British citizenship
The citizenship ceremony
Enter the date of your invitation: the timeline shows the window to book and attend, and the day the certificate is presented. What happens at the ceremony follows.
Change the date: every stage moves with it.
Estimated endbetween 27 Jul 2026 and 25 Oct 2026
1. Done · milestone
Invitation received
27 Jul 2026
Sent by the Home Office once the application is approved.
gov.uk: citizenship ceremonies2. Done · up to 3 months
Book and attend the ceremony
27 Jul 2026 – 25 Oct 2026
The last day is printed on the invitation: 90 days.
gov.uk: citizenship ceremonies3. Done · milestone
Certificate in hand
27 Jul 2026 – 25 Oct 2026
Presented at the end of the ceremony, with a welcome pack.
gov.uk: citizenship ceremonies
If your naturalisation is approved and you are 18 or over, the Home Office sends an invitation to a citizenship ceremony, often by email, naming the local authority to contact. You must arrange and attend the ceremony within 90 days of receiving the invitation; the exact last date is printed on it. Ceremonies are usually held in groups, a private one can be requested and may cost more, and the standard ceremony is already paid for by the £130 included in the application fee. You are usually allowed to take 2 guests, and you must bring your invitation. During the ceremony you swear an oath of allegiance to the Monarch, or make an affirmation if you prefer not to swear by God, and make a pledge to respect the rights, freedoms and laws of the UK. That moment is when you become a British citizen. You then receive your certificate of British citizenship and a welcome pack. Missing the deadline without good reason means refusal and a fresh application.
Deadline to attend the ceremony
Attend no later than
16 May 2027
| Window | 90 days from the invitation |
| Ceremony fee (paid with the application) | £130 |
| If you miss it without good reason | refused, apply again |
The exact date is written in your invitation: it is the one that counts.
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
From invitation to ceremony
- The invitation arrives, possibly by email. Guide AN advises checking your spam or junk folder before contacting the Home Office if you expected it and nothing came.
- Contact the local authority named in the invitation. Councils organise ceremonies and set the dates; ask whether a group or private ceremony suits you.
- Book a date before the deadline. The tool at the top counts 90 days from the invitation. If you received it on 15 February 2027, for example, the last day falls in mid-May 2027; the date printed on the invitation is the one that counts.
- Keep your immigration permission valid until the ceremony. Guide AN repeats that the application itself gives you no status until you become British.
- Attend with your invitation and your guests.
What happens on the day
The ceremony is a formal occasion. Its legal heart is two promises. First the oath of allegiance to the Monarch, or the affirmation for those who prefer not to swear by God. Then the pledge, by which you promise to respect the rights, freedoms and laws of the UK. Guide AN describes this as a legal requirement for adults and the point at which you become a British citizen. The certificate of British citizenship is then presented, with a welcome pack. Some local authorities sell photographs or videos of the event, gov.uk notes; ask yours in advance if you want them.
| Practical point | What gov.uk and Guide AN say |
|---|---|
| Cost | included in the application fee (£130); a private ceremony may cost more |
| Guests | usually 2 |
| What to bring | your invitation |
| Deadline | 90 days from receiving the invitation |
| If you miss it without good reason | application refused; you must reapply |
| Exemptions | rare: physical inability or mental state, with evidence |
If the deadline is tight
The 90-day window is strict, which is why the tool shows the date as soon as you have the invitation. Guide AN says a ceremony not attended within 90 days without good reason leads to refusal, and a new application means paying £1,839 again. Councils' calendars vary, so call early. If illness or another serious reason is going to keep you away, raise it with the local authority and the Home Office before the date passes, with evidence, rather than after.
The fees table also lists £5 for administering the oath, or oath and pledge, outside a citizenship ceremony; it applies only in the limited cases where the oath is taken that way. People registering as British overseas territories citizens, British overseas citizens or British subjects do not attend a ceremony but still make the oath.
The day after
Your certificate proves your citizenship, but it is not a travel document: Guide AN says you need a British passport or a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode to travel as a British citizen. Any BRP must be destroyed once you have attended the ceremony. Both steps, with the passport fees, are on the after the ceremony page. If you notice a mistake on the certificate, Guide AN points to form RR to request an amendment. Check the spelling of your names and your date of birth before you leave the venue, while the details are fresh.