Citizenship ceremonies

After you have successfully applied to become a British citizen, you will receive an email from us inviting you to our next available group citizenship ceremony, where you will be officially welcomed as a British citizen in front of your family and friends.

You can bring up to 4 guests to the ceremony. There is no fee to attend a group ceremony.

Ceremonies take place in the Council Chamber, County Hall, Dorchester. Please be aware that the car parks in the surrounding area are all pay and display. 

At the ceremony

The ceremony is led by a celebrant from Dorset Registration Service and a speech is given by a local dignitary. 

You will have to make an oath of allegiance (or you can make an affirmation if you prefer not to swear by God) and a pledge. This means you'll promise to respect the rights, freedoms and laws of the UK.

During the ceremony you'll be presented with your certificate, there will be a professional photographer at the ceremony who will take a photo of the presentation. This photo will then be posted to you a few weeks after the ceremony. 

The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes. There will be an opportunity for further photographs to be taken at the end.

What you need to bring

There are 2 things you need to bring to the ceremony:

• the Home Office approval email
• photo ID

Personal ceremonies

If you prefer, you can arrange for a personal ceremony which can be held in the Dorchester Register Office, which is also located within County Hall. You may bring up to 4 guests to a personal ceremony. 

Cost

Contact us

Please contact us to check availability and to book in a personal ceremony.