Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the qualifying requirements are for an EU citizen to take British citizenship.

EU nationals who wish to become British citizens must apply for naturalisation under the British Nationality Act 1981. They are required to meet the same requirements as all other foreign nationals. This includes requirements to have sufficient knowledge of language and life in the United Kingdom -as measured by the "Life in the UK" test which we reformed in the last Parliament- and be of good character. The residential requirements are based on a period of lawful residence in the United Kingdom: 3 years for spouses and civil partners of British citizens and 5 years for others, without excess absences. A person must also be free of immigration time restrictions in the UK, and must have been free of those restrictions for at least 12 months before applying if not the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen. An EEA national becomes free of immigration time restrictions after five years' residence in the United Kingdom in accordance with EEA Regulations.