The majority of individuals who are applying for British citizenship or for Indefinite Leave to Remain are required to take (and pass) the Life in the UK test.
If you are in one of following groups you may not be required to take the Life in the UK test:
You are either under 18 years old or over 65 years old.
You have a long-term medical condition (physical or mental) which is confirmed through a doctor’s letter (this long-term medical condition must prevent you from preparing for, and passing the test).
You have already passed the test as part of another immigration application.
If you have a medical condition (physical or mental) which prevents you from passing the Life in the UK test then a qualified medical professional can complete a form to ask for your exemption from the exam. The form requires the medical professional to state how:
To make a Life in the UK test booking you must visit this link.
You must make a booking at least 3 days in advance.
At the time of booking you will be required to pick a Life in the UK test centre where you would like to take the test. There are over 30 Life in the UK test locations around the UK, however, you will be shown the five closest Life in the UK test locations to you. From these five Life in the UK test locations you will be required to choose one Life in the UK test centre.
When it comes to make the booking, you will need:
An email address.
A debit or credit card (to make a payment).
At the time of booking you are able to make special requests. For instance, if you have a disability you will be able to request assistance to access the centre and extra equipment. If you wish to make a request contact the Life in the UK test Helpline by calling 0800 015 4245 (the helpline is open 08:00 - 20:00, Monday to Friday). Additionally, if you have a previous gender which you don’t want the test centre staff to know about or for it to show on your test results, then email sensitivebookings@homeoffice.gov.uk for further assistance.
You can take the Life in the UK Test at one of the test centre locations presented to you at the time of booking. When you go to book a test, you will be shown the five closest Life in the UK Test centre locations – it is then up to you to pick one of these Life in the UK test centres.
When booking the Life in the UK test you are required to provide an ‘accepted’ form of ID, the follow can be used as proof of identity:
A valid passport.
A valid travel document with a photo (emergency travel documents are not accepted).
A biometric residence permit.
A biometric residence card.
If you do not have any of these documents then please email nationalityenquiries@homeoffice.gov.uk for further assistance.
The Life in the UK costs £50. This £50 must be paid at the time of booking and must be made every time a test is booked (i.e. resits cost £50).
If you aren’t able to attend the test for whatever reason then you are able to cancel or rearrange the booking. However, in order to receive a refund on your booking you must cancel the Life in the UK test booking at least 3 days before you are due to take the test.
You cannot ask for a refund if you:
Forgot to bring your ID (or brought the wrong one).
Were ill and couldn’t attend.
Were late and not allowed in.
Didn’t bring the right documents.
Refused to have your photo taken.
You can only get a refund on your booking if you cancelled your booking at least 3 days in advance of the date you were supposed to sit the test. You can also claim a refund if the Life in the UK test centre cancelled your test. If you wish to claim a refund then you must make a request within 3 months of your test date.
To request a refund you can contact PSE by email (support@lituk.psionline.com) or call the Life in the UK test contact number 0800 015 4245.
If you have any questions about the Life in the UK Test then you can call the Life in the UK Test helpline on 0800 015 4245. The helpline is open Monday to Friday between 8am and 8pm.