The Home Office on 7 July updated multiple guidance notes (Forms MN1, B(OTA) and AN) to launch a paid ‘Priority Service’ for most citizenship registration and naturalisation applications. According to the change logs, applicants can now pay a £500 premium for a decision within 30 working days, compared with the standard six-month timeframe.
![Home Office introduces £500 Priority Service for British nationality applications]()
For applicants who would rather not navigate the evolving immigration rules alone, VisaHQ can streamline the entire process—from preparing naturalisation forms to scheduling biometrics—and its dedicated UK team keeps clients updated at each step; details are available at
The guidance also scraps the requirement to post Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) back to the Home Office; successful applicants must instead destroy the BRP after the citizenship ceremony. A new plain-English section clarifies when a child gains British citizenship and whether a ceremony is required. The fast-track option mirrors existing priority processing for skilled-worker visas and is expected to prove popular with senior expatriates and entrepreneurs who are finalising relocation plans on tight schedules. However, the 30-day clock begins only once biometrics have been enrolled, so legal advisers are urging clients to book their UKVCAS appointments promptly to maximise the benefit. Employers sponsoring staff on long-term assignments should budget for the additional fee if early citizenship is part of retention packages, and update global-mobility policies to reflect the new BRP-destruction obligation to avoid inadvertent non-compliance.
For applicants who would rather not navigate the evolving immigration rules alone, VisaHQ can streamline the entire process—from preparing naturalisation forms to scheduling biometrics—and its dedicated UK team keeps clients updated at each step; details are available at
The guidance also scraps the requirement to post Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs) back to the Home Office; successful applicants must instead destroy the BRP after the citizenship ceremony. A new plain-English section clarifies when a child gains British citizenship and whether a ceremony is required. The fast-track option mirrors existing priority processing for skilled-worker visas and is expected to prove popular with senior expatriates and entrepreneurs who are finalising relocation plans on tight schedules. However, the 30-day clock begins only once biometrics have been enrolled, so legal advisers are urging clients to book their UKVCAS appointments promptly to maximise the benefit. Employers sponsoring staff on long-term assignments should budget for the additional fee if early citizenship is part of retention packages, and update global-mobility policies to reflect the new BRP-destruction obligation to avoid inadvertent non-compliance.
