The Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 requires all successful applicants for naturalisation or registration as a British citizen, who are aged 18 or over, to take an oath and pledge at a citizenship ceremony, unless exempted by the Home Secretary. These provisions came into operation on 1 January 2004. Since 2 April 2007, all adults who apply for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) need to demonstrate knowledge of language and of “Life in the UK”.
The citizenship ceremony celebrates the significance of becoming a British citizen and welcomes the you into your new community. It must take place within three months of the applicant being informed that their application has been successful.
Citizenship ceremonies are not open to the public. When an application for British citizenship has been approved, you will be notified of the appropriate local authority contact details in order to make arrangements for your ceremony.
In the East Ayrshire Council area, citizenship ceremonies are conducted by the Senior Registrar or by an Assistant Registrar in her absence on a three monthly basis. All ceremonies are conducted in the Burns Monument Centre. A private ceremony can be arranged but will be subject to an additional charge.
All matters relating to application and qualification for British Citizenship are dealt with by the Home Office. Additional information can be obtained from the Home Office British Citizenship website which can be found in the External Links menu.