled’ in the UK from the point at which they become ordinarily resident. Whilst they can choose to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme, this is not a requirement.

The new simplified process for becoming a British citizen, as well as the lower application fees, are a welcome change, and we expect that many individuals will wish to utilise this path to British citizenship.