The Home Office introduced a new Priority Service for citizenship applications in July 2026. For an additional £500, eligible applicants can ask for a faster decision on a naturalisation or registration application.
The service may be useful if receiving a decision sooner matters to you, but the details are important. The 30-working-day timeframe is a target, the extra fee is normally not refunded once the application is being considered, and you cannot add the service to an application that has already been submitted.
What the Priority Service provides
The nationality Priority Service costs an additional £500. The Home Office says applicants using it should normally expect a decision within 30 working days from the date they submit their biometric information.
The service changes the target time for the application decision. It does not change the eligibility requirements or make an application more likely to succeed.
How much does it cost in total?
The £500 is an additional charge, not a replacement for the normal citizenship application fee.
As of July 2026, the total fee for an adult naturalisation application is £1,839. Adding the Priority Service brings the total paid to £2,339.
Registration fees vary depending on the applicant’s age and route, so check the current fee for the application you are making.
The 30-working-day timeframe is not guaranteed
The Home Office describes 30 working days as the period in which priority applicants should normally expect a decision.
Some applications can take longer, including cases that require:
- enhanced scrutiny
- checks with other government departments
- national security or identity enquiries
- consideration of particularly complex circumstances
Paying for the Priority Service does not remove those checks. It places the application into a faster service, but it does not guarantee a decision by a fixed date.
Understand the refund position
The £500 fee should not be treated as refundable insurance against delay or refusal.
You should not expect the priority fee to be refunded because:
- the citizenship application is refused
- the application takes longer than 30 working days because it needs additional checks or is particularly complex
The wider Home Office refunds policy contains limited circumstances in which a priority fee may be refunded, including some applications that are withdrawn early, rejected as invalid or delayed by qualifying official error. These are exceptions rather than a promise that the fee will be returned whenever the 30-working-day target is missed.
For adult naturalisation applications, the standard £1,839 total includes a £130 citizenship ceremony fee. If the application is refused or withdrawn, the ceremony portion is refundable, but the application processing fee is not.
You must choose it when you apply
You cannot submit a standard citizenship application and upgrade it to the Priority Service later.
The Home Office’s staff guidance states that an application which has already been submitted cannot be upgraded to a priority application. If you are considering the service, you therefore need to make that choice as part of the submission process.
What about the citizenship ceremony and passport?
The official guidance describes the Priority Service in terms of receiving a faster decision on the citizenship application.
It does not say that the service gives priority to arranging a citizenship ceremony or processing a later British passport application. There is therefore no indication that paying the £500 shortens those separate stages.
If your application succeeds and you are required to attend a ceremony, you will still need to arrange it after receiving your invitation. You can apply for a British passport after you have become a British citizen and received your citizenship certificate.
Where the Life in the UK Test fits
The Priority Service does not change the Life in the UK Test or any other eligibility requirement.
Most adults applying for citizenship by naturalisation must have passed the Life in the UK Test before submitting their application, unless they qualify for an exemption. People who previously passed the test for settlement usually do not need to take it again.
Registration routes can have different requirements, so applicants should check the guidance for their specific route rather than assuming the naturalisation rules apply to every citizenship application.
The Life in the UK Test currently costs £50 per attempt. That fee is separate from both the citizenship application fee and the £500 Priority Service charge.
The practical takeaway
The new Priority Service offers a faster target for the citizenship application decision, not a guaranteed completion date for the entire journey.
Before paying the additional £500, make sure you are comfortable with four points:
- It is charged on top of the normal application fee.
- The 30-working-day timeframe starts from biometric submission and is a target, not a guarantee.
- Complex cases and those needing additional checks may take longer.
- An application cannot be upgraded after it has been submitted.
This article is general information, not immigration or nationality advice. Check the latest official guidance before submitting an application or paying a fee, as processes and charges can change.
Official sources
- Priority treatment requests: nationality procedure guidance
- Form AN guidance for naturalisation applications
- Citizenship application fees
- Immigration and nationality refunds policy
- Life in the UK Test guidance
If the Life in the UK Test is still ahead of you, Haven provides structured lessons, clear explanations and realistic practice to help you prepare with confidence.