Will my past affect my British citizenship application? The good character requirement explained

If you plan to apply to become a British citizen, you may have seen that a requirement is that you must be of ‘good character’. This rule can be hard to understand, and people often get it wrong. It is one of the most common reasons why people have their application for citizenship refused.

Who needs to meet the good character requirement?

The good character rule applies to you if you are aged 10 or over when you apply for citizenship. There is no way to avoid it. The Home Office will check it in all cases.

What does “good character” mean?

The Home Office does not say what ‘good character’ means. Instead, when they look at your application they use their own guidance to decide whether you are of good character and meet the rule. The Home Office guidance says that they look at all parts of your character, weighting both negative and positive parts. 

What does the Home Office look at under the good character requirement?

The Home Office does not give a full list of issues they look at when deciding if someone lives up to the good character rule. The Home Office guidance does give some examples of what will be considered. The factors we see most often are:

Criminal record: 

The Home Office will look at any crimes that you may have been found guilty of.  

Money and debt: 

the Home Office will look at how you have managed your money. The Home Office will check whether you have large debts now or in the past, not paid your taxes or if you have ever been made bankrupt. 

Honesty:

 The Home Office will check whether you have ever lied to or tried to trick the UK government on purpose. This includes making false claims to get benefits.

Immigration history:

The Home Office will check whether you have ever broken UK immigration laws. This could mean staying longer than your past visa allowed. It could also mean breaking the rules of your visa by working illegally. On 10 February 2025, the Home Office also stated that if you came to the UK illegally, your application will be refused in most cases. This was a big change and many more people are now at risk of having their citizenship applications refused under the good character rule because of this change.

How does the Home Office assess good character?

The Home Office guidance says that some parts of a person’s character would lead to their application normally being refused. One example is specific crimes, but it could also include things that do not include criminal history.  

Even if your criminal history is not considered serious enough to be a reason for the Home Office to normally refuse the application, the Home Office will consider whether it is more likely than not that you meet the good character rule. To do this, they carefully look at any negative character points and will then weigh them against any positive points such as your contributions to society. 

This is a complicated process. If any issues under the good character rule apply to you it is very important that your application is carefully prepared.  This will give it the best possible chance of success.

Does having ILR or settled status mean I have already passed the good character test?

Sadly no. In most cases, you need to have indefinite leave to remain (ILR) or settled status to apply for citizenship. But having ILR or settled status  does not mean that you meet the good character rule. You must meet the rule for good character when you apply for citizenship if you are over the age of 10.