Also known as:Citizenship oath
Definition
The formal declaration of loyalty to a new country, sworn by applicants at the final stage of citizenship acquisition — including in some CBI programmes.
The Oath of Allegiance is the formal declaration of loyalty to the new country that, in many jurisdictions, completes the citizenship process. The exact wording varies — Commonwealth Caribbean states use a King-Charles-III-era Crown formulation; Malta uses a Republic-of-Malta formulation; Portugal and Italy require a declaration of allegiance to the Constitution.
In the CBI context, the oath is typically administered virtually (sworn before a notary or consular officer) or, less commonly, in person at the issuing country's consulate or ministry. The recorded oath is filed with the citizenship application and forms part of the permanent record.
Administrative process note: the oath is normally administered after the application is approved in principle but before the passport is issued.
