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Australian Citizenship

Due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic Knox City Council in-person Citizenship Ceremonies are currently on hold and will not commence until further notice.

If you have any queries, please contact the Department of Home Affairs on 131 880.

Citizenship Ceremonies

Australian Citizenship Ceremonies are generally held every 2 months at the Knox Civic Centre, 511 Burwood Highway Wantirna South

What to bring to the ceremony

What to bring

Your printed letter of invitation (sent to you by the Department of Home Affairs) and photo identification.

Please note if you don't supply the required identification you are unable to become a citizen.

Appropriate forms of photo identification are:

a driver's licence, or
a passport, or
another official document which includes a photograph

If you do not have any form of photographic identification you will need to bring at least three documents with you that include your name and address and signature, such as credit cards, bills and bank statements.

Children under 16 years of age do not need to provide identification.

Frequently Asked Questions about Citizenship

What are the contact details for the Department of Home Affairs?

Phone 131 880 or visit the website on the link provided at the bottom of this page, or visit the Department's office in person at 2 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne Vic 3000.

How will I know when I should attend a Ceremony?

The Department of Home Affairs will send you a written letter of invitation about 3-4 weeks prior to the ceremony you have been allocated to attend.

The letter of invitation will include the ceremony date, time, candidate registration times, as well as the paperwork you should bring for identification purposes.

If you cannot attend your citizenship ceremony, contact the Department Home Affairs directly by following the instructions in your invitation letter. You do not need to contact Council in this instance.

What time do the Ceremonies start and how long do they last for?

Ceremonies commence at 6:30pm and conclude at approximately 7:30pm.

Parking at the Civic Centre?

Yes, there is unrestricted parking around the Civic Centre Precinct.

Dress Code

The Knox City Council Australian Citizenship Dress Code is designed to reflect the significance of becoming an Australian Citizen.

The Dress Code is a requirement of the Australian Government’s Australian Citizenship Ceremonies Code.

The attire of attendees at Knox Council Citizenship Ceremonies should reflect the significance of the occasion both to the attendee themselves, and to other patrons attending the ceremony.

Council strongly encourages Citizenship Ceremony attendees to wear smart casual attire, or national / traditional / cultural dress.

The following are strongly discouraged:

Beach wear (i.e bathers)
Bare feet
Clothes with slogans or images that may cause offence or distress to other participants.

Should an attendee at a Citizenship Ceremony, in the opinion of the Chief Executive Officer (or their representative at the Ceremony), be dressed in a manner which poses a risk to the attendee’s health and safety they may be refused entry to the Citizenship Ceremony.

If an attendee at a Citizenship Ceremony, in the opinion of the Chief Executive Officer (or their representative at the Ceremony) and the Mayor, is dressed in a manner which poses an unreasonable risk of causing significant offence and/or distress to other attendees, they may be asked to modify their dress and on refusal of such a request may be refused entry to the Citizenship Ceremony.

Enquiries regarding the Knox City Council Australia Citizenship Ceremony Dress Code should be directed to Mr Phil McQue, Manager- Governance on 9298 8000.

Can I bring my own Holy Book?

If you want to make the Australian citizenship pledge on a holy book, you are welcome to bring a book with you to the ceremony. Council does not provide holy books.