Citizenship ceremonies

Citizenship 2023 - Web Image.jpg

Willoughby City Council hosts regular citizenship ceremonies to welcome people in our community who are taking the step to become an Australian citizen.

Australian citizenship symbolises our unity as a nation. It represents commitment to this country and its people, the values we share and our common future. Australian citizenship also represents the sense of belonging to the country you’ve decided to make your home.

To attend a ceremony at Willoughby City Council, you must live within the Willoughby City Council local government area.

Schedule

The following dates have been scheduled for in-person ceremonies and may be subject to change. Please continue to check this page for updates.

Please note, in addition to the ceremonies held by Willoughby City Council, the Department of Home Affairs hold citizenship ceremonies and candidates may be invited to attend these departmental ceremonies.

2024

  • Friday 26 January - Australia Day Ceremony to be held at the Concourse, Chatswood
  • Thursday  22 February
  • Thursday 28 March
  • Thursday 18 April
  • Thursday 23 May
  • Thursday 27 June
  • Thursday 18 July
  • Thursday 22 August
  • Thursday 26 September
  • Thursday 24 October
  • Thursday 28 November.

Arrival time

New citizens are recommended to arrive 45 minutes before their ceremony time to have their photo ID checked and electoral form filled out. Please confirm your arrival at the check-in tables, where Willoughby City Council staff will welcome you. Guests will be seated in order of arrival.

Venue: Dougherty Community Centre

Venue address: 7 Victor Street, Chatswood NSW 2067.

About the ceremonies

Confirmed ceremony times will be provided on your invitation and take approximately one hour.

When attending a citizenship ceremony we recommend to dress in smart casual attire or traditional cultural clothing to reflect this significant occasion. Citizens and guests are welcome to take photos during the ceremony.

If you have applied for citizenship, the Department of Home Affairs will notify you of the date and time of your ceremony. You will be sent a letter of invitation advising you of your ceremony details. Applicants are asked to please ensure their email address is up to date in their Department of Home Affairs ImmiAccount. 

If you have any enquiries about becoming an Australia citizen or the date of your ceremony, please call the Citizenship Information Line on 131 880 or email ceremony.nsw@homeaffairs.gov.au.

Citizenship for children

If you apply for citizenship for a child under 16 years of age, you need to attend the ceremony and receive their citizenship certificate on their behalf. Children are not required to attend, but of course we welcome them.

Further information is available from the Department of Home Affairs website.

Guests

The invitation will tell you if you can invite guests, or the number of guests you can invite.

Your guests might have to sit apart from you during the ceremony. Children must be well supervised.