If you are over 18 years old and have successfully applied for naturalisation or registration as a British citizen (where you are granted citizenship), you must then attend a citizenship ceremony.
Contact us when you receive your letter
The Home Office will send you a letter of approval. When you receive this letter, email us at register_office@bathnes.gov.uk, or call us on 01225 47 72 34 (our phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm) to find out which ceremony you can attend.
You must attend a ceremony within three months of receiving your letter, otherwise you might have to start a new application.
Allow plenty of time so that arrangements can be made for the ceremony to be held within three months.
Standard group ceremony
You can attend a standard group citizenship ceremony which is usually held on Thursdays at the Guildhall in Bath. The maximum number of places available in each group ceremony was 20 people before COVID-19.
Individual ceremony
Alternatively, you can have an individual ceremony in any of our ceremony rooms at the Guildhall, if you would prefer to celebrate your citizenship in a more personal way.
An individual ceremony can also be virtual (as long as it's in this country which you will have to provide proof of before the ceremony starts).
Citizenship ceremonies cannot be held in private homes.
Cost
The cost of a standard group ceremony is included in the Home Office fee you paid as part of your application.
The cost of an individual ceremony is £130 and will need to be paid at the time of booking.
Call our register office on 01225 47 72 34 to book your ceremony.
You can bring 2 to 3 guests with you to your ceremony (before COVID-19 restrictions) - attendance at a standard group ceremony is by invitation only.
If you are an applicant who is under 18 years old, there's no legal requirement for you to attend a citizenship ceremony and make the oath and pledge, but you can if you would like to. Just let us know as soon as possible if children wish to attend.
Applicants and guests must arrive 30 minutes before the standard group ceremony (led by the Superintendent Registrar) is due to start. The ceremony includes the following:
- Introduction and welcome
- Civic speech of welcome by a local dignitary (this does not happen whilst COVID-19 restrictions are in place)
- Applicants swearing by God or affirming the oath to Her Majesty the Queen, and then making a pledge of loyalty to the United Kingdom
- Presentation of Citizenship certificate and a Bath and North East Somerset Council gift (a leather passport cover)
- The National Anthem
If you choose to make the Oath by Almighty God, you can bring a holy book along to the ceremony if you like, but it's not required for the ceremony. Your oath can also be affirmed, rather than sworn before God, if you prefer.
The Home Office will then send you a copy of the Oath and Pledge.
You need to bring the following with you:
- Your approval invitation or letter from the Home Office
- Photographic proof of identity (passport or driving licence, but we don't accept the old style of paper driving licence which doesn't include photographic identity)
Further information
For application queries, call the Home Office Ceremonies Support Team on 0300 123 2253 (they can tell you about home office charges).
For citizenship ceremony queries, contact our Registration Service by email register_office@bathnes.gov.uk, or call us on 01225 47 72 34 (our phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm).