Charging £1,709 for naturalisation risks putting citizenship beyond the reach of people who have already built lives in the UK, the Institute for Public Policy Research says. The thinktank’s analysis contrasts the published application fee with a Home Office estimate that the department’s unit processing cost is £324.
Successful applicants must also pay £130 for the citizenship ceremony, which takes the total immediate cost to £1,839. The IPPR highlights that the gap between the fee and the recorded administrative cost may function as a barrier to civic participation for long-term residents, and that the citizenship process itself does little to foster engagement.
To address those issues the report urges that fees be reduced toward actual processing costs, that routes to settlement be clarified, and that the Life in the UK test be replaced with a course emphasising community life and institutions. Marley Morris, the report’s author, 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."
Advocacy and refugee groups framed the charge as an added burden on migrants who already face substantial immigration costs. Steve Valdez-Symonds, refugee and migration rights policy lead at Amnesty International, said, "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, this includes the cost of the system’s errors and delays. But governments are increasing the burden upon people seeking to make their new lives in the UK, people who already pay taxes and may have also paid solicitors and court fees too." 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."
The IPPR points to international comparisons to underline the scale of the UK charge, noting the £1,709 fee is more than three times the next-highest naturalisation charge among G7 states, with the US equivalent at £562. Many applicants also face further costs before applying, including visa fees and a mandatory annual immigration health charge of £1,035 per person.
Former home secretary David Blunkett, writing in a foreword to the report, called for quicker routes to settled status and earlier access to indefinite leave for people who demonstrate language skills and community commitment, adding, "The journey to naturalisation could be sped up as people are supported to demonstrate their commitment and contribution to the community in which they live."
The Home Office defended the charging structure, saying it does not profit from immigration and nationality fees and that income above processing costs helps fund the migration system. A department spokesperson added, "While we will always welcome those who come to this country and contribute to our national life, British citizenship is a privilege. It is right that those who benefit from the migration and borders system contribute towards its operation, reducing the burden on the taxpayer."
The report’s publication arrives as home secretary Shabana Mahmood faces pressure over wider settlement rule changes. After proposals to lengthen the qualifying period for indefinite leave were published, sources expect adjustments to those proposals, raising the prospect of further shifts in how the government balances immigration control, fiscal pressures, and routes to citizenship.
