Citizenship ceremonies

Anyone aged 18 or over who has successfully applied for British citizenship must attend a citizenship ceremony. This event welcomes people who have been accepted as British citizens.

Anyone aged under 18 who has been granted citizenship does not have to attend a ceremony. Their parents or guardians can collect the certificates on their behalf at the ceremony.

Learn more about booking your ceremony with Hackney Council on this page.

When to book your ceremony with Hackney Council

Usually, you will have your ceremony in the borough where you live.

If you live in Hackney, you should contact us to book your ceremony. You must wait for:

1. A letter or email from the Home Office instructing you to book a ceremony with Hackney Council.
2. The Home Office to send your ‘naturalisation certificate’ (the official document that proves someone has become a British citizen) to Hackney Council.
3. An email from Hackney Council inviting you to book your ceremony. This will be sent to the email address you gave to the Home Office.

You might have to wait up to 2 weeks to get an invitation to book a ceremony because Hackney Council must wait for your naturalisation certificate from the Home Office.

If you applied through a solicitor, they will receive the letter from the Home Office and Hackney Council’s invitation to book your ceremony. If there is a delay in the solicitor sending these invitations to you, you can still book your ceremony. This is only possible if Hackney Council has your naturalisation certificate from the Home Office.

Book a ceremony within 3 months

Once you have your invitation, you must attend a citizenship ceremony within 3 months. If you fail to attend:

• your naturalisation certificate will be returned to the Home Office
• you may need to reapply for citizenship

If this happens, you should contact the Home Office. Email citizenship.support@homeoffice.gov.uk and include your full name and Home Office reference number.

Request to have your ceremony in a different area

You must contact the Home Office for a transfer request if you want to have your citizenship ceremony at a different local authority. Email citizenship.support@homeoffice.gov.uk and include your full name and Home Office reference number.

Ceremony options and costs

You can book a group citizenship ceremony, which is free, or pay for a private citizenship ceremony.

Group citizenship ceremonies take place 2 or 3 times a month, only on Wednesdays, and last around 1 hour and 30 minutes. You can bring one guest (adult or child aged 7 and over).

You can have professional photos taken during the group ceremony, which you can buy.

Private citizenship ceremonies cost £150 per adult citizen, and you can bring up to 10 family members or friends free of charge. These take place on some Mondays and last around 15 minutes.

The Deputy Superintendent Registrar can also take photos during a private ceremony.

You can wear what you want to a ceremony.

Book a ceremony

To make a booking you will need your:

• Home Office reference number
• full name (as provided on your application)

Book a ceremony

Documents you must bring to the ceremony

On the day of your ceremony, you must bring:

• your Home Office invitation (printed or digital)
• a form of photo ID (for example a passport, driving licence or national ID card)

If you do not have your invitation from the Home Office you must bring 2 forms of photo ID with you.

If you are a parent or guardian attending on behalf of someone aged under 18, you must bring their Home Office invitation letter and photo ID.

Ceremony location

All ceremonies are held at Hackney Town Hall.

What to expect on the day of the ceremony

If you have booked a group ceremony, you must check in before it starts. Check-in opens one hour before your ceremony start time and is only open for 30 minutes.

If you have booked a private ceremony, you do not need to check in, but you must arrive 10 minutes before your ceremony start time.

During a ceremony, you will:

• be welcomed to the community
• make your oath or affirmation of allegiance
• pledge your loyalty to the United Kingdom
• be given your naturalisation certificate

Changing the date of a ceremony

If you need to change the date of your ceremony, use the booking form on this page. Once you enter your details on the form, the system will recognise your existing booking and allow you to reschedule.

If you have paid for a private ceremony, your payment will transfer to the new date, and you do not need to pay again.

Applying for a British passport

You can only apply for a passport after your ceremony. As a British citizen, you cannot use your biometric residence permit (BRP) or citizenship certificate to enter the UK.

For travel, you will need to apply for one of the following:

• a British passport
• a certificate of entitlement to the right of abode, which can be added to a valid foreign passport for entry into the UK

The Home Office advises against making travel plans until you get your British passport.

Find out about getting your first adult passport on GOV.UK.

If you have lost your naturalisation certificate, you will need to order a new one. How you order a certificate depends on when you became a citizen.

Find out how to replace or correct a UK citizenship certificate on GOV.UK.