Home Office: Immigration and Nationality Department: Duplicate Certificates of Naturalisation,...

HO 334

1870-1987

Duplicates of Certificates of Naturalisation granted in the UK by the Secretary of State for the Home Department from 1870 under the Naturalisation Act 1870, the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914, Burma Independence Act 1947, British Nationality Act 1948, Immigration Act 1971, and Immigration Act 1981; and of Imperial Certificates of Naturalisation granted in British Possessions overseas between 1915 and 1949. It does not include duplicates of certificates granted in the self governing Dominions of Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand and South Africa. Certificates issued under the Acts referred to above show the name, address, trade or occupation, country of origin, and the names of spouse and children if applicable, with the exception of those issued under the Immigration Act 1971 and Immigration Act 1981, which do not provide information of parentage. The volumes of declarations contain nominal indexes.

The Certificates of Naturalisation in this series are in varying form, as prescribed in the Naturalisation Regulations issued successively under the Naturalisation Acts 1870 and the British Nationality and Status of Aliens Act 1914. The particular form of any certificate is indicated by one or more capital letters immediately preceding the serial number (with the exception of Certificates A). The Regulations provide that a Certificate of Naturalisation shall not take effect until the applicant has taken the Oath of Allegiance, and that the Oath shall be taken within one month after the date of the certificate to which it relates, or within such extended time as may be allowed. In some cases the certificate was not returned to the Home Office for registration of the Oath of Allegiance and there is consequently no official record that the certificate has taken effect. It will be apparent from the duplicate whether the Oath was duly taken and registered.

In order to trace a duplicate certificate of naturalisation issued between 1870 and 1981, a Declaration of British Nationality made under the terms of the Burma Independence Act 1947, and a Declaration of British Nationality, and of Alienage, made under the provisions of the Naturalisation Acts 1870, you can search by name of applicant. For a Registration of British Nationality, 1949-1981, a naturalisation, 1982-1986 and a renunciation of British Nationality, please complete our online British Nationality contact form, and we will search a database on your behalf, providing you with a document reference as necessary. There are various types of registrations (R1 - R6) described at subseries level, though from 1963, R1 registrations can include R14: Registrations issued under the South Africa 1962, as well as some R2 and R3 certificates.

The series of BNA duplicate certificates ends in June 1969. From June 1969 until October 1986 the Home Office did not maintain a set of duplicate certificates issued for foreign nationals; these are often a six-figure reference starting with '0'. Often the only evidence of naturalisation is the summary index entry in the series HO 409. HO 409 has been catalogued by name of applicant for this period and for naturalisations carried out in the UK

Earlier certificates for 1844-1870 are enrolled in C 54

See also HO 409

For Home Office background case papers 1872-78 see HO 45

For Home Office background case papers 1934-48 see HO 405

For Home Office background case papers 1879-1934 HO 144

For a sample of aliens' record cards see MEPO 35

Public Record(s)

• Home Office, Aliens Department (B Department), 1913-1962
• Home Office, Department S, 1904-1913
• Home Office, Domestic Department, 1782-1913
• Home Office, Immigration and Nationality Department, 1962-1962

4221 files and volumes

Open unless otherwise stated

Topics

Trade and commerce

Asia

Marriage and divorce

Migration

Australia and Pacific

Children

Food and drink

Nationality

Americas

Africa

Series is accruing