Citizenship Ceremonies

Citizenship Ceremonies

The Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2004 requires all successful applicants for naturalisation or registration as a British citizen, who are aged 18 or over, to take an Oath to Her Majesty the Queen and a Pledge of Loyalty to the United Kingdom, unless exempted by the Home Secretary.

It is expected that this will be done at a formal Citizenship Ceremony held in a location where the new citizen lives.

The Citizenship Ceremony celebrates the significance of becoming a British Citizen and welcomes the new citizen into his or her community.

The ceremony must take place within three months of an applicant being informed that his or her application has been successful.

Citizenship in Swindon

The Home Office advises the Superintendent Registrar of successful applications by people living in the borough of Swindon, and sends the certificates to her.  The new citizen will be advised by the Home Office to contact the Superintendent Registrar by telephone within 14 days of receiving the letter advising them that their application has been successful. The Superintendent Registrar or her staff will arrange for the applicant to attend the next group ceremony and will write to the applicant with full details of what the ceremony entails.

Ceremonies are held approximately every 6 weeks in Swindon, usually at the Civic Offices and in the presence of the Superintendent Registrar and the Worshipful the Mayor of Swindon. Each new citizen may bring 2 guests to attend the ceremony with them and to celebrate the acquisition of citizenship. Although there is no legal requirement for persons under 18 years of age to attend a ceremony and take the oath and pledge, it is the Government’s wish that the ceremony be treated as a family as well as community occasion, seeing young persons participating with their parents at these special occasions.