Citizenship Ceremonies are held monthly at the Town Hall in Talbot Square in order to confer British citizenship on Blackpool residents who have already applied to and obtained permission from the Home Office. These ceremonies began in April 2004 and are conducted by the Superintendent Registrar.
Please note: we are not able to assist with applications for British Citizenship. The Register Office deals only with enquiries about the ceremony itself. For information on how to apply for British Citizenship please click on the Home Office website http://www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk/britishcitizenship/
The Ceremony
We ask you to arrive promptly thirty minutes before your ceremony. This is to enable us to book you in and carry out essential administrative duties necessary to the ceremony. Refreshments are provided during this period. Those who arrive late may not be able to receive their citizenship that day and may need to book another ceremony. We invite you to bring your family and friends with you to witness this very important event. You should discuss this with the Superintendent Registrar when you make your ceremony appointment as the space for guests may be limited.
The Ceremony lasts approximately one hour. You will be welcomed by the Superintendent Registrar conducting the ceremony, after which the Mayor or Deputy Mayor of Blackpool will make a speech about Citizenship, what it means and your new role as a citizen of the United Kingdom and Blackpool. The Superintendent Registrar will then lead the new citizens through their Oath of Allegiance. All new citizens will then be asked to take their Pledge of Loyalty together before they are called up individually to receive their Certificate of Naturalisation from the Mayor. There will then be a short closing speech by the Superintendent Registrar after which the National Anthem is played. You are welcome to bring a camera with you to capture this special occasion. We also have a photographer present for most ceremonies who will take photographs of the new citizens receiving their Certificate of Naturalisation. These will be posted to all new citizens after the ceremony, free of charge.
The Oath and The Pledge
Taking the Oath of Allegiance and Pledge of Loyalty is an important part of the Citizenship Ceremony. You have the choice of swearing your Oath (Swearing by Almighty God) or affirming (which has no religious reference) and you will have been asked your preference when you booked your ceremony. If you change your mind, please contact us as soon as possible before the Ceremony. As the Oath is a formal commitment made by each new citizen you will be asked to take this individually. The Pledge is then made as a group. You do not have to learn the Oath and Pledge in advance as the registrar will lead you through them line by line. However, we do ask you to familiarise yourself with them in advance. They are included in the Invitation letter from the Home office and are stated below:
- Oath of allegiance
I (name) swear by Almighty God that on becoming a British citizen, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her Heirs and Successors, according to law.
- Affirmation of allegiance
I (name) do solemnly and sincerely affirm that on becoming a British citizen, I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, her Heirs and Successors, according to law. After the Oath or affirmation, you will take the Citizenship Pledge.
- The Pledge
I will give my loyalty to the United Kingdom and respect its rights and freedoms. I will uphold its democratic values. I will observe its laws faithfully and fulfil my duties and obligations as a British citizen. The Mayor will then present you with your citizenship certificate. When you sign the Citizenship register, the registrar will present you with a gift from Blackpool Council and a welcome pack from the British Government which includes an application form for a British Passport. We also ask that you visit the Electoral Registration Office before you leave the Town Hall and register to vote.
Your Certificate of Naturalisation
Your Certificate is sent to us by the Home Office. If the personal details you gave us do not appear correctly on your certificate, you should return it after the ceremony has taken place to:
Home Office Nationality Group
PO Box 306
Liverpool
L2 7XS
You should explain the mistake and enclose evidence to support what you say. The Home Office usually wants to see official documents as evidence. If the mistake is yours, they may not be able to change it.
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