Oath Ceremony - 60 days or 6 months?

Hi,

I have recently received the approval letter from Home Office for my naturalisation application. In the letter, it is mentioned as below:

Date: 18 August 2021

CITIZENSHIP INVITATION
APPLICATION FOR BRITISH CITIZENSHIP BY XXXXXX DD MONTH YYYY

I am pleased to tell you that this application for British citizenship has been
approved. To complete the process of becoming a British citizen, you will need to attend a citizenship ceremony to receive your certificate. In the ceremony, you will take an Oath or Affirmation of allegiance to the Crown and a Pledge of loyalty to the United Kingdom. This is a formal promise to Her Majesty the Queen and the United Kingdom.

What you must do now
1. The ceremony will be arranged by the Local Authority whose details are shown below.
Please contact the authority using these details within 60 days of the date of this letter to
book your ceremony. Please note that documentation may take up to 2 working days to arrive.
The Citizenship Ceremonies Officer Reading
Xxxxxxx
2. The personal details below will appear on the certificate. If the details on your certificate
are incorrect you should still arrange a ceremony, and return the certificate to us for
amendment afterwards. You should also send a copy of your passport or birth as evidence of the correct details. certificate

I am currently in India for paternity reasons. Hence I am wondering whether I can postpone my ceremony till I return to the UK instead of returning immediately and completing the ceremony.

When I contacted my local council office in Reading and enquired with them whether I should complete the ceremony within 60 days of the letter, I was informed that they do not have any restriction to complete the oath ceremony within a certain date. However, I am not sure whether the person on the other end understood the question correctly as they might not face such questions too often.

In the link [Citizenship ceremonies - GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/citizenship-ceremonies), following snippet has been mentioned.

Usually you must attend a citizenship ceremony within 3 months of receiving your invitation from the Home Office. Because of coronavirus, this has been extended to 6 months.
Do not book a ceremony until you’ve received your invitation letter. Because of coronavirus, it can take up to 3 months from being told your application was successful to get your letter.
Your local authority will confirm arrangements when you book your ceremony.
You might be able to have an online ‘virtual’ ceremony, if your local authority offers it.

Can someone please answer the below questions:

1. I am not sure which guideline I should follow i.e. whether the 60 days as per the letter or 6 months as per the website.

2. I am planning to return to the UK in October or early November. Should I inform either the Home Office or my local council regarding the same and plan my oath ceremony accordingly? If so, whom should I contact from the Home Office?

3. Alternatively, can I simply return in November and book the ceremony appointment with the assumption that the Home Office has extended the Oath Ceremony timeline to 6 months, as per their website?

4. Are there going to be any consequences or further questions from Home Office if I stay outside the UK for such a long period?


I would be grateful if someone can help me understand the requirements and timelines for Oath Ceremony and address my confusion.

Thanks in Advance.

It clearly states to CONTACT the council to book the ceremony, not to ATTEND the ceremony within 60 days!!