Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic
Citizenship ceremonies are currently postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions, but all citizenship certificates have been extended for a further 6 months to allow longer to attend a ceremony when restrictions are lifted. Check how register office services are affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).
You have to attend a citizenship ceremony within 3 months of your notification of citizenship from the Home Office.
Booking a place
To book a citizenship ceremony, please contact the Suffolk Citizenship Officer on 0345 607 2050 or email citizenship@suffolk.gov.uk. The attendees' list will be closed 2 weeks before the ceremony date.
Citizenship ceremonies are held at different register offices in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Lowestoft and Sudbury throughout the year. Upcoming dates are listed below, and all ceremonies commence at 10:30am unless otherwise stated. Please be aware some of these dates may not be applicable during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The locations and contact details for our offices are available on our Suffolk Register Offices contact list.
You will be allowed a restricted number of guests depending on the space available.
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 9 September 2020 | 10:30am | Ipswich |
| 23 September 2020 | 10:30am | Sudbury |
| 14 October 2020 | 10:30am | Ipswich |
| 28 October 2020 | 10:30am | Sudbury |
| 11 November 2020 | 10:30am | Ipswich |
| 23 November 2020 | 10:30am | Lowestoft |
| 23 December 2020 | 10:30am | Sudbury |
The ceremony
The ceremony takes about an hour. It begins with a welcoming speech by the Superintendent Registrar and a local dignitary.
You will then need to make an oath/affirmation to Her Majesty the Queen and a pledge of loyalty to the United Kingdom.
After this, you will be presented with a citizenship pack. It may be possible to purchase a souvenir photograph of your presentation.
Private ceremonies
You can organise for a private ceremony to be held at one of our Suffolk Registration Offices.
The costs of a private ceremony are an additional:
- £140 for one person
- £200 for a couple
- free for under 18's
More information
You can find out more about British citizenship, and how you apply for it, on GOV.UK.
Contact the Suffolk Citizenship Officer on 0345 607 2050 or email citizenship@suffolk.gov.uk for more information.