Resuming British Citizenship After Renunciation: How to Reacquire
Someone who renounced British citizenship can apply to be registered again under section 13 of the British Nationality Act 1981. This guide covers who has an entitlement, who needs discretion, the fee, and what the application asks for.
- Section
- British Citizenship
- Reading time
- 9 min
- Last checked
- 10 March 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
- Resumption is an application to be registered on form RS1, under section 13 of the British Nationality Act 1981.
- Renouncing in order to acquire or keep another nationality carries an entitlement to be registered, once only.
- Any other case, or a second resumption, is at the Home Secretary's discretion.
- No Life in the UK test and no English requirement, but the good character requirement applies.
- An adult becomes a British citizen at the oath, taken at a citizenship ceremony within 90 days.
Someone who renounced British citizenship can apply to be registered again on form RS1. Where the renunciation was made in order to acquire or keep another nationality, registration is an entitlement, but only once. Otherwise it is at the Home Secretary’s discretion. There is no Life in the UK test or English requirement, but good character applies, and adults take the oath at a citizenship ceremony.
Why People Renounce Citizenship
People renounce British citizenship for various reasons, most commonly because another country required them to give it up to acquire that country's citizenship. Some countries do not allow dual citizenship, so people were forced to choose.
Circumstances change. The country you moved to may have changed its dual citizenship laws, or you may wish to return to the UK and re-establish your status. The resumption process allows you to reclaim your British citizenship.
Eligibility
Section 13 of the British Nationality Act 1981 splits these applications in two.
Entitlement, once only. There is a right to be registered where you were a British citizen, made a declaration of renunciation that was registered, and did so in order to acquire or keep another nationality. The same applies to someone who renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies in order to obtain Commonwealth citizenship. Each of those routes can be used once.
Discretion. Anyone who renounced for a different reason, or who has already used the entitlement, can still apply. The Home Secretary may then register them if they see fit.
If you lost British citizenship through other means (such as deprivation), the resumption process does not apply. Different rules govern those situations.
How to Apply
- Complete form RS1, the application to register as a British citizen by resumption.
- Provide your copy of the declaration of renunciation, which may be on form RN1, RN2, RN3, RN or R6.
- Include evidence of your identity, of your current citizenship, and of your connection to the UK, such as the birth or naturalisation records of the relatives the form names.
- Answer the good character questions, which cover criminal convictions, financial matters such as bankruptcy, immigration breaches, and any involvement in terrorism.
- Pay the fee. Registration as a British citizen costs £1,540 for an adult, with a £130 citizenship ceremony fee on top. The priority service costs a further £500 for a decision usually within 30 working days.
You can download the form from GOV.UK. The usual route is to fill the form in online, which means you can keep your documents while the application is considered, and then book an appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services point to give your fingerprints and photograph and submit your documents. Anyone living in the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British overseas territory applies in person or by post instead, and applying by post is possible from elsewhere too. The fee is not refunded if the application is refused.
What Happens After Resumption
An adult whose application succeeds is invited to a citizenship ceremony, to be attended within 90 days, and takes the oath of allegiance there. The guidance describes that oath as the point at which you become a British citizen. It is a legal requirement for adults, waived only in rare cases where a person is physically unable to attend or the oath would not be appropriate. Once registered you can:
- Apply for a British passport
- Live and work in the UK without visa restrictions
- Access the NHS and public services as a British citizen
- Vote in UK elections
- Pass citizenship to your children (subject to specific rules about citizenship by descent)
The UK allows dual citizenship, so you do not need to give up any other nationality you hold when resuming British citizenship.
Second Resumption
The entitlement under section 13 can be used once. If you have already been registered by resumption and then renounced again, a further application is decided under the discretion in section 13(3), which lets the Home Secretary register a person "if they see fit". GOV.UK does not publish a list of the factors weighed in that decision, so this guide does not offer one.
Children and Resumption
If you resume British citizenship, this does not automatically make your children British. Their citizenship depends on their own circumstances, including when and where they were born and your status at the time of their birth. See our guide on children born abroad for more information.
Next Steps
The application is form RS1, published on GOV.UK with its own guidance. The documents it asks for start with your copy of the declaration of renunciation, which may be a form RN1, RN2, RN3, RN or R6, followed by evidence of your identity, your current citizenship, and your connection to the UK.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Can I get back British citizenship after renouncing it?
Often, yes. The route is registration on form RS1, under section 13 of the British Nationality Act 1981. There is an entitlement to be registered, once only, for someone who renounced British citizenship in order to acquire or keep another nationality, or who renounced citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies in order to obtain Commonwealth citizenship. Anyone who renounced for another reason, or who has already used that one entitlement, can still apply, but the decision is then at the Home Secretary's discretion.
How much does it cost to resume British citizenship?
Resumption is an application to register as a British citizen, and the fee for registering an adult is £1,540, with a £130 citizenship ceremony fee on top. Fees change, so check the current Home Office fee table before paying.
Do I need to take the Life in the UK test to resume citizenship?
The form RS1 guidance does not set a Life in the UK test or an English language requirement: those belong to naturalisation. It does apply the good character requirement, and asks applicants to declare criminal convictions, financial matters such as bankruptcy, immigration breaches and any involvement in terrorism.
How long does the resumption process take?
The guidance says the aim is to conclude applications within 6 months of receiving them, and that some take longer. A priority service is available, with decisions usually within 30 working days; it costs £500 on top of the application fee.
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.