Australian Citizenship Ceremonies

The Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale holds Citizenship Ceremonies on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs throughout the year for Serpentine Jarrahdale residents to receive Australian Citizenship. A Citizenship Ceremony is where you make the Australian Citizenship pledge, the final step in becoming an Australian.

The Department of Home Affairs sends a list of names to the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale with the contact details for applicants who have been allocated to our next Ceremony.

We cannot confirm your Ceremony date without having first received your approval details from the Department of Home Affairs. Once received, an invitation will be emailed and posted to you approximately six weeks before the Ceremony.

Upcoming Ceremony dates

Date	Status
Wednesday, 20 March 2024	Invitations sent.
Wednesday, 22 May 2024	Invitations not yet sent.
Wednesday, 17 July 2024	Invitations not yet sent.
Tuesday, 17 September 2024 (Citizenship Day)	Invitations not yet sent.
Wednesday, 23 October 2024	Invitations not yet sent.
Wednesday, 20 November 2024	Invitations not yet sent.

All queries regarding scheduling of your Citizenship Ceremony should be directed to the Department of Home Affairs by email ceremony.wa@homeaffairs.gov.au or by calling 131 880.Ceremony RSVP’s are closed approximately four weeks before the Ceremony date to allow adequate time for order and delivery of certificates from the Department of Home Affairs in Sydney.

The Department of Home Affairs does not allow Councils to hold private or urgent ceremonies. The Shire is only able to invite approved applicants to the next available Ceremony.

In genuinely urgent, compelling and unforeseen circumstances, the Department of Home Affairs may be able to facilitate an urgent Ceremony where an approved client has demonstrated that they meet exceptional circumstances. If you believe you have a valid reason to request an urgent Ceremony, you should email the Department at ceremony.wa@homeaffairs.gov.au along with supporting evidence.

Please contact the Shire’s Civic Events Officer about Citizenship Ceremonies on 08 9526 1111 or email info@sjshire.wa.gov.au

Resources

Information about the Australian Citizenship pledge

Australian Electoral Commission – Enrolment FAQs

Important information

On the day

Arrive 30 minutes before the Ceremony so you can register and find your seat. The Ceremony will take approximately 30 minutes, followed by light refreshments.

During the Ceremony, the Presiding Officer will ask you to repeat the Australian Citizenship Pledge of Commitment. You will have already nominated with the Department of Home Affairs which version of the pledge you will say. You must repeat this out loud. You will become an Australian Citizen after you take the pledge.

What to bring

You will need to bring one current form of photo identification:

Driver's licence
Passport, or
Other official Australian government document with a photograph (such as a Proof of Age card).

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

If you do not have photo identification, then bring at least three documents showing your name, address and signature:

Bank statements
Utility bills, or
Credit card statements.

If you are under 16 years of age you do not need to bring identification.

Please contact the Shire prior to your Citizenship Ceremony should you require any clarification pertaining to adequate forms of identification.

You will have already nominated with the Department of Home Affairs which version of the pledge you will say. If relevant, you are welcome to bring a holy book on which to make your pledge. The Shire does not provide holy books.

Guests

You are welcome to bring up to two guests per family group.

Photographs

You are welcome to take photos at your Ceremony. Your family and friends may take photographs of you during and after the Ceremony. Please be mindful not to disrupt other participants and their guests.

Please also take extreme care if posting photos with your Citizenship certificate to social media sites. To protect yourself from possible identity theft, ensure personal details on the certificate such as your full name, date of birth and identification numbers are not clearly visible or able to be copied.

After the Ceremony, Shire staff will be happy to assist if you would like a photograph with your family and guests.

Dress code

The Ceremony is an important event where you make a commitment to Australia. You and your guests should be dressed in formal or smart casual clothing, or your national or cultural dress, and groomed to reflect its significance.

Unable to attend your Citizenship Ceremony?

Please notify both the Shire and the Department of Home Affairs at ceremony.wa@homeaffairs.gov.au or phone 131 880 advising that you are unable to attend.

The Department of Home Affairs will advise the Shire and you will be invited to the next available Ceremony.