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Hi everyone, quick question as I'm in a similar boat and looks like I'm stuck because of COVID lockdowns on both sides of the border...

As virtual ceremonies can only be done in the UK does anyone know if it's possible to attend a ceremony at the local embassy? I've been trying to reach them but it's borderline impossible to and my emails aren't getting answered.

Thanks in advance!

m_stram wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 11, 2021 6:25 pm

Hi everyone, quick question as I'm in a similar boat and looks like I'm stuck because of COVID lockdowns on both sides of the border...

As virtual ceremonies can only be done in the UK does anyone know if it's possible to attend a ceremony at the local embassy? I've been trying to reach them but it's borderline impossible to and my emails aren't getting answered.

Thanks in advance!

Please do not tag on to other members topics. It is unfair to other users and creates confusion.

No you cannot attend your ceremony abroad at an embassy.

I apologise, didn't mean to cause confusion. Thank you for your answer.

If you asked them, then they may have immediate doubts about your future intentions, unless you are the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen.

Topic split. Please keep your citizenship related questions in this thread.

Oaths at embassies are normally reserved for applicants who either are treated as if they are in the UK (foreign spouses of Crown servants/diplomats abroad) or who would have acquired British citizenship automatically but for a quirk of the law (applicants on Form UKM/UKF, with British mothers or fathers at the time of their birth who could not pass their British citizenship to the applicants automatically).

For both these cases, there is also no future intentions requirement (that they will make the UK their principal home if they are given citizenship), which is a requirement for for almost all other naturalisation applications. The Home Office would be very suspicious if your very first act, even before becoming a British citizen, is moving abroad.

Keep in mind that at this stage, you are not yet a British citizen, only approved to be one. And that approval can be rescinded if there are developments and/or a change in your circumstances between the approval and the citizenship ceremony.

Indeed, there were two recent cases on these forums where an investigation of a possible breach of the future intentions requirement was triggered, when after they were naturalised in the UK, two newly naturalised British citizens then applied for their first British passport from abroad.

EDIT: Overtaken by vinny's much more succinct post.