The UK charges £1,709 for naturalisation as a British citizen, compared with an estimated administrative cost of £324, according to Home Office data analysed by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
The UK’s application fee is more than three times higher than the next most expensive citizenship fee among G7 countries, with the United States charging £562.
Successful applicants must also pay £130 for a mandatory citizenship ceremony, bringing the total cost of becoming a British citizen to £1,839.
The findings come as Britain reviews immigration rules affecting the path from temporary residence to settlement and citizenship, with implications for Africa, where the UK remains a major destination for migrants, students and skilled workers.
Nigerians among leading African groups gaining British citizenship
Home Office figures show that 12,630 Nigerians were granted British citizenship in 2024, making Nigeria one of the leading non-European nationalities receiving citizenship that year.
Other African communities, including those from South Africa, Ghana, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, Algeria, Somalia and Zimbabwe, also have long-established migration links with Britain.
However, reaching citizenship often comes after years of immigration-related costs, including visa fees, the immigration health surcharge, settlement application fees and other charges linked to maintaining legal status in the UK.
Many applicants also incur additional costs through English language tests, the Life in the UK test, biometric enrolment, document certification, translations and, in some cases, professional immigration advice.
The immigration health surcharge alone costs many adult visa holders £1,035 per year, while permanent residency applications require a separate fee before migrants can proceed to citizenship.
Settlement rules add to migration debate
These costs come as the UK government reviews settlement rules that could change the timeline for migrants seeking citizenship.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is expected to soften plans that would have increased the waiting period for some migrants to qualify for permanent residency from five years to 10 years.
Mahmood has defended the government’s approach, saying permanent settlement should be based on contribution and integration.
“To settle in this country forever is not a right, but a privilege. And it must be earned,” Mahmood said.
Campaigners raise concerns over costs
However, the fee increase has drawn criticism from migrant and refugee organisations, which argue that higher charges could make citizenship more difficult to access.
Imran Hussain, director of external affairs at the Refugee Council, said:
“In the past, citizenship has been encouraged as a sign of someone successfully integrating into British life, but higher and higher financial barriers risk putting this out of reach for refugees.”
Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International’s refugee and migration rights policy lead, said governments had increasingly transferred the cost of running the immigration system to migrants.
“Successive governments have charged these increasingly high fees for the purpose of passing the cost of the UK’s immigration system from the taxpayer on to migrant people,” he said.
Marley Morris, associate director for migration, trade and communities at IPPR and author of the report, said:
“A fair society should view new migrants as potential citizens and actively encourage people to commit to their new home. Yet the act of getting citizenship is a largely bureaucratic process that is priced out of reach for many.
“If we want long-term residents to be included in our common life, there should be a clear and affordable route to becoming British.”
The IPPR called for citizenship fees to be reduced closer to processing costs and recommended replacing the current Life in the UK test with a broader citizenship course.
The Home Office, meanwhile, defended the charges, saying it does not profit from immigration and nationality fees.
It said income from charges above processing costs helps fund the wider migration system and reduces the burden on taxpayers.
