Citizenship is granted by the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. Once you have applied and been granted British Citizenship you will be sent a letter from the Home Office inviting you to contact us to arrange a date for your ceremony.
We are responsible for organising citizenship ceremonies for successful applicants living in the local area and our group ceremonies are usually held once a fortnight.
As part of the ceremony, new citizens are asked to swear or affirm an oath of allegiance to the Sovereign and pledge their loyalty to the United Kingdom. The Mayor or Sherriff attends group ceremonies and welcomes our new Citizens on behalf of the City.
A group ceremony
Group ceremonies are usually held once a fortnight and are attended by the Mayor or Sherriff. You are able to invite a maximum of 3 guests to witness your ceremony.
As part of your group experience you will have your photograph taken with the Mayor or the Sherriff and this will be sent to you as a memento of your experience at a later date
A private ceremony
If you have specified your ceremony venue to be held in Southampton, we are able to arrange a private ceremony for you if you wish to celebrate obtaining British Citizenship in a more personal way or cannot attend a group ceremony. There will not be any dignitaries attending at this ceremony and the ceremony is held at the Register Office at 6a Bugle Street. You are able to invite up to 6 guests to witness your ceremony. They will be allowed to take photographs of this momentous occasion. There is an additional charge for this service.
Before the ceremony begins, the registrar will check your letter from the Home Office, your invitation from us, and a further means of identification, ideally something that includes your photograph such as your passport, travel document or photo driving licence.
Whilst the ceremony is a formal and very important part of you gaining your British Citizenship, we try to make it as relaxed as possible.
Firstly, you will be welcomed by the Mayor or Sherriff.
The registrar will then explain the ceremony to you and you will be asked to swear or affirm an oath of allegiance to the Queen and pledge your loyalty to the United Kingdom.
Once this has been completed, the National Anthem is played and you will be invited to take part in the singing of it. At the bottom of this page is a link to the words of our national anthem.
Once we have sung the national anthem, you will be presented with your British Citizenship Certificate and invited to have a formal photograph taken with the Mayor or the Sherriff. If you are with other members of your family who are being made British Citizens, you can also have a family photograph.
A group photograph will also be taken.
Your paperwork will first be checked in the same way as for a group ceremony.
The registrar will ask you to swear or affirm an oath of allegiance to the Queen and pledge your loyalty to the United Kingdom.
Once this has been completed, the registrar will ask you to join her in standing for the National Anthem.
Your guest will then be invited to take any photographs as you are presented with your British Citizenship Certificate.
If the British Citizen is under the age of 18 they are not required to attend a ceremony, but are welcome to take part if they wish.
Southampton City Council
