Adult dependant with ILR - Is 5 years' residence still required for naturalisation?

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping someone has experience with this situation.

My daughter:

Entered the UK on 10 September 2022.
Was granted ILR on 12 August 2025 as my dependant.
Is now 18 years old.

I will become eligible to apply for British citizenship on 12 August 2026.

Since my daughter is now over 18, I understand she must apply for naturalisation (Form AN) rather than MN1.

However, on 12 August 2026 she will have held ILR for 12 months but will not yet have completed 5 years in the UK.

My question is:

Does the normal 5-year residence requirement still apply in this situation, even though she obtained ILR as a dependant while she was under 18?

Has anyone had a similar case or knows of any Home Office guidance or case law?

Thanks in advance.

Daughter applies in her own right. Being an ILR dependent is irrelevant. She needs to satisfy all adult requirements, including the five year residency. Unless she is the spouse of the British citizen.
Also note there is no dependent concept in citizenship.

There’s nothing special about your case. It’s being asked about regularly.

Thank you very much. That answers my question perfectly. I appreciate your help.

Acquisition of citizenship by registration or naturalisation is not a part of the immigration pathway, which ends at ILR. Registration and naturalisation have different rules and requirements, which are unrelated to the immigration process.

As your child is past their 18th birthday, they can only acquire British citizenship by naturalisation, and they need to meet all the requirements of naturalisation, such as having lived in the UK for five years, having been present in the UK at the start of the five year period, the five year and one year absence requirement, the English language and LITUK tests (even if they were not required for ILR), etc.

If your child entered the UK in September 2022, they can only apply for naturalisation in September 2027, on or after the fifth anniversary of their entering the UK. That should give them enough time to complete the English language test and LITUK tests. Note that having done schooling or GCSEs or A levels in the UK is not sufficient for the English language requirement. They will need either an approved English language test result or a degree completed in a UK university.

So, don't treat this as the next step in the immigration journey. This is a different journey, with different requirements.