Applying for British Citizenship as an EU National in 2026: Form AN, EUSS Share Code and HMRC Data

The statutory basis: section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981

An EU national applying for British citizenship in 2026 does so as a naturalisation applicant under section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981. There is no separate "EU route" to citizenship: Brexit closed off any privileged path that EU citizens had under the pre-2021 free-movement regime, and from 1 January 2021 onward an EU applicant submits the same Form AN as a non-EU applicant. The eligibility criteria are set out in schedule 1 of the Act and elaborated in the Home Office guidance on naturalisation.

The application is online via the GOV.UK page at gov.uk/apply-citizenship-indefinite-leave-to-remain or gov.uk/apply-citizenship-eu, both of which route to the same Form AN application within the GOV.UK platform.

Residence and the 12-month free-of-restrictions requirement

The applicant must have been physically resident in the UK for at least 5 years before the date of application, with no more than 450 days of absence during that 5-year period and no more than 90 days in the final year. They must also have held a status that was free of immigration time restrictions for at least the 12 months immediately before the application. For an EU applicant, that 12-month clock starts running from the date settled status was granted under the EU Settlement Scheme, or from the date of pre-Brexit indefinite leave to remain.

The 12-month rule produces the most common timing mistake. An EU national who received settled status in March 2025 cannot apply for naturalisation in January 2026 even if their 5-year residence is complete: the 12-month clock from March 2025 settled status only completes in March 2026.

Documents specific to EU applicants in 2026

EU applicants in 2026 produce a defined set of documents. The first is the EUSS share code, generated at gov.uk/view-immigration-status, which gives the Home Office caseworker a read-only view of the applicant's current settled-status record. The second is a residence history covering 5 years, increasingly built from HMRC P60 and employment records rather than from utility bills and tenancy agreements.

The third is a passport or national identity document covering the residence period. A passport stamp is not required: HMRC and Home Office records are the primary evidence base. A fourth, increasingly common requirement, is evidence of comprehensive sickness insurance (CSI) for any period before 1 July 2021 during which the applicant was a self-sufficient person or a student under the old free-movement regime. CSI is no longer a hard bar, but the absence of it during the relevant period can be raised against the good character requirement.

The 2026 fees: GBP 1,630 plus GBP 80 ceremony

The Home Office fee for Form AN in 2026 is GBP 1,630, paid up-front at the point of online submission. On top sits the GBP 80 citizenship ceremony fee, paid separately to the local authority that conducts the oath. Some local authorities run the ceremony as part of a group session at the registry office, others schedule individual sessions, and the GBP 80 fee is broadly uniform.

There is no Immigration Health Surcharge attached to a naturalisation application: the IHS is paid on limited-leave applications, and naturalisation is the final stage that converts existing settlement into citizenship.

Life in the UK and B1 English

The Knowledge of Language and Life requirement applies. An EU applicant must have passed the Life in the UK test, paying GBP 50 to sit it at one of the roughly 30 centres in the UK, and must demonstrate English language ability at B1 of the Common European Framework. The B1 requirement can be met through a passed Secure English Language Test from an approved provider, an academic qualification taught and assessed in English at degree level or above, or, for nationals of majority-English-speaking countries, through the passport itself. For most EU nationals neither passport-based nor degree-based exemption applies, and a SELT B1 pass is needed.

The HMRC data-share: reduced document burden in 2026

The 2026 update that most distinguishes a current EU naturalisation application from one filed in 2020 or 2021 is the HMRC data-share. Under a published agreement between the Home Office and HMRC, the Home Office caseworker can now retrieve PAYE and self-assessment records directly for the applicant's 5-year residence period. This means that the file of P60s, payslips and council tax bills that applicants compiled in 2020 has been largely replaced by an HMRC reference number on Form AN and a tick-box that gives the caseworker authority to retrieve the records.

The data-share does not displace the requirement for documents in every case: applicants who have been self-employed, or who have had gaps in employment, still need to produce supporting documents covering the gaps. The Home Office position is that HMRC data is the primary channel and supporting documents are gap-fillers.

What this means in practice

An Italian national who arrived in the UK in October 2018 and received settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme in March 2021 reaches the 12-month free-of-restrictions threshold in March 2022 and the 5-year residence threshold in October 2023. By May 2026 the applicant has been free of restrictions for over four years and physically resident for over seven. They sit the Life in the UK test in February 2026, pass their B1 SELT in March, and submit Form AN in April with the EUSS share code, the HMRC tick-box authority, and a passport scan. The Home Office fee of GBP 1,630 is paid online. A decision letter arrives in late August 2026. The ceremony is scheduled at the local registry office for September, with an GBP 80 fee paid to the council, and the applicant takes the oath and receives the citizenship certificate.

Good character and the comprehensive sickness insurance question

Good character under section 6(1) is assessed on criminal record, immigration history and tax compliance. Most EU naturalisation refusals between 2020 and 2023 turned on the comprehensive sickness insurance question: applicants who had been resident as self-sufficient persons or as students under the old free-movement regime, without CSI, were sometimes refused for failing the good character test on the basis that they had been in breach of the residence requirements of the EEA Regulations.

The Court of Appeal's 2021 decision in Fratila and Tanase narrowed the legal force of the CSI argument, and subsequent Home Office guidance has softened the practical application. In 2026, the CSI question is still on the application form for relevant historical periods, but a refusal solely on CSI grounds is now uncommon.

How we verified this

The statutory basis was confirmed against section 6(1) and schedule 1 of the British Nationality Act 1981 on legislation.gov.uk. The 2026 Form AN fee of GBP 1,630 and the GBP 80 ceremony fee were cross-checked against the Home Office fee schedule and gov.uk/apply-citizenship-indefinite-leave-to-remain accessed in May 2026. EU-specific guidance was reviewed at gov.uk/apply-citizenship-eu. The EU Settlement Scheme status reference relies on the GOV.UK page gov.uk/view-immigration-status. The HMRC data-share is detailed in published Home Office naturalisation guidance available through the GOV.UK publications service. The Fratila and Tanase reference is to the Court of Appeal's 2020 judgment, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2021.

Frequently asked questions

Can EU nationals still apply for British citizenship after Brexit?

Yes. EU nationals apply for British citizenship through Form AN naturalisation under section 6(1) of the British Nationality Act 1981. The application route is the same as for non-EU applicants. Settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or pre-Brexit indefinite leave to remain is the qualifying immigration status.

How much does British citizenship cost an EU national in 2026?

The 2026 Home Office fee for Form AN is GBP 1,630, paid at the point of online application. The ceremony fee is an additional GBP 80, paid separately to the local authority that conducts the oath. No Immigration Health Surcharge applies to naturalisation. Total typical cost in 2026 is GBP 1,710 per adult applicant.

Do EU applicants need 5 years or 6 years of residence?

Five years of physical residence in the UK before the date of application, plus a separate 12-month period free of immigration time restrictions immediately before the application. For most EU applicants the 12-month period runs from the date settled status was granted under the EU Settlement Scheme.

What is the EUSS share code and why is it needed?

The EUSS share code is generated at gov.uk/view-immigration-status. It gives the Home Office caseworker a read-only view of the applicant's settled-status record, including the date of grant and any conditions. It replaces the older Biometric Residence Card and is the standard 2026 channel for proving settled status during naturalisation.

Will the comprehensive sickness insurance question refuse my application?

Unlikely in 2026. The Court of Appeal's ruling in Fratila and Tanase, upheld by the Supreme Court in 2021, narrowed the legal reach of the CSI argument. Home Office guidance has softened in practice, and a refusal solely on CSI grounds is now uncommon. Applicants who were employed throughout the relevant period are not affected.

How long does naturalisation take to decide?

The published service standard is 6 months from submission to decision, with most applications in 2026 deciding inside that window. After approval, the ceremony is scheduled by the local authority and must be held within 3 months of the approval letter, otherwise the approval lapses.

Sources

• GOV.UK: apply for citizenship if you are an EU national
• GOV.UK: apply for British citizenship with indefinite leave to remain (Form AN)
• legislation.gov.uk: British Nationality Act 1981
• GOV.UK: becoming a British citizen