If you apply for British citizenship as an adult, the fee is usually £1,630, while that for children is £1,214. The naturalisation fee should be paid upon submission of your application. If this application fee is not paid, your citizenship application will be invalid, and you will be charged an administration fee of £25. 

The processing time for British citizenship applications is usually around 6 months. However, this time may vary depending on application complexity and any service issues affecting processing. 

Fee Waiver

If you are unable to pay the fee while applying for your child, you may apply for what is called a fee waiver. With a fee waiver, the application will not charge any fee.

For the fee waiver application, you must prove that you do not have enough income or savings to pay for the fee, as well as for essential costs like food and rent. You will need to send in such documents proving your income and spending for the last 6 months, for instance, your:

• bank statements for all your accounts
• payslips
• utility bills
• tenancy agreement

If the social services provide you with money to help you take care of the needs of your child, you will be automatically granted a fee waiver, which is something you really should prove with documents.

Other Costs Associated With British Citizenship Applications

Other than the ones stated above, some other UK citizenship application fees must be considered along with your British citizenship application. 

Naturalisation applicants have to pay £19.20 for their biometric information to be taken (fingerprints and a photo). 

If you need to prove that you comply with the English language requirement, you will have to take an approved English citizenship test, which starts from £150. 

The Life in the UK test costs about £50 per test. You will have to pay a fee to take the test again if you fail. 

If any of the supporting documents are not in Welsh or English, certified document translations will also be required. Marriage certificates, birth certificates, or degree certificates may be some of the documents included. 

Applicants must consider upgrading their naturalisation application with some professional help by hiring an immigration lawyer to represent them in the application. 

Is There A Premium British Citizenship Service?

Unlike most visa and settlement applications in the UK, there are no premium services for the naturalisation process. That is to say, there is no extra payment that would help expedite your application. 

Conclusion 

In a nutshell, to avoid a refused British citizenship application and loss of the British citizenship application fee, you must ensure you meet all the eligibility requirements. The application fee is quite high and includes hidden charges as well making it essential to prove your eligibility in a manner outlined by the Home Office.