If you want a card for a new citizen, a naturalisation day, or someone you love across a border, Ottermagic can make the front look like them. Upload a clear photo, run Style Swap or Face Swap, preview until it feels like a celebration rather than a form, then order a printed A5 (148×210mm folded, 330gsm gloss, envelope included; Royal Mail around 3–5 working days to UK addresses, airmail around 2–3 weeks to US addresses) or an e-card, which is a hi-res, watermark-free download. This is stationery and a likeness. It is not immigration advice, a legal document, or a substitute for an application. For a US new-citizen party less than about three weeks away, or a long-distance file you can send tonight, use the e-card. Start at Ottermagic.com.
What this card can and cannot do
It can sit on a table after a ceremony, travel in a parcel of tea and biscuits, or open on a phone in another timezone. It cannot tell someone whether they qualify for citizenship, how to book a ceremony, or what to pack for a visa appointment. If they need process help, they should use official government guidance and a qualified adviser. Your job is the human bit: “I see you. I know this took years.”
Style Swap restyles a portrait into Watercolour, Sketch, Royal Portrait, Clay 3D, Photobooth, Cartoon, and the other live looks.
Face Swap places them in a finished scene. Use it when the scene is warm. Avoid dressing someone as a national stereotype for a laugh they did not ask for.
Pet Swap for the animal who moved with them, or who stayed behind. Text Swap for a name and a short line when you have no photo you should use.
Live styles: Brick, Chibi, Emoji, Anime, Watercolour, Caricature, Cartoon, Classic Cartoon, Action Figure, Clay 3D, Retro Halftone, Retro Game, Royal Portrait, Pixel Art, Bobblehead, Sticker Sheet, Tarot Card, Photobooth, Sketch, Lucky Leprechaun.
Citizenship and naturalisation
UK naturalisation, ceremony days, first passports, “I can finally vote here”: families often want something that is not a Union Jack clip-art card from a petrol station. A Style Swap in Sketch, Watercolour, or Royal Portrait can feel like a keepsake. Photobooth and Cartoon suit a louder party.
You may write “congratulations on citizenship” inside. You do not need to recite the oath on the front. Do not put application numbers, Home Office letters, or identity-document photos on a greetings card.
US citizenship ceremonies and parties: the US shop sends the printed A5 by airmail to a US address in around 2–3 weeks. If the day is sooner, send or print an Ottermagic e-card. The artwork path is the same.
If the person is private about the process, ask before you put their face on a card at all. Some people do not want the journey as a punchline in the group chat.
Expats
Expat cards go both ways: to the person who left, and to the people who stayed. Miss-you tone from the friendship article still applies, with extra postage reality.
A printed A5 to family in the UK still uses Royal Mail’s around 3–5 working days. An expat in the US can get the printed A5 by airmail from the US shop in around 2–3 weeks. For an expat further afield, the e-card reaches them the moment you pay; for printed delivery to other countries, email support@ottermagic.com.
Style-wise, avoid “funny foreigner” templates. Use a photo from their actual life: the kitchen in the new flat, a weekend face, not a passport crop.
Timezones make last-minute cards common. E-card first is allowed. A posted A5 can follow for parents who prefer paper.
Long distance
Partners, siblings, friends who live in different cities: the card is a physical ping. Sketch and Watercolour travel emotionally. Face Swap into a double-act scene can work if you both already share that humour.
Count working days if you want the envelope to arrive before a visit. If the visit is this weekend, download the e-card and print it when you land, or send the image so it exists on the day.
US long distance: the printed A5 goes by airmail in around 2–3 weeks. If the visit or the date is closer, take the e-card and print locally.
Inside, skip “distance is just a number”. Mention a Tuesday you both remember, or a call you want to book. The Style Swap already did the face.
Photo and privacy
- Use a photo they are happy to have printed. Ceremony official photos can be stiff; a smile afterwards is often better.
- Do not upload other people’s children from a citizenship party without thought.
- Identity documents and visa stamps are a bad source image and a bad thing to reproduce.
- Face the light. Airport lighting is rarely your friend.
Format chooser
| Need | Format |
|---|---|
| UK address, ceremony next week or later | Printed A5, 330gsm gloss, envelope |
| US address, ceremony or party three weeks or more away | Printed A5 by airmail |
| Ceremony tomorrow, US party within three weeks, or someone in another country who should have it today | E-card download, print or share locally |
| A portrait for the new flat | Poster or canvas (check Ottermagic.com) |
| No photo | Text Swap |
Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day). Prices are in pounds in the UK shop and dollars in the US shop. Recyclable stock, water-based inks on print.
Ready when you are
Mark the milestone with their face, not a stock flag. Upload a photo, try Style Swap or Face Swap, and keep the preview that feels like a gift. Print an A5 (148×210mm, 330gsm gloss, envelope; around 3–5 working days in the UK, 2–3 weeks by airmail in the US), send an e-card when post will miss, or look at posters and canvas. Start at Ottermagic.com. Support: support@ottermagic.com (reply within one working day).
FAQ
Can Ottermagic help with a naturalisation application?
No. Ottermagic sells personalised cards (Style Swap, Face Swap, Pet Swap, Text Swap), printed A5 cards, e-cards, and posters or canvas. For immigration questions, use official sources and qualified advice.
Is a Face Swap OK for a citizenship ceremony?
If they like a playful scene and you have asked, yes. If the day is solemn for them, Style Swap in Sketch or Watercolour is usually safer.
How do I send a card to an expat this week?
E-card for speed. A printed A5 to a UK address needs around 3–5 working days, and airmail to a US address around 2–3 weeks, so this week usually means the e-card.
Can I put a passport photo on the card?
A passport photo is a poor, official-looking input. Use a normal portrait. Do not reproduce identity documents.
Do you post printed cards to the US?
Yes. The US shop sends the printed A5 by airmail to US addresses in around 2–3 weeks; switch shops in the site header if you are ordering from the UK. If the day is closer than that, use the e-card.
Can I include the pet who relocated?
Yes, Pet Swap, with a clear photo of the animal.
