UK citizenship fee reaches five times estimated processing cost
Applicants face a £1,709 naturalisation fee, while Home Office data analysed by the IPPR estimates processing costs at £324.
People applying for British citizenship are charged more than five times the estimated administrative cost of processing their applications, according to an analysis by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
The naturalisation fee rose 6% to £1,709, compared with an estimated Home Office unit cost of £324. For nearly all successful applicants, a citizenship ceremony adds a further £130, bringing the total to £1,839.
The fee is higher than in other G7 countries cited in the analysis, including the equivalent US charge of £562. Applicants may also have already paid visa fees and an annual immigration health charge of £1,035 per person.
The IPPR said high fees could place citizenship beyond the reach of long-term residents and called for charges to move closer to administrative costs. It also recommended clearer routes to citizenship and replacing the Life in the UK test with a course and test focused on community life, UK institutions and shared values.
Amnesty International and the Refugee Council warned that the cost could restrict access for migrants and refugees. The Home Office said fees set above processing costs help fund the wider migration system and reduce the burden on taxpayers.
