UK Announces List of 19 Nationalities Exempt from English Test for Citizenship Application in 2026

• The UK government has published the full list of nationalities that do not need to prove their knowledge of English when applying for settlement or citizenship
• 19 countries and territories appear on the exemption list, covering nationals from the Caribbean, North America, the Pacific, and Europe
• The UK government warned that nationals from countries not on the list must prove English proficiency, even if English is an official language in their home country

The UK government has released its official list of nationalities that are exempt from the requirement to demonstrate English language proficiency when applying for settlement or British citizenship in 2026.

According to the guidance published on the UK government's official website, applicants who hold nationality from any of the 19 listed countries or territories will not be required to submit an English language qualification as part of their application.

Full list of exempt countries and territories

The 19 countries and territories exempt from the English language requirement are:

1. Antigua and Barbuda.

2. Australia.

3. The Bahamas.

4. Barbados.

5. Belize.

6. The British overseas territories.

7. Canada.

8. Dominica.

9. Grenada.

10. Guyana.

11. Ireland (for citizenship only).

12. Jamaica.

13. Malta.

14. New Zealand.

15. St Kitts and Nevis.

16. St Lucia.

17. St Vincent and the Grenadines.

18. Trinidad and Tobago.

19. USA.

What applicants outside the list must do

The UK government made clear that any applicant whose nationality does not appear on the list must prove their knowledge of English, regardless of whether English holds official language status in their home country.

This is a critical point for applicants from several African and Asian nations where English is widely spoken but not covered by the exemption.

For those applying for British citizenship, a relevant English language qualification is a compulsory requirement at the time of application. Applicants who were previously exempt when they were granted settlement are not automatically carried over; they must resubmit an exemption form specifically for the citizenship stage of their application.

The government's guidance covers both the settlement and citizenship routes, with the Irish nationality exemption applying only to the citizenship application, not settlement.

In a related story, Legit.ng reported that the UK had fined Cambridge English thousands of pounds over marking errors that affected 62,000 candidates.

UK citizenship: Residency requirement for foreign workers

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the UK government had explained the residency requirement for foreign workers seeking citizenship.

According to the official guidance published by the UK Home Office, most foreign workers must reside in the UK for five years, obtain Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR), and then wait a further 12 months before they can submit a citizenship application.

In practice, this means the earliest most workers can expect to qualify is around six years after arriving in the country.