Delayed Citizenship Application: What to Do
Waiting months for a citizenship decision is hard, especially once the published time has passed with no update. This guide covers the published timescales, who to contact, and the routes that exist when a delay runs on.
- Section
- British Citizenship
- Reading time
- 8 min
- Last checked
- 7 February 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- GOV.UK says a decision usually comes within 6 months, and some take longer.
- The priority service costs £500 for a target of 30 working days; super priority is not available for citizenship.
- There is no online tracker for citizenship applications, and no paid enquiry service.
- A Member of Parliament can make enquiries with the Home Office on a constituent's behalf.
- Indefinite leave to remain stays valid while the application is pending.
GOV.UK says a citizenship decision usually comes within 6 months, and that some take longer. There is no online tracker for citizenship applications and no paid enquiry service. What you can do is contact the nationality contact centre, ask your Member of Parliament to make enquiries, or, for a long unexplained delay, take regulated advice about a legal challenge.
Normal Processing Times
GOV.UK states that you will usually get a decision within 6 months of applying, and that some applications take longer. That is the published processing time, and it runs from the application, not from the biometrics appointment.
The priority service costs a further £500 per applicant and brings the target down to 30 working days. The super priority service, which delivers a next working day decision on other routes, is not available for citizenship applications.
The Home Office does not publish reasons for individual delays. Things that commonly extend a decision include:
- Additional checks on the application
- A good character matter that needs investigating
- Missing or incomplete information
- The volume of applications being handled
- A complicated immigration history
Step 1: Check Nothing Is Waiting on You
There is no online tracker for a citizenship application. Unlike some visa routes, there is no page that shows a progress bar, so what you can check is your own end of the correspondence. Our guide to tracking a citizenship application covers what does and does not exist.
Check whether the Home Office has asked you for anything. Requests for further information can land in a spam folder or go to an old address. An application waiting on a reply that never came will not move.
Step 2: Contact UK Visas and Immigration
Once the application has passed the published 6 months, you can ask for an update:
- Call 0300 790 6268 and choose option 2 for nationality enquiries. The nationality lines are open Monday to Thursday from 9am to 4:45pm and Friday from 9am to 4:30pm, and are closed on bank holidays
- Or email nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk, or use the online enquiry form: see our guide to contacting the Home Office
- Quote your reference number and the date you applied, and ask whether anything is outstanding from you
There is no paid enquiry service for citizenship applications. Contact centre staff cannot give advice about personal circumstances.
Step 3: Involve Your MP
Your Member of Parliament can take up a case with the Home Office on behalf of a constituent. A letter or email to them would normally set out:
- When you applied and your reference number
- How long you have been waiting
- Any impact the delay is having on your life
- What response you have had from UK Visas and Immigration, if any
Members of Parliament handle immigration casework as a routine part of constituency work, and most offices have caseworkers who deal with it. An enquiry from them does not change the decision, and no one can promise it will change the timing, but it is a channel the Home Office answers.
Step 4: Legal Options
Where a delay runs on well beyond the published 6 months with no explanation, the routes that exist are:
- Pre-action protocol letter: A solicitor writes to the Home Office warning that legal proceedings may follow if the delay continues
- Judicial review: A court can order the Home Office to make a decision within a specified timeframe. See our judicial review guide
- Formal complaint: Submit a complaint through the Home Office complaints procedure
Whether any of these fits a particular case is a question for a solicitor, or for an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority, which took over from the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner on 16 January 2025. Rowan sets out what the published rules say and cannot assess an individual case. Our guide to solicitor costs covers what that step involves.
While You Wait
Your indefinite leave to remain stays valid while a citizenship application is being considered. You can:
- Continue working without restriction
- Travel in and out of the UK (keep records of all trips)
- Access public services as normal
Keep a record of every trip. The absence limits, 450 days across the 5 years and 90 days in the last 12 months, are assessed as at the date the Home Office decides the application, not the date you applied, so travel during the wait still counts.
Related guides:
- Contacting the Home Office
- Getting Help from Your Member of Parliament
- Citizenship Processing Time
- Tracking Your Application
For the official application process and processing times, visit GOV.UK: apply for citizenship.
Questions and answers
How long should a citizenship application take?
GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 6 months, and that some applications take longer. The priority service costs a further £500 and brings the target down to 30 working days. The super priority service, which is next working day on other routes, is not available for citizenship applications.
What should I do if my application has been waiting over 6 months?
Contact the UK Visas and Immigration nationality contact centre for an update, and you can also ask your Member of Parliament to make enquiries on your behalf. There is no paid enquiry service for citizenship, and no online tracker. If a delay goes on with no explanation, advice about a pre-action letter or judicial review comes from a solicitor or an adviser registered with the Immigration Advice Authority.
Why is my citizenship application delayed?
The Home Office does not publish reasons for individual delays. Things that commonly extend a decision include additional checks, a request for more information that did not reach the applicant, a good character matter that needs investigating, and the volume of applications being handled.
Can I travel while my citizenship application is pending?
Yes. Your indefinite leave to remain stays valid while a citizenship application is being considered, so your right to work, travel and use public services is unchanged. Keep a record of every trip, because the Home Office assesses your absences as at the date it decides the application.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.