Why have a citizenship ceremony?
Who should attend a citizenship ceremony?
Where and when will the ceremony take place?
What will happen at the ceremony?
Oath or affirmation?
What should I do now?
The citizenship ceremony is a rite of passage that formally welcomes those who wish to join us into full membership of the British family, and into citizenship of the United Kingdom. In order to complete the process of becoming a British citizen, you will need to attend a citizenship ceremony to receive your Certificate of Naturalisation. The ceremony will include taking an oath or affirmation of allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and a pledge of loyalty to the United Kingdom. You must attend a ceremony within 90 days of the Home Office letter to you confirming that your application has been approved.
Most ceremonies will be carried out in groups for up to 30 or more new citizens. These will normally be held in the Banqueting Hall at the Civic Centre, once per month.
Details of the wording of the oath and affirmation of allegiance, together with the pledge of loyalty, are given in your letter from the Home Office. It is your personal choice whether you swear the oath by Almighty God or make an affirmation. Both forms of words accomplish exactly the same thing, promising that you will give your allegiance to the Crown. The only difference between the two is that the oath is based upon religious principles and the affirmation is not. If you wish to swear the oath while holding a holy book you should bring one with you to the ceremony. The words used for the pledge of loyalty will be the same whether you swear or affirm allegiance. Do not worry about learning the words of the oath/affirmation or pledge, as the person conducting the ceremony will guide you through this word for word.
At the same time as you receive your letter from the Home Office, your local Register Office Citizenship Team will have received your certificate and other documents.
If you are attending a ceremony at this office, we will automatically send you a letter confirming the date of the next available group ceremony together with a form, which you should complete and return to the Citizenship Office. The completed form will give details of whether you wish to Swear the Oath or Affirm the Oath of Allegiance. It will also let us know how many guests you will be bringing with you to the ceremony. Once we have your completed form we will send you your official invitation, which you should bring with you to the ceremony together with the letter you received from the Home Office.
Page last updated: 16 August, 2011
