Citizenship priority service now available for in-UK applicants
22 Jul 2026
If you have already got your ILR and are applying for British citizenship from inside the UK, you can now pay to speed up your decision. GOV.UK confirms that "from 20 July 2026, customers applying from within the UK can use the citizenship priority service."
The priority service costs £500 on top of your normal application fee. Home Office guidance says customers "should normally expect to receive a decision within 30 working days from the date of biometric submission," compared with the standard route which can take much longer. This is separate from the fee for the ILR application itself, and it only applies once you are applying for citizenship, not for settlement.
One thing to note: you cannot combine this with the "super priority service." GOV.UK is explicit that "you cannot use the 'super priority service' for citizenship applications," so 30 working days is the fastest official timeframe on offer, not a next-day or 24-hour service. Home Office guidance also warns that applications needing enhanced scrutiny, extra checks, or that are particularly complex may fall outside that 30 working day window even if you pay for priority.
If you are planning to naturalise soon after getting your ILR, check the citizenship priority service option before you submit your application if speed matters to you. Make sure your documents and biometrics are ready to go, since the 30 working day clock starts from your biometric submission date, not your application date.
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