Nationality and Citizenship

Although the Home Office says you should contact us within 21 days, you have 3 months to have a ceremony. 

We do group face-to-face ceremonies on most Friday mornings.

Once we get your Certificate of Naturalisation we will send you a date and time to attend a ceremony but if you get a Home Office Invitation Letter and you do not hear from us after a week, you need to contact us to book.

Only request a ceremony when you have a Home Office invitation letter (with Haringey as the location).

Request a ceremony

To request a ceremony, please use the button below and we will get back to you with a date and time. Please state any dates or times that you cannot do (not just Fridays) as virtual ceremonies and some face-to-face ceremonies take place on different days.

Request a ceremony

Please only attend a ceremony once we have replied to your request.

Getting your certificate

Your certificate will be given to you at a face to face ceremony or posted to you if attend a virtual ceremony. You can also arrange to collect a certificate if having a virtual ceremony. We do not issue the certificate, so we are unable to amend any errors with names etc. Contact the Home Office to make any amendments

You must exercise social distancing while you are at a ceremony and you must wear a face covering unless exempt. Please wait at the side door of George Meehan House marked 'Woodside/Westbury'.

Please note that it can take 3-to-4 months from being approved for citizenship and getting a Home Office Invitation letter. Please avoid contacting us to book a ceremony until you have received your Home Office Invitation Letter, you will get this by email.

If after 3 months of being approved you have still not had a Home Office Invitation Letter, feel free to contact us.

Important: the Home Office will send your Certificate of Naturalisation to us around 2 working days after you get your Home Office Invitation Letter. We will not have your certificate and we will not be able to book your ceremony until you have received your Home Office Invitation Letter.

Please try to avoid contacting us or the Home Office to hurry up your certificate, as you may be stretching resources and further delaying the processing of citizens applications.

As ceremony sizes are limited, we ask that where possible new citizens under 18 years of age do not attend.

This will allow more people that do need to attend a ceremony to attend more quickly. Children under 18 do not need to attend and no guests are allowed at present. From 23 July 2021, we will allow one guest per new citizen until the gallery is full. There is no covered waiting area at George Meehan House.

Please dress for the weather when coming to our building and carry a bottle of water if it is hot. All citizens must wear a face-covering inside the building unless exempt. Please also bring your own pen.

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The Nationality Checking Service and the Nationality Document Return Service have now ended nationally. For more information about British citizenship please refer to GOV.UK (external link).

Citizenship Ceremonies

  • If you wish to have your ceremony in Haringey please put Haringey down as the preferred location for your ceremony when applying to the Home Office for British Citizenship via GOV.UK (external link). We have short waiting times for ceremonies and you do not need to live in Haringey to have your ceremony with us
  • If you have been approved for British Citizenship and need to book your citizenship ceremony with us, please see our British Citizenship page

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EU Settlement Status (EUSS)

Information and instructions on how to apply for EU Settled Status can be found at GOV.UK (external link)

There is further information and support available for Haringey residents and businesses on the Haringey Brexit and EU Settled status page.

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New UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services

Since 9 November 2018, the majority of customers are required to complete their applications online then attend 1 of 57 new service centres in the UK, named UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services. These are managed by a commercial partner: Sopra Steria. The Nationality Checking Service has been discontinued.

Customers will attend an appointment at a service centre to submit their biometric information (photo and fingerprints), and supporting evidence (including proof of identity). To learn more about the new services please visit the new front end services pages on the GOV.UK website (external link).

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Assisted Digital Service

UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) have set up an Assisted Digital support service that is available to customers who do not have the appropriate access, skills or confidence to complete an online application form. The Assisted Digital Service aims to ensure that nobody is excluded from making an immigration application due to a lack of digital skills or access to a computer. Eligible customers are offered telephone support, or face to face support at a library or their home, to help them access and complete the online form.

This service does not provide immigration advice.

For more information and contact details, see the Assisted Digital service pages on the GOV.UK website (external link).

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Lost Certificates of Naturalisation

Replacement certificates can be obtained for a fee from the Home Office. Get a replacement UK citizenship certificate via the GOV.UK website (external link).

Please note: we do not offer a service to get British Passports. If you require a British Passport, please contact HM Passport Office (external link) for further information.

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'Windrush Generation' and British Citizenship

If you wish to apply for British Citizenship under the 'Windrush Generation', please contact the Home Offices Commonwealth Taskforce. Their contact details are freephone 0800 678 1925, and lines are open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sundays 10am to 4pm. Alternatively please send an email to commonwealthtaskforce@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

More information can be found on the Commonwealth citizens pages of GOV.UK (external link).

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Page last updated:

March 14, 2023

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