Is it worth asking HO to complete ceremony in an embassy overseas?

Hi all,

Like many recently, I received my approval letter for naturalisation via email recently.

My family and I are currently overseas and will return to the UK soon after the birth of our child, which will be soon. As such, is there any detriment in asking the HO if they'll allow me to complete my ceremony in the embassy overseas in the meantime?

I understand it takes a long time to ship the certificate overseas and that naturalisation ceremonies are always done in the UK by their very nature (intention to live in the UK) but, extraordinary times extraordinary solutions, maybe?

I just don't want to email the HO and have them get uppity over me being overseas currently (no idea if they're aware already or not) and risk my citizenship in any way just for asking a potentially silly question - I'm actually quite nervous about that, hence my post.

I understand all signs point to HO rejecting the request, which is fine, but is it worth at least asking the question to know for sure, or am I placing an unnecessary risk on my citizenship by doing so?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

You may be ok for when UK ceremonies restart - also I expect that most overseas embassies and consulates are not doing ceremonies either.
Note the link:
british-citizenship/citizenship-ceremon ... 99727.html

gofornaturalisation wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 2:07 pm

am I placing an unnecessary risk on my citizenship by doing so?

Yes, you are.

There have been two reported cases on these forums of first British passport applications being submitted from overseas, after a successful naturalisation ceremony in the UK, triggering a review of whether the already granted naturalisation was fraudulently or misleadingly granted, due to violating the "future intentions" requirement.

Asking a naturalisation ceremony to be carried out overseas will almost certainly trigger the same scrutiny and easier to do, as you are not yet a British citizen.

secret.simon wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 2:16 pm

gofornaturalisation wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 2:07 pm

am I placing an unnecessary risk on my citizenship by doing so?

Yes, you are.

There have been two reported cases on these forums of first British passport applications being submitted from overseas, after a successful naturalisation ceremony in the UK, triggering a review of whether the already granted naturalisation was fraudulently or misleadingly granted, due to violating the "future intentions" requirement.

Asking a naturalisation ceremony to be carried out overseas will almost certainly trigger the same scrutiny and easier to do, as you are not yet a British citizen.

Hi secret.simon, thanks for your quick response. Yes I do remember you mentioning those 2 cases in another of my posts actually, admittedly I didn't appreciate that they could very easily apply the same scrutiny to my scenario, so that's useful advice, thank you.

I guess I'll have to pay up more money to eventually have my child be granted their citizenship too, that's rather sad and frustrating but hey ho, at least we're all safe.

Thanks again.

alterhase58 wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 2:14 pm

You may be ok for when UK ceremonies restart - also I expect that most overseas embassies and consulates are not doing ceremonies either.
Note the link:
british-citizenship/citizenship-ceremon ... 99727.html

Thank you for the link and quick response alterhase58

gofornaturalisation wrote: ↑

Wed May 27, 2020 2:25 pm

I guess I'll have to pay up more money to eventually have my child be granted their citizenship too, that's rather sad and frustrating but hey ho, at least we're all safe.

Life is about the choices we make. Had the child been born in the UK, it would have been born a British citizen (as you would likely have held ILR at the time of their birth).