Citizenship ceremonies

Find out who should have a citizenship ceremony and what a citizenship ceremony involves.

Who should take part in a citizenship ceremony

Anyone over the age of 18 who successfully applies to become a British citizen must take part in a citizenship ceremony.

The purpose of a citizenship ceremony

Citizenship ceremonies allow applicants to gain a full understanding of the rights and responsibilities that come with gaining British citizenship. They also are a way of making sure that you are properly welcomed into the community. It is intended to ensure that the process of gaining citizenship is not a purely bureaucratic process.

Your citizenship ceremony

We are responsible for organising ceremonies for successful applicants living in the city on behalf of the Home Office.

A ceremony can be held at any point, but must be within 3 months of the Home Office notification.

The venue for a ceremony will be determined by where you live, but in Newcastle it will usually be at:

  • the Civic Centre

When you are accepted for naturalisation the Home Office will send you a letter via post or email.  At the same time the Home Office will send us your certificate and other documents.  

Please do not contact us to book onto a ceremony. When we have your document we will:

  • automatically write out to you
  • invite you to our next available group ceremony
  • send you a form asking if you want to swear or affirm the oath of allegiance 

You should complete the form and send it back to us to confirm your attendance. You should bring your invitation with you to the ceremony as well as your letter from the Home Office.

The ceremony begins with a welcoming speech by the Lord Mayor of Newcastle. You will then swear or affirm an oath of allegiance to His Majesty King Charles III and give a pledge of loyalty to the United Kingdom before being presented with your citizenship certificates.

The presentation of the certificate marks the point at which British citizenship is awarded. 

Private citizenship ceremonies

You can request to have a private citizenship ceremony but there is a fee for this service.