Change Of Address During Application

[SxaDragon]

Hey Everyone,

One month in from Biometrics at the moment. My fiancé and I plan to move to Spain for at least six months on October 1st.

I did think about staying until I get my Nat sorted but I don’t want to wait around. So if I don’t get opportunity to get Nat & ceremony done by 1st October what is the best course of action?

I will have a UK address (brothers house). However I want to do my ceremony in Spain. And ideally apply for passport there.

I know there are two cases where after applying for first passport abroad the naturalisation was questioned. I am happy to take that risk as I am British born, have children and family here, so feel I have sufficient links to argue that I am planning to continue living and working here. I just want to experience Spain for a while with my Spanish fiancé.

What do you guys suggest? I guess I can fly in for the ceremony if needed, but will be expensive and really they should just let me do it in the embassy in Spain.

[CR001]

However I want to do my ceremony in Spain.

You cant do this. You will need to attend the ceremony in the UK. There are very limited circumstances where a ceremony can take place abroad, yours that you describe is not one of them.

And ideally apply for passport there.

I know there are two cases where after applying for first passport abroad the naturalisation was questioned.

Risky.

I am happy to take that risk as I am British born, have children and family here, so feel I have sufficient links to argue that I am planning to continue living and working here. I just want to experience Spain for a while with my Spanish fiancé.

You are not "British Born". You were simply born in the UK to parents who were not settled, end of. It doesn't give you any special advantages or privileges.

What do you guys suggest? I guess I can fly in for the ceremony if needed, but will be expensive and really they should just let me do it in the embassy in Spain.

They don't have to "just do' anything. Why should the rules be bent for you?

[SxaDragon]

What are the limited circumstances the ceremony can be done abroad?

[CR001]

Not the ones you have described.

Overseas ceremonies are possible for UKM and UKF registrations or a spouse of a British citizen where the British spouse is stationed/transferred and is working abroad.

[SxaDragon]

Am I not permitted to travel abroad for an extended period? Can I not just say hey I’m travelling for a while I’ll be back to the country I was born in, grew up in, worked my entire life in down the road.

If not then I will move my address details to brothers house and then fly back in for naturalisation. Then apply for passport abroad or just wait until I need it when I get back to UK.

Do you know what info you need to send them for address change? As I won’t be on the tenancy or have any bills at that address. Do you think there will be any issues with this arrangement?

[secret.simon]

What are the limited circumstances the ceremony can be done abroad?

To build on CR001's advice above, the limited circumstances are where the person has an entitlement to British citizenship, such as in case of adult registration due to historic legal discrimination (i.e. they would have been born British abroad, if the current laws on descent had applied at the time of their birth) or if the person is the spouse of a Crown Servant (i.e. military or diplomatic staff) hired in the UK but posted abroad by the government (i.e. their absence from the UK is at the direction of the government).

Am I not permitted to travel abroad for an extended period?

You can travel while your application is being considered.

But you need to contact the local council where you will have your citizenship ceremony within three weeks (21 days) of the letter of approval to arrange a date for the citizenship ceremony and you need to attend the citizenship ceremony within three months of the letter of approval.

Also an extended absence (or more than six months) can be grounds for refusal as you would be seen as not meeting the future intentions requirement (of residing in the UK).

[SxaDragon]

Hey, thanks for the reply. Does the approval letter come in the post or by email? Also does it matter which council you perform the ceremony?

What exactly is the future intention clause. Would being born in the UK not indicate I have future intention to have links to the UK?

[SxaDragon]

Hey guys,

I’ve posted a few threads recently and hoping for some clarity around my situation.

I am going to be leaving the country to Spain for a few months, during which I won’t have a UK address. I am going to ask my brother if I can use his address though for my drivers license, etc.

Is this something I need to inform the HO of?

I was thinking of flying back in to do the ceremony if it’s not approved before I go (1st October), and having a mail redirect in place for the next year for any post to my current address so it gets sent to either my brother’s address or Spain.

Any help to secure my naturalisation is greatly appreciated. Just for context I was born and grew up and have worked all my life in the UK, both my parents were working at time of birth however I am unable to prove that which the passport office wanted, due to the death of my father and poor record keeping and mental health of my mother. I therefore had no choice but to apply for naturalisation as I needed a passport, and at the time of paying for naturalisation was struggling to renew my Italian one but have since got it.