New Priority Service for British Citizenship Applications

The Home Office recently announced the introduction of a paid priority service for British citizenship applications.

The current standard processing time for a decision on a citizenship application is 6 months, however when using the priority service, the processing time should be reduced to 30 working days from the date of biometric enrolment (although complex cases may take longer to be decided). The fee to use this service is £500, which is paid in addition to the relevant application fee.

It is important to note that the priority service cannot be obtained retrospectively; the priority service must be selected and paid for at the point of submitting the application. This means that the priority service is only available for applications submitted from 6th July 2026, when the new service was introduced.

In addition, using the priority service does not guarantee approval of the application, so it is important to ensure that an application is thoroughly prepared.

While the introduction of the priority service is a welcome move, it should be borne in mind that the next step, after approval of an application, and where the applicant is over 18, is to attend a citizenship ceremony. Upon attending a citizenship ceremony, the individual becomes a British citizen and must apply for a British passport in order to be able to travel in-and-out of the UK. While it is possible to expedite a British citizenship application, it is not possible to expedite a first adult British passport application. The timing of the decision and attendance at a citizenship ceremony is therefore important.

If you would like any further advice or assistance in this regard then please do not hesitate to contact one of the experienced solicitors in our immigration team.