# British citizenship: questions Indian applicants ask

Answers to the questions Indian applicants ask the desk about the British citizenship, from bank statements to reapplying after a refusal.

Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/british-citizenship/faq · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST.

**Can I keep my Indian passport after becoming British?**
No. Indian law does not allow dual citizenship. You must surrender the Indian passport and obtain a surrender certificate, then apply for an OCI card if you want to visit, work or hold property in India without a visa.

**What does naturalisation cost?**
The Home Office fee for an adult naturalisation application is in the fee table of 8 April 2026 and in our fee calculator. Children registering pay a lower fee. There is no refund if refused.

**How long does it take?**
Most decisions arrive within 6 months, followed by a citizenship ceremony where you take the oath and receive the certificate.

**Can my child born in the UK get citizenship?**
A child born in the UK is British automatically if a parent was settled or British at the birth. If the parent settled later, the child can register.

**Do I need a new English test for citizenship?**
Not if you used a B1 or higher SELT or a degree taught in English for your settlement application. The same evidence is reused.

**Can you file this for me?**
No. Citizenship is applied for in the UK. We inform and refer you to an adviser regulated in the UK.

Full guide: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/british-citizenship.md

---
UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed.
We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.