Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) UK and British citizenship have some common features. For example, both give you the right to live, work, and study in the UK indefinitely without any immigration control, access to the NHS (National Health Service), and public funds. However, there are quite a few differences between the two as well. For example, where you cannot lose your British citizenship once you obtain it (unless you renounce it yourself), you can lose your ILR status if you remain outside the UK for 2 or more years continuously.
Indefinite leave to remain or settlement is an immigration status in the UK. Non-UK nationals can apply for ILR after having lived in the UK for a certain number of years continuously (5 years on most visa routes) on a single visa or multiple visas or 10 years on some of the categories.
Importantly, the UK government has proposed in its White Paper released on 12 May 2025 to increase the standard qualifying period for ILR or settlement from five to ten years. However, some people will still be able to qualify sooner than 10 years based on certain criteria yet to be decided.
British citizenship is one of six different types of British Nationality status. Citizenship gives you the right to travel to and from the UK, live and work here without any immigration control, known as the ‘right of abode’. Citizenship also gives you access to public services, the right to vote, and stand for a public office in the UK. You cannot lose your British citizenship unless you renounce it. One can acquire British citizenship by birth, through registration, or naturalization.
Citizenship allows you to apply for a British passport – one of the strongest passports in the world.
There are several differences between ILR and British Citizenship. For example, the eligibility requirements, costs, and consular support, immigration vs nationality status, and loss of status.
In this article, we are going to discuss some of these key differences between indefinite leave to remain and British citizenship.
First, let's see the eligibility conditions for ILR.
• You must have lived in the UK for a certain number of years (depending on your current immigration route) continuously. Please note that the government has proposed to change the continuous residence requirement from five years to ten years for most applicants.
• You must not have spent more than 180 days outside the UK in any 12-month period during the qualifying residency period.
• You must prove your proficiency in the English language to at least CEFR (Common European Framework of Languages) level B1.
• Other requirements depending on your current visa in the UK.
Some people are British citizens automatically by birth. For British Citizenship through naturalization, you need to meet the following requirements.
• You are over 18 at the time of application.
• You either were born in the UK or moved here.
• You hold ILR or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme when you apply for citizenship.
• You have resided in the UK for at least 12 months with ILR status or settled status under the EUSS unless you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen.
• You have not spent more than 90 days outside the UK in the last 12 months
• You have not spent more than 450 days outside the UK during the qualifying five-year period before you apply for citizenship, or 270 days in the qualifying three-year period for a spouse or civil partner of a British citizen applying for British citizenship
• Unless exempt, you need to prove your proficiency in the English language and pass the Life in the UK test.
• You are of a ‘good character’.
The current standard ILR application fee in 2025 is £3,029 per person. If you want to apply for a faster decision, you can select priority service or super priority service. If you select priority service, you will need to pay £500 in addition to the application fee, and you will be able to get a decision within 5 working days.
If you select super priority service, you will need to pay £1,000 in addition to the application fee, and you will be able to get a decision by the end of the next working day.
On the other hand, for a British citizenship through naturalization application, you will need to pay £1,735 (this is inclusive of £130 for the arrangement of a citizenship ceremony).
There is no priority service available for applications for British citizenship.
Even though ILR means indefinite leave to remain in the UK but your settled status may lapse if you stay outside the UK for a continuous period of more than 2 years at a time. This time limit is 5 years for people having settlement under the EUSS and 4 years for people having settlement under the EUSS as Swiss nationals or family members of Swiss nationals.
On the other hand, once you have acquired British citizenship, you will not lose your citizenship status no matter how long you stay outside the UK at a time.
While ILR and British citizenship both allow you to live in the UK indefinitely, only with a British citizenship status you get the right to apply for a British passport and full political rights, such as voting rights and standing for public office.
If you hold ILR status in the UK, you will retain the nationality and passport of your Home Country. On the other hand, even though the UK allows dual citizenship, you may have to renounce the citizenship and passport of your Home Country if you want to become a British citizen, but your home country does not allow dual citizenship.
However, if your home country also allows dual citizenship, similar to the UK, you can hold both countries’ passports.
If you have Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), you will generally have access to consular support in limited circumstances where the focus is on safeguarding your well-being while overseas.
On the other hand, British citizens, both in the UK and internationally, are entitled to receive full support and protection from the UK government. This includes assistance from British consulates and embassies worldwide. Such aid can be essential in cases of emergencies and natural disasters.
Your ILR status can be revoked at the discretion of the Home Office in certain circumstances, such as when you are liable to deportation but cannot be removed from the UK for legal reasons.
If your ILR status is revoked, you will have no permission at all, and you may therefore be liable to removal and detention. Furthermore, you may also be deported if you are convicted of a criminal offence in the UK and in case of your deportation from the UK, your ILR will become invalid.
On the other hand, unlike ILR, you cannot be deported from the UK once you become a British citizen. In addition, your British citizenship status cannot be revoked other than in very exceptional circumstances. The Home Office uses its power to deprive an individual of their British citizenship almost always in the context of national security (i.e., terrorism) or if the individual had obtained citizenship fraudulently.
If one of the parents of a child who was born in the UK has ILR, the child will normally be a British citizen automatically at birth. However, children who were born overseas will not. If you have ILR, you may be able to apply for British citizenship through naturalisation for your child so long as they are under 18.
On the other hand, children born in the UK or overseas whose parents have naturalized as British citizens are themselves British citizens. This benefits the children in securing their access to education, healthcare, and work in the UK, and this also enables them to pass on their nationality to future generations.
It is important to note that ILR and naturalisation applications can both be complex, and you must consider all the requirements carefully. The Home Office will carefully scrutinise your applications, and if it finds that you do not intend to stay in the UK, or if you do not meet any of the other requirements, it will refuse your application.
Please note that you cannot appeal a refusal of a naturalisation application; therefore, you must prepare the application thoroughly and carefully.
On the other hand, British citizens, both in the UK and internationally, are entitled to receive full support and protection from the UK government. This includes assistance from British consulates and embassies worldwide. Such aid can be essential in cases of emergencies and natural disasters.
We are experienced in preparing ILR and naturalisation applications to ensure you have a successful outcome. We provide your immigration service, expert guidance, and assistance to you throughout the process.
You can reach out to our team at +44 (0) 20 3411 1261 to learn more.
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