Citizenship Ceremonies
The process starts when you apply to the Home Office for British citizenship. For information on the application procedure, please visit www.gov.uk/british-citizenship/how-to-apply
If your application to become a British citizen has been approved by the Home Office, and you are aged 18 or over, you are required to attend a ceremony in order to achieve citizenship status.
Your attendance at one of these special ceremonies is the final part of the process and is intended to celebrate the significance of becoming a British citizen and to welcome you into the community.
Booking a citizenship ceremony
If your application is successful, the Home Office will send you a letter advising you to contact the Ceredigion Registration Service in order to book your attendance at a citizenship ceremony. At the same time, the Home Office will forward your certificate of British citizenship to us.
You must attend a citizenship ceremony within three months of receiving your ceremony invitation letter.
In Ceredigion, group citizenship ceremonies are held at the Rheidol Ceremony Room, Aberystwyth on a pre-arranged date approximately every 6-8 weeks, depending on demand.
Entry to citizenship ceremonies is by invitation only and you may invite guests to accompany you to the ceremony.
What you should bring to the ceremony
When you attend your citizenship ceremony, please make sure you bring:
- your original invitation letter from the Home Office.
- a form of photo identification (such as your current passport or a valid photo driving licence)
During the ceremony
The ceremony will be led by the Superintendent Registrar (or deputy), and, where possible, a local dignitary will be in attendance to officially welcome you as a new citizen.
During the ceremony, all applicants will swear or affirm an oath of allegiance to the Sovereign and give a pledge of loyalty to the United Kingdom, before being presented with a certificate of British citizenship and a welcome pack.
The ceremony is closed with the playing of both the Welsh and British national anthems.
The ceremony lasts approximately 20 minutes depending on the number of applicants in attendance.