{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-42",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-42.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/61",
  "legislation_title": "British Nationality Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981",
  "path": "section/42",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "42",
  "heading": "Registration and naturalisation: citizenship ceremony, oath and pledge",
  "text": "(1) A person of full age shall not be registered under this Act as a British citizen unless he has made the relevant citizenship oath and pledge specified in Schedule 5 at a citizenship ceremony.\n(2) A certificate of naturalisation as a British citizen shall not be granted under this Act to a person of full age unless he has made the relevant citizenship oath and pledge specified in Schedule 5 at a citizenship ceremony.\n(3) A person of full age shall not be registered under this Act as a British overseas territories citizen unless he has made the relevant citizenship oath and pledge specified in Schedule 5.\n(4) A certificate of naturalisation as a British overseas territories citizen shall not be granted under this Act to a person of full age unless he has made the relevant citizenship oath and pledge specified in Schedule 5.\n(5) A person of full age shall not be registered under this Act as a British Overseas citizen or a British subject unless he has made the relevant citizenship oath specified in Schedule 5.\n(6) Where the Secretary of State thinks it appropriate because of the special circumstances of a case he may—\n(a) disapply any of subsections (1) to (5), or\n(b) modify the effect of any of those subsections.\n(7) Sections 5 and 6 of the Oaths Act 1978 (c. 19) (affirmation) apply to a citizenship oath; and a reference in this Act to a citizenship oath includes a reference to a citizenship affirmation.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Ss. 42-42B substituted (1.1.2004) for s. 42 by Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 (c. 41), ss. 3, 162, Sch. 1 para. 1 (with s. 159); S.I. 2003/3156, art. 2(a) (with arts. 3, 4)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C1",
      "text": "Ss. 41, 42, 44-48 extended by British Nationality (Falkland Islands) Act 1983 (c.6, SIF 87), s. 4(2)(a)-(f)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C2",
      "text": "Ss. 40-42, 44-48, 50 extended by British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1991 (c.34, SIF 87), s.2(3)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C3",
      "text": "S. 42 amended (18.7.1996) by 1996 c. 41, s. 2(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "C",
      "label": "C4",
      "text": "S. 42 modified (19.3.1997) by 1997 c. 20, s. 2(3)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61/section/42",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:13:43.090681+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}