{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-42B",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981/section-42B.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1981/61",
  "legislation_title": "British Nationality Act 1981",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/british-nationality-act-1981",
  "path": "section/42B",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "42B",
  "heading": "Registration and naturalisation: timing",
  "text": "(1) A person who is registered under this Act as a citizen of any description or as a British subject shall be treated as having become a citizen or subject—\n(a) immediately on making the required citizenship oath and pledge in accordance with section 42, or\n(b) where the requirement for an oath and pledge is disapplied, immediately on registration.\n(2) A person granted a certificate of naturalisation under this Act as a citizen of any description shall be treated as having become a citizen—\n(a) immediately on making the required citizenship oath and pledge in accordance with section 42, or\n(b) where the requirement for an oath and pledge is disapplied, immediately on the grant of the certificate.\n(3) In the application of subsection (1) to registration as a British Overseas citizen or as a British subject the reference to the citizenship oath and pledge shall be taken as a reference to the citizenship oath.",
  "extent": null,
  "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)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/61/section/42B",
    "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."
}