Exemptions

Who is exempt from the B1 English test?

You don't need to pass a B1 English test for British citizenship or settlement if you're 65 or over, if a long-term physical or mental condition stops you, or if you're a national of one of the majority English-speaking countries listed below. You can also use an academic degree taught or researched in English instead of a test. Under-18s don't need to meet the requirement for settlement.

Age

GOV.UK says you don't need to prove your knowledge of English if you're aged 65 or over. For settlement, the Immigration Rules also exempt anyone under 18 on the date of application. The age that counts is your age on the day you apply, not when you arrived in the UK.

A long-term physical or mental condition

If a long-term condition means you can't meet the requirement, you can ask for an exemption instead of taking a test. You'll need the GOV.UK form Knowledge of language and Life in the UK Test exemption: long term physical or mental condition, completed by a qualified medical professional, sent with your application along with your original, current medical reports setting out the diagnosis.

For partner and parent settlement applications under Appendix KoLL, the form must be completed by your GP (or a GP at your practice) or by a GMC-registered consultant who has met you in person. On those routes the decision maker decides whether it would be unreasonable to expect you to meet the requirement, so an exemption isn't automatic.

Nationals of majority English-speaking countries

You don't need to prove your English if you're a national of:

The list is based on nationality, not on whether English is spoken where you live. GOV.UK is clear that if your country isn't listed, you need to prove your English even if English is an official language there.

A degree taught or researched in English

An academic bachelor's degree, master's degree or PhD taught or researched in English can be used instead of a test. A vocational degree can't. What you need depends on where the degree came from:

• Awarded by a UK institution (even if you studied outside the UK): your degree certificate is the proof.
• Awarded outside the UK: you'll normally need an Ecctis assessment confirming UK degree equivalence and that the degree was taught or researched in English. For settlement, a degree taught at a university or college in a listed majority English-speaking country other than Canada, or in Ireland, needs confirmation of equivalence only. If Ecctis has already assessed it, you can use that earlier certificate.

If you've lost your certificate or haven't graduated yet, GOV.UK accepts an official transcript or a letter from your university, with the details it lists. For an overseas degree, check the Ecctis requirements well before you apply.

Other settlement situations

GOV.UK lists some settlement applicants who don't need to prove their English at all, including victims of domestic violence applying as the partner of a British citizen or settled person, bereaved partners, adult dependent relatives aged 18 to 64, refugees, people with humanitarian protection or discretionary leave, and Commonwealth citizens on discharge from HM Forces, including Gurkhas.

There's also a concession for some partners, parents and dependent children aged over 18 who've spent a continuous period of 15 years in the UK with permission. It needs an A2 speaking and listening qualification and a letter from a qualified English teacher confirming at least 75 guided learning hours in the past 12 months. For applications made on or after 26 March 2027, the teacher must say you're unlikely to reach B2 through further study (B1 before that date).

These categories have detailed conditions. If your application depends on one, read the rule for your route on GOV.UK or speak to a regulated immigration adviser.

If you already proved B1 when you settled

For citizenship, you meet the English requirement if your successful ILR application was made on the basis of an English test or qualification at B1 or above. You don't need a new test, and GOV.UK says it doesn't matter if that test is no longer on the current list. But if you were exempt when you got settlement, you'll need to send an exemption form again with your citizenship application. See the English test for British citizenship.

Common questions

I'm from Nigeria (or India, or Ghana) and English is an official language there. Am I exempt?

Not on nationality alone. Only the countries in the table are exempt. You could still use a degree taught in English, with an Ecctis assessment if it was awarded outside the UK, or take a B1 speaking and listening test.

I'm Irish. Do I need an English test?

Not for citizenship: GOV.UK lists Ireland as exempt "for citizenship only". Ireland isn't on the majority English-speaking list in the settlement rules.

I turn 65 shortly after I plan to apply. Should I wait?

The exemption depends on your age on the date you apply. Whether waiting makes sense depends on the rest of your application, so check GOV.UK or ask a regulated adviser before deciding.

General information, not immigration advice. We're independent of the Home Office and the test providers. Sources: GOV.UK: who does not need to prove their knowledge of English; GOV.UK: degrees taught in English; GOV.UK: qualifications that have run out; GOV.UK medical exemption form; Appendix English Language (EL 1.1, EL 4.1, EL 5.2); Appendix KoLL (3.1, 4.13ZA); British Nationality (General) Regulations 2003, reg 5A. Checked 20 October 2026.