Australian citizenship ceremonies

You will receive a letter from the Department of Home Affairs, inviting you to your allocated Australian Citizenship Ceremony 1 to 3 weeks before the date of the ceremony. 

Please note: invitations come from the Federal Government and not from Council. 

When will I receive my invitation?

It can take between 3 and 6 months to receive an invitation to a ceremony. This is due to the Department of Home Affairs having a long list of successful citizenship candidates waiting to attend a ceremony and receive a Certificate of Australian Citizenship. 

If you urgently need a Certificate of Australian Citizenship, please contact the Department of Home Affairs on 131 881 as soon as possible. You may need to attend a citizenship ceremony being held at another Council on an earlier date. 

Inviting family and friends

We encourage you to share this event with family and friends and you are welcome to bring along 3 guests to the ceremony at the Karralyka Centre. 

Registration 

You will need to show your photo identification at the ceremony registration table prior to the start of the ceremony. 

Pledge of loyalty 

When you apply to become an Australian citizen, you can choose whether you want to make an oath or affirmation to pledge your loyalty as a citizen of Australia. 

At the ceremony, you will be asked to recite your chosen pledge in small groups. If you want to be in the same group as family or friends also undertaking citizenship, you will need to make sure you have all chosen the same pledge in your application forms. Different pledges will mean candidates will be in different groups. 

Dress code 

The Maroondah City Council Australian citizenship ceremony dress code is designed to reflect the significance of becoming an Australian Citizen. 

All attendees at citizenship ceremonies should wear neat casual, or formal attire that reflects the significance of the occasion. 

Attendees are also welcome and encouraged to wear their own national, traditional or cultural dress. 

The following is strongly discouraged: 

• bare feet 
• beach wear (eg. bathers) 
• athletic wear 
• clothes with slogans or images that may cause offence to other participants. 

If you have any questions or feedback relating to the dress code, please contact the Governance Team on 1300 88 22 33. 

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. 

Please note that only the parent who appears on the child’s application form can collect the child’s Certificate of Australian Citizenship.