WAITING times for Islanders applying for British citizenship have fallen by six months following the introduction of a new technical system.
New figures have shown that the average time taken to process naturalisation applications has dropped from 18 months to 12 months.
The improvement follows previous government warnings that post-Brexit changes had significantly increased waiting times, with the new system intended to bring them back towards pre-Brexit levels.
A total of 179 naturalisation applications were recorded in 2025, with completed cases taking between nine and 14 months and a median of 13 months, according to the figures, which were released under the Freedom of Information Law.
The government currently works to a target processing time of between 12 and 18 months.
So far in 2026, 31 applications have been recorded, with 30 listed as awaiting a decision. Fewer than five were awaiting a citizenship ceremony when the figures were compiled.
