Citizenship Ceremony
The Selwyn District Council regularly hosts citizenship ceremonies for local residents becoming New Zealand citizens.
What is the process?
The application for becoming a New Zealand citizen is assessed and approved by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). The applicant will receive 
an email confirmation from the DIA once their application is approved. The requirements to become a New Zealand citizen can be found here: New Zealand Citizenship.
Once the application is approved, the DIA will invite the applicant to attend a citizenship ceremony. The list of people invited to the ceremony is then provided to the Council. However, the Council is not responsible for inviting applicants to attend the ceremony; this is done by the DIA. The Council only hosts the ceremony.
The contact details of the DIA can be found here: Contact DIA.
The invitation letter from the DIA will include details of the citizenship ceremony, such as the venue and time. If the applicant has any questions about when they can attend the ceremony or need to reschedule because they are unable to attend on the given date, they must inform the DIA as soon as possible. The DIA can then reschedule the applicant for the next available date.
The Council cannot invite applicants to citizenship ceremonies or reschedule ceremony dates for applicants.
How often citizenship ceremonies are held in a year?
The number of citizenship ceremonies for a given year depends on the number of approved applications in the DIA backlog.
Generally, the Council hosts one citizenship ceremony every two months.
Can I invite guests?
Yes, you are allowed to bring two family members, friends, or relatives as guests to attend the ceremony per family.
What happens on ceremony day?
The citizenship ceremony is officiated by the Mayor – or the Deputy Mayor in the Mayor’s absence – along with the Councillors. Representatives from the New Zealand Defence Force, Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki, and students from local schools who perform kapa haka may attend the ceremony.
The candidate will read out the Oath or Affirmation of Allegiance and receive their certificate of citizenship. A photographer will be taking photographs of the ceremony, and these photos will be emailed to you with instructions on how to access them. Light refreshments will be provided before the ceremony.
If you have any questions regarding citizenship ceremonies hosted by the Council, you can email us at citizenship@selwyn.govt.nz