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Hi guys,
I received an email from the Home Office on 19th Feb 2024 saying my application for UK Citizenship has been approved. And to contact my local city council to book my Citizenship Ceremony. It states that I need to attend my ceremony within 90 days of the date of the 'approval email'. So in my case this would be before 19th May 2024

The issue is that I'm going to be out of the UK for 7-8 weeks returning in the first week of May.

I don't have a BRP card, but instead an ILR stamp/vignette in my expired non-eu passport, which I use along with my current valid non-eu passport to travel abroad. This is what I'll be doing to travel for next 7-8 weeks.

I was trying to avoid attending Ceremony before I travel, coz I don't want any issues using my current passport with the ILR stamp on re-entering the UK in early May.

My country doesn't allow dual citizenship. So I would need to surrender/renounce my current passport once I get my British Passport. I've read on my non-eu country's website that they allow 3 months grace period to travel on my current passport after I get UK citizenship. This 3 months grace period is calculated from the date on the Naturalisation Certificate & not the date I get my British passport issued.

So I need to know from people who have received their Naturalisation certificate, whether the date on it is the same as your Citizenship Ceremony date or an earlier date which was already printed from when that Certificate was physically created by the Home Office & then dispatched to the local city council?

Thanks!

I was trying to avoid attending Ceremony before I travel, coz I don't want any issues using my current passport with the ILR stamp on re-entering the UK in early May.

You won't as you cannot be denied entry as a British citizen. The ILR would purely be used to board a plane back and once arrived, you can explain to the IO.

So I need to know from people who have received their Naturalisation certificate, whether the date on it is the same as your Citizenship Ceremony date or an earlier date which was already printed from when that Certificate was physically created by the Home Office & then dispatched to the local city council?

It is the date of the ceremony, as this is the date you become British. Not before and certainly not just based on an approval email.

OK thanks for clearing that out. The other reason I'm delaying to attend the ceremony to May is I'm currently an Indian passport holder.

Not sure how much you know about it, but India doesn't allow dual citizenship and instead allows to hold an OCI card (sort of lifelong visa). In order to avoid getting any issues at the time of surrender/renouncing my Indian passport & applying for OCI card which would be a long, cumbersom process, I'd prefer not getting my certificate/attending ceremony prior to travelling even if there is a 3 months grace period.

So that would mean if the Certificate date is the same as the Ceremony date, then the date is printed on the Certificate by the Council? Coz Home Office email mentions to wait a few days to contact city council until your 'certificate arrives'? So that would imply a physical document & not something the Council prints out with the Ceremony date?

So that would mean if the Certificate date is the same as the Ceremony date, then the date is printed on the Certificate by the Council?

It is handwritten by the council.

Coz Home Office email mentions to wait a few days to contact city council until your 'certificate arrives'? So that would imply a physical document & not something the Council prints out with the Ceremony date?

UKVI print the certificates and send them out once a week (usually) in batches.

Thanks alot CR001