People and communities Citizenship ceremonies and visa services

What to expect at the ceremony

You must bring your Home Office citizenship invitation, and photo ID (either passport or driving licence) with you, or we may have to postpone.  

Citizenship ceremonies last about 30 minutes and are held in groups of 20 or less. Access to the group ceremony will be by invitation only.  

On the day of the ceremony  

When you arrive we’ll welcome you and make sure you understand what is going to happen.  

Once you’ve signed in and your documents have been checked, you will be seated with any other new citizens . The ceremony is conducted by the Superintendent Registrar who will formally welcome you as new citizens on behalf of Manchester City Council.  

You will then swear or affirm allegiance to the King and make a pledge of loyalty. Both have the same meaning:  

  • Swearing the oath is calling on God as witness. Anyone wishing to swear the oath whilst holding a holy book is welcome to do so and is asked to bring their own holy book to the ceremony 
  • Affirming the oath is confirming a promise without reference to God.  

The Oath and the Pledge will then be repeated as a group after the Superintendent Registrar conducting the ceremony.  

You will then be presented with the nationality certificate, which can be used to support passport applications and prove citizenship, and an information pack.   

The ceremony will end with the national anthem.   

At Manchester Register Office we do our best to ensure that the ceremonies are enjoyable and meaningful, creating a friendly environment for new citizens. We hope that the ceremonies will encourage all new citizens to play an active part in the Manchester community. 

Private ceremonies

You can have an individual ceremony or a small family group ceremony. There is an additional fee for this service of £140 per adult.  For further information email  registeroffice@manchester.gov.uk

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