DH's Zimbabwean passport is due to expire end of next year............

[TheQueenOfQuotes]

and he's just told me that he's going to apply for British Citizenship/Naturlisation (whatever it's called) so that he can get a British Passport (I'm in shock - I never thought the day would come that he'd "give up" his Zimbabwean nationality - Mugabe as outlawed duel nationality )

Anyhow - he's set me the task of finding out where to start..........so can you direct me to where I need to look - and if you've been through the process how was it, how long did it take (how much did it cost LOL).

There's some information here.

thanks

and - £655 to apply!!!! well I guess we won't be going abroad for a few years then as that sort of money isn't just going to land in our lap !!!

It's pretty easy. The Home Office link tells you everything you need to know.

The first thing to do before applying is to book and do the Life in UK test. You can usually do it at Adult Education Colleges and LearnDirect places. It's a good idea to get the book first, as some of the questions are pure trivia.

The other thing to do is to collect all his days outside the UK since being granted leave to enter, along with documentation such as birth and marriage certificates, and photographs.

Next, fill in the application form, and either send it off in the post to the Home Office, or have the documents checked and returned at the registrar's office in your area that does these. If you use the document checking service, you get your passport back straightaway. If not, it goes into the ether until the end of the process.

Once the Home Offiec has the application, it takes them 2-4 weeks to adjudicated it. They then inform your County Council, who invite you to a citizenship ceremony.

Timings are about about 3 months start to finish, longer if there is a backlog with the Life in the UK test and document checking service.

Cost? It should be on the Home Office website, but ISTR around £600.

Thanks EST (I'm sure the Home Office page will be very useful when it decides to stop "stalling" on me LOL).

Blimey, dh applied for British Citizenship a couple of years ago and I'm sure it didn't cost anything like that amount . Mind you that was pre test days.

It's gone up a lot in the last couple of years. I don't think the test it particularly expensive - it's the actual processing. I think government policy is that the IND should be self-sustaining, so the charge for visas and citizenship is more in line with the actual cost.

Oh I've just discovered the test is extra £34 (possibly with VAT added on!)

Then it's of course going to cost £60 odd (or however much it costs to get a new passport these days) on top of that - so we're looking at around £750 eeeeeek!

I know when DH applied for residency 7 1/2yrs ago (well nearly 8yrs now) we were still living in Zim so paid in ZW$'s - but the equivalent in £'s was around the £250 mark .

does anybody know if you can apply for a british passport without being a british citizen? ie if you're from a commonwealth country? won't bother if I have to pay that much money for citizenship - sheesh

Unlikely unless you fall into one of a few very restricted categories. see here for eligibility. The usual rule is that you can only get a passport if you are a British citizen.

thanks lilymaid, that's really useful, I"m on hold now to find out! Have been here for 11 years and haven't ever bothered about a passport, I think it's about time

DH is from a commonwealth country and he most definitely has to get Citizenship before getting a passport.

good grief - just been looking at that website again and the "fees" table..........to renounce your British Nationality - cost £385!!!!???