British Citizenship for European Citizens After Brexit: How It Works in 2026

07 Aug British Citizenship for European Citizens After Brexit: How It Works in 2026

If you are a European citizen — Italian, French, Spanish or from any other EU country — living in the UK, your path to British citizenship changed significantly after Brexit. The process is not complicated, but it requires knowing the steps in the right order. In this article we explain everything, with information updated to 2026.

What Changed with Brexit

Before 31 December 2020, European citizens enjoyed freedom of movement within the European Union. Living and working in the UK required no formal residency document, and the route to British citizenship was identical to that of any other foreign resident.

With Brexit, this situation changed dramatically. European citizens living in the UK by 31 December 2020 had to register through the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) to obtain the right to remain. Those who arrived after that date must follow ordinary immigration routes (work visa, family visa, etc.) — with no access to Settled Status via EUSS.

The Route for Those with Settled Status (EUSS)

If you arrived in the UK before 31 December 2020 and hold Settled Status, you are already on the right track for naturalisation. Here are the steps:

STEP 1 — Settled Status Settled Status (obtained through EUSS) is equivalent to ILR (Indefinite Leave to Remain) and is the basic requirement for a citizenship application. If you still hold Pre-Settled Status, you must first convert it to Settled Status — from January 2025, the Home Office carries out automatic conversion for those who have built up 5 years of residence, but you can also apply manually.

STEP 2 — 12-Month Wait Once you have Settled Status, you must wait at least 12 months before submitting a naturalisation application (Form AN). An exception applies to spouses of British citizens, for whom this wait is not required.

STEP 3 — Requirements to Meet For standard naturalisation you must:

• Have lived legally in the UK for at least 5 continuous years (3 years if married to a British citizen)
• Not have exceeded 450 days of absence in the 5-year period, nor 90 in the last year
• Pass the Life in the UK Test
• Demonstrate English language knowledge at B1 level (or above)
• Be of good character (clean criminal record, no immigration rule breaches)
• Intend to continue residing in the UK

STEP 4 — Online Application and Process The application is submitted online through the UKVI portal (Form AN), with the applicable fee (£1,709 from April 2026). Biometric enrolment follows, and after approval (approximately 3-6 months), the citizenship ceremony takes place.

For Those Who Arrived in the UK After 31 December 2020

If you arrived after the EU Settlement Scheme deadline, you cannot access Settled Status via EUSS. You will need to obtain residency through an ordinary visa (work, family, etc.), build up the right to ILR through that route, and then — after 12 months with ILR — apply for naturalisation. The timelines are longer, but the end result is the same.

The 2026 Update: British Passport Now Required to Enter the UK

This is a very important update that directly affects European-British dual nationals. From 25 February 2026, with the introduction of the ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) and stricter carrier enforcement, British citizens with dual nationality travelling to the UK must demonstrate their British status at the point of boarding.

In practice: if you are already a British citizen, you should travel to the UK on your British passport. Travelling on an Italian passport alone may cause problems at boarding, as the carrier may be unable to verify your British status.

Exception: dual nationals who held EUSS status before naturalising as British citizens may still travel on their European passport or national identity card, provided the document is correctly linked to their UKVI account.

Can I Keep Italian Citizenship?

Yes. Both the UK and Italy recognise and permit dual citizenship. Becoming a British citizen does not result in automatic loss of Italian citizenship. However, it is important to notify the relevant Italian Consulate of the acquisition of British citizenship to update your AIRE registration.

How We Can Help

Words at Hand supports European citizens in the UK with documentation for naturalisation applications. If you have non-English documents to attach (birth certificate, marriage certificate, criminal record issued in Italy or another European country), we translate them into English in the certified format accepted by the Home Office.

Contact us: cristina@wordsathand.com | WhatsApp: +44 7824 347667 | wordsathand.com/contact