Citizenship Ceremony

Council does not have any control over your application for Citizenship or the Application Process, this is managed by Department of Home Affairs and urgent Ceremony Requests will be considered by the Department.

Please see below advice from Department of Home Affairs: 

Please note that the Department will not facilitate requests for expedited ceremonies that relate to:

• Ceremonies cancelled by your local council
• Any circumstances relating to overseas travel which are not genuinely exceptional or compelling, such as employment, holidays, family reunions or weddings will not be considered
• Expired passports
• Expired authority to return to Australia
• HECS/HELP fees
• Accessing commonwealth loans or Social Security benefits or government funded schemes
• Applying for a job that requires Australian citizenship
• Applications for citizenship that have not yet been approved.
  
  

You will not receive a further response if you are seeking an expedited ceremony for the above reasons.

 An expedited ceremony may be considered in the following limited circumstances:

• Defence Force personnel who require Australian citizenship
• Clients who have complex employment schedules or medical issues
• Clients who need to be an Australian citizen to be employed for a job for which they have received a written offer.

There may be other genuinely exceptional or compelling circumstances that have not been listed. These will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and you will be notified of the decision.

Please only make one request for an expedited ceremony. 

If you still wish to apply for an urgent ceremony please reply to this email with further details and attached evidence – ceremony.nsw@homeaffairs.gov.au 

Dress Code is Smart Casual - however you are welcome and invited to wear traditional garments

Please bring photo identification to the registration desk upon you arrival at the ceremony. If you don't have Photo ID you must bring 3 official documents with your name and address on them.

Children under 16 years old are not required to bring ID or to make the pledge but are welcome to participate in the ceremony.

Should you wish to make the Australian Citizenship Pledge on your own holy book, please bring that holy book to the ceremony.

Further information on what to expect at your Citizenship Ceremony is available on the citizenship website www.citizenship.gov.au

The Pledge is the last legal step you must take to acquire Citizenship.

At the Citizenship Ceremony you will be asked to make the following Pledge of Commitment:

From this time forward, under God*,

I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,

whose democratic beliefs I share,

whose rights and liberties I respect, and

whose laws I will uphold and obey.

*you may choose whether or not to include the words ‘under God’

A pledge card with the wording of the Australian Citizenship Pledge will be given to you at the Ceremony. An audio version of the Australian Citizenship Pledge is also available on the citizenship website www.citizenship.gov.au for you to practice prior to the ceremony. 

Should you wish to make the Australian Citizenship Pledge on your own holy book, please bring that holy book to the ceremony.

Further information on what to expect at your Citizenship Ceremony is available on the citizenship website www.citizenship.gov.au.

All new conferees must be reside in the Wingecarribee Shire Local Government Area (LGA). If your residential and/or postal address has changed since your last contact with the Department of Home Affairs, please ensure the details have been updated in ImmiAccount.

You are able to invite friends and family to the ceremony, however this will usually be limited to two guests per person due to seating restrictions. Details will be provided with the invitation from Council.

If you are unable to attend, your certificate will be sent back to the Department of Home Affairs and you will be included in the list for the next scheduled ceremony.

Note: You are not eligible to become an Australian citizen until you have read the Australian Citizenship Pledge in the presence of the Presiding Officer, so in person attendance is mandatory.

Children 15 years and under do not need to attend a citizenship ceremony to receive a Certificate of Australian Citizenship, however we welcome their participation in the ceremony if they wish to attend.

Children will receive their own certificate which will be attached to the designated parent's certificate.