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Citizenship ceremonies

Becoming a New Zealand citizen is a significant milestone, and citizenship ceremonies are a special way to formally welcome new members of our community. These ceremonies mark the final step in the process to obtain citizenship, and offer a moment of celebration and connection.

Held several times a year, each ceremony includes an official welcome, the taking of an oath, and the presentation of citizenship certificates. It is a proud and meaningful occasion for new citizens and their whānau.

Citizenship ceremonies are an opportunity, too, for our community to show manaakitanga (showing hospitality to others) to our newest members. These ceremonies reflect the diversity of our city, and the shared values that bring us together as New Zealanders.

Learn more

We host citizenship ceremonies on behalf of the Department of Internal Affairs, who allocates candidates to each. You will receive correspondence directly from the Department of Internal Affairs as to when your ceremony will take place. Invitations are generally sent one month prior to the date of the ceremony.

Invercargill City Council does not hold specific information about your citizenship application and cannot allocate you onto a future ceremony date as this is managed directly through the Department of Internal Affairs. If you have not received an invitation to an upcoming ceremony or have a specific question relating to your application / passport, you will need to get contact the Department of Internal Affairs by emailing citizenshipceremonies@dia.govt.nz.

What to expect

  • Please arrive 15 minutes earlier to the ceremony.
  • Each person takes part in the swearing-in process and is presented with their citizenship certificate by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor.
  • Each new citizen can bring up to two guests (due to limited venue capacity and health and safety requirements).
  • Dress code is smart casual. We encourage you to wear something special to mark this occasion.
  • You must stay for the whole ceremony, this is a legal requirement in gaining your citizenship.
  • There will be a photographer present taking group photos of the day. Photos will be sent to you in the days following the ceremony at no cost.

Important

  • Ceremonies are by invitation only. Invitations are sent to new citizens by the Department of Internal Affairs, and queries should be made to the DIA by email citizenshipceremonies@dia.govt.nz.
  • If you have been allocated onto a ceremony that does not suit your schedule, please let us know in advance so we can liaise with the Department of Internal Affairs and they can work with you on placing you into a ceremony date that suits you better.
  • While we show the full year of dates on our website, please ensure you have received an invitation and have responded with your RSVP to an upcoming ceremony before attending on the day of the event ceremony. This means your certificate is accounted for on the day. If we do not have you listed on our RSVP list, we will need to refer you back to the Department of Internal Affairs in order for you to be allocated onto a future ceremony date.
  • The ceremony will start at 9.30am and take about one hour, followed by morning tea.

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