Citizenship

Once your Australian citizenship application is approved, you are added to a waitlist to then be invited to a ceremony hosted by Ku-ring-gai Council.  

All approvals, waitlist and ceremony allocation information is managed by the Department of Home Affairs, not council.  

The Department of Home Affairs may also conduct citizenship ceremonies. If you are invited to attend one of these ceremonies, please follow the instructions provided in your invitation, including any details regarding attendance and arrival times. You do not need to contact Ku-ring-gai Council if you are invited to receive your Australian citizenship at one of these ceremonies.

Wait times can vary depending on demand and ceremony availability. Most applicants are invited to attend a ceremony within 3-6 months of receiving approval.  

All allocations are completed by the Department of Home Affairs. Ku-ring-gai Council staff cannot influence or advise when you will be allocated to a ceremony.

Your ceremony invitation will be sent by Ku-ring-gai Council via email.  

Invitations are sent 3-4 weeks before the ceremony is due to take place. Be sure to check your email (including your junk email) and keep all contact information details up to date with the Department of Home Affairs.

Council has no authority to arrange or fast track ceremonies. Urgent ceremonies are only approved in exceptional and very limited circumstances.  

Please note these are the circumstances which would NOT result in an urgent ceremony: 

• Overseas travel for employment, holidays, visiting family, or attending weddings.  

• Pre-booked airline tickets, cruise bookings, or overseas accommodation.  

• General employment opportunities that require Australian citizenship at an entry-level.  

• Expired travel documents or a desire to avoid the cost of obtaining a Resident Return Visa.  

• Eligibility for building or housing grants.  

• Eligibility for HECS-HELP assistance where less than six months have passed since the date of citizenship approval.  

While we understand that these circumstances may be important to applicants, they do not meet the threshold for urgent ceremony consideration.  

If you have urgent or exceptional circumstances, you should contact the Department of Home Affairs. You can reach them on 131 880.  

The Department assesses urgent requests and will advise Council if priority placement is approved.

If you cannot attend your scheduled ceremony, you must notify Ku-ring-gai Council by return email or phone call.  

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Ku-ring-gai Council will notify the Department of Home Affairs that you did not attend the ceremony, and you will be allocated to the next available ceremony. This does not mean you will be allocated to the next ceremony that Ku-ring-gai Council hosts.  

If you do not attend a ceremony within 12 months of your approval the Department of Home Affairs may cancel your approval if you do not provide an acceptable reason as outlined in citizenship legislation or policy, supported by satisfactory evidence.

You need to bring your invitation to the ceremony and one form of photo identification: 

• an Australian driver licence 

• a passport, or 

• an official document with a photograph. 

If your documents are not in English, you must provide official translations.  

If you do not have photo identification, then bring at least 3 documents showing your name and address. These include: 

• bank statements 

• utility bills 

• credit card statements. 

If you are under 16, you do not need to bring photo identification. 

If you wish to make the Australian citizenship pledge on a holy book, please bring a book with you to the ceremony.

The ceremony is an important event where you make a commitment to Australia. What you wear should reflect the importance of the occasion. All people attending the ceremony should dress in formal or smart casual clothing. 

We warmly encourage you to wear traditional or cultural dress that reflects your heritage. Your presence and personal traditions are a valued part of this shared celebration.

Yes, attending a citizenship ceremony is a mandatory step in becoming an Australian citizen. 

You are not officially an Australian citizen until you attend a ceremony and make the Australian Citizenship Pledge.

Yes, you are welcome to bring family and friends to share this special occasion with you. 

Conferees are permitted to attend a ceremony with 2 guests. This is due to venue capacity and safety restrictions. Your guests will be seated with you in the ceremony.

Children under 16 are not required to attend the ceremony, but they are encouraged to attend and be part of the celebration with their family. 

If you wish to receive the certificate of your under 16 year old dependant, please advise your intentions when responding to your invitation.

All Ku-ring-gai Council citizenship ceremonies are held in accessible venues. If there is anything that Ku-ring-gai Council can do to support your participation in the ceremony, please advise staff when responding to your invitation.

Citizenship ceremonies are special occasions that celebrate becoming an Australian citizen. 

On arrival, you will check in and be guided to your seat. The ceremony includes: 

• A welcome from the Mayor of Ku-ring-gai 

• A welcome to Country 

• Messages from Local Members of Parliament 

• A message from the Guest Speaker 

• The Australian Citizenship Pledge 

• Presentation of your Citizenship Certificate 

• The Australian National Anthem 

• The Australian Affirmation 

Once you have made your pledge, you are officially an Australian citizen and can celebrate this important milestone.

Yes, you are welcome to take photos during the ceremony.  

Please ensure you do not take photos or videos of other conferees and their guests without their permission.  

Ku-ring-gai Council provides an official photographer. The photographs will be available in 2-3 working days and sent to conferees directly via email.

Once you become an Australian Citizen you are required to enrol to vote. Voting in Australia is compulsory. You must enrol to vote if you: 

• Are 18 years of age or older 

• Are an Australian Citizen, and 

• Have lived at your current address for at least a month.

You can enrol to vote if you are 16 or 17. That way, you’ll be ready to vote when you turn 18.

For more infomation visit Enrol to vote - Australian Electoral Commission.

For information regarding your visa, please visit Department of Home Affairs or call the Department of Home Affairs on 131 880.

For information regarding your passport, please visit Home | Australian Passport Office or call 131 232.

Please visit Evidence of citizenship and certificates Get a citizenship certificate to apply for a new Australian Citizenship Certificate.