A citizenship ceremony is the event at which an adult whose application for British citizenship has been approved makes an oath or affirmation of allegiance and a pledge. The local authority organises it. For an adult this is the point at which they become a British citizen, and they are given their certificate at the ceremony.
Key points
- You must attend a citizenship ceremony if you are 18 or over and your application for British citizenship succeeds.
- You must attend within 3 months of receiving your invitation. The Home Office guide says within 90 days. If you miss it without good reason the application is refused.
- The oath or affirmation and the pledge are a legal requirement for adults. You become a British citizen at that point.
- You must keep valid permission to stay in the UK until the ceremony. A citizenship application does not give you permission to stay.
- The cost of the ceremony is part of the application fee. GOV.UK shows a £130 ceremony fee within the total.
How a citizenship ceremony works
You must attend a citizenship ceremony if you are 18 or over and your application to become a British citizen has succeeded.[1]GOV.UK, Citizenship ceremonies The Home Office sends you an invitation. If you are in the UK, the invitation confirms which local authority to contact to arrange your ceremony.[2]Home Office, Form AN: guidance (accessible)
Your local authority organises the ceremony. Ceremonies are usually held in groups, but you can ask for a private one. You usually can take 2 guests, and you must take your invitation with you.[1]GOV.UK, Citizenship ceremonies
At the ceremony you make an oath of allegiance, or an affirmation if you prefer not to swear by God. You also make a pledge. This means you promise to respect the rights, freedoms and laws of the UK. At the end you are presented with your certificate of British citizenship and a welcome pack.[1]GOV.UK, Citizenship ceremonies
The Home Office AN guide says the oath and pledge are a legal requirement for adults. It is the point at which you become a British citizen.[2]Home Office, Form AN: guidance (accessible) You get your certificate of naturalisation straight afterwards.
The rules that apply
| Point | Rule |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Within 3 months of receiving your invitation (GOV.UK). Within 90 days (AN guide). The invitation gives the date |
| Missing the deadline | If you do not attend within 90 days without good reason, your application is refused and you must apply again |
| Cost | Included in your application fee. A private ceremony may cost more |
| Outside the UK | The embassy, High Commission or consulate can arrange it. If you applied in the UK you cannot have the ceremony abroad |
| Exemptions | Rare. Allowed if you are physically unable to attend or your mental state makes it inappropriate. You must say why and give evidence |
| Windrush | You can choose whether to attend and you do not pay the fee |
The deadline comes from GOV.UK and the AN guide.[1]GOV.UK, Citizenship ceremonies[2]Home Office, Form AN: guidance (accessible) The cost of the ceremony is included in the application fee. For an adult who has indefinite leave to remain, GOV.UK shows £1,839, which is £1,709 to apply and a £130 ceremony fee.[4]GOV.UK, Apply for citizenship if you have indefinite leave to remain or settled status If you are abroad for a short time you might be asked to postpone. You must still book within 3 months of getting your invitation.[1]GOV.UK, Citizenship ceremonies
You do not need to attend a ceremony if you are registering as a British overseas territories citizen, a British overseas citizen or a British subject. You still make an oath or affirmation of allegiance, and you are sent details of how to do it.[1]GOV.UK, Citizenship ceremonies
Children under 18 do not attend. The MN1 guide says a child who reaches 18 by the time their application is decided is invited to a ceremony. They are given a certificate of registration there.[3]Home Office, Form MN1: guidance (accessible version)
You also need permission to stay in the UK. GOV.UK says that your permission needs to last until you have had your citizenship ceremony.[5]GOV.UK, Check if you can become a British citizen The AN guide adds that a citizenship application does not provide immigration permission.[2]Home Office, Form AN: guidance (accessible)
Example
Tomasz has applied to naturalise and his application is approved. The Home Office sends him an invitation. He contacts his local authority, books a group ceremony and takes his invitation and 2 guests.
At the ceremony he swears the oath and makes the pledge. He becomes a British citizen at that point and is given his certificate. The Home Office AN guide says he cannot use that certificate to travel, so he must apply for a British passport or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode. He also has a biometric residence permit, and the guide says he must destroy it after the ceremony.[2]Home Office, Form AN: guidance (accessible)
What people get wrong
Many applicants treat the ceremony as a formality after the decision. It is the legal point at which an adult becomes a British citizen, and a missed deadline means refusal.
If you do not attend within 90 days without good reason, the application is refused and you need to apply again.[2]Home Office, Form AN: guidance (accessible) A second mistake is to let permission to stay run out after approval. Your permission needs to last until the ceremony, and the application itself does not give permission.[5]GOV.UK, Check if you can become a British citizen A third is destroying a biometric residence permit too early. The guide says to destroy it after you have attended your ceremony.[2]Home Office, Form AN: guidance (accessible)
The bottom line
A citizenship ceremony is where an approved adult applicant makes the oath or affirmation and the pledge, and becomes a British citizen. Your local authority arranges it and the cost is in the application fee. Attend within the deadline in your invitation, keep valid permission to stay until the day, and bring your invitation. See British citizenship by naturalisation for how Compass can help with the application.
Common questions
GOV.UK says within 3 months of receiving your invitation from the Home Office. The Home Office AN guide says within 90 days and that the invitation gives the date by which you must attend.
The Home Office AN guide says that if you do not attend within 90 days without good reason, your application for citizenship will be refused and you will need to apply again.
You can ask the embassy or consulate in the country where you live. GOV.UK says that if you applied for citizenship in the UK you cannot have your ceremony abroad. A short stay abroad may mean postponing it.
No, the cost is included in your application fee. GOV.UK says you might pay more for a private ceremony, and you should check the amount with your local authority.
Sources
We cite the Immigration Rules, legislation and GOV.UK guidance directly. Rules change, so each source shows the date we last checked it.
- GOV.UK. Citizenship ceremonies. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Form AN: guidance (accessible). Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Home Office. Form MN1: guidance (accessible version). Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- GOV.UK. Apply for citizenship if you have indefinite leave to remain or settled status. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- GOV.UK. Check if you can become a British citizen. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩