Citizenship

Becoming a citizen

The role of the Department of Home Affairs

  • All citizenship applications are made through the Department of Home Affairs.
  • You will receive an approval letter from the Department of Home Affairs and then be allocated to the next available scheduled ceremony with the Shire of Murray. These lists are emailed to the Shire eight weeks prior to the scheduled ceremony date.
  • To see the application processing wait times for the Department of Home Affairs, please see the citizenship processing times.

The role of the Shire of Murray

The role of the Shire of Murray is to host the Australian Citizenship Ceremonies for the conferees to make the Pledge of Commitment in front of the Presiding Officer.

  • The Shire of Murray receives the ‘Ceremony Invitation List’ eight weeks prior to the ceremony date.
  • Invitations will be emailed to conferees.
  • The Shire is not able to make changes to your ceremony date, this must be done through the Department of Home Affairs.
  • Conferees must attend a ceremony within 12 months of their approval date

About the ceremony

  • Ceremonies are hosted at the Shire of Murray Council Chamber, unless advised.
  • Please ensure you abide by the following requirements as entry may be refused to any additional guests:
    •    All individual conferees are able to bring four guests only plus conferee dependant children (16 years and below).
    •    All family conferees are able to bring four guests per family plus conferee dependant children (16 years and below).
  • Our Australian Day Citizenship ceremony is held on 26 January 2026, along with the Citizen of the Year Awards.
  • The wait time to attend a ceremony is between three to six months
  • All invitations are emailed to conferees six to eight weeks prior to their ceremony date. The Department of Home Affairs provides the e-mail address for the invitation, ensure this is up to date.
  • The invitation will include important information, so please read it carefully.
  • Anyone over the age of 16 at the time of application must bring photo ID to their ceremony.
  • Dependants (under the age of 16 at the time of application) are not required to attend the ceremony but it is encouraged.
  • The Presiding Officer for a majority of our citizenship ceremonies is the Shire President of Murray.
  • The dress code is smart casual.

Ceremony dates

The Shire of Murray has four ceremonies each year. January 26 and each April, July and October.

These days are finalised, once the Shire of Murray has received the Parliamentary sitting dates for the year.

The Shire of Murray will endeavour to have these dates finalised by the end of 2025.

FAQ’s and contact information

I need to update my personal information.

Please contact the Department of Home Affairs on ceremony.wa@homeaffairs.gov.au or 131 880. This can also be done on your ImmiAccount.

When will my ceremony be?

The Shire receives the invitation lists six to eight weeks prior to the scheduled ceremony date. If you have not received your invitation after six months, please contact the Department of Home Affairs on ceremony.wa@homeaffairs.gov.au or 131 880.

How will I receive my invitation?

All invitations are emailed to conferees. Families will be included on the one invitation. It is important that you read the information carefully and confirm your attendance by the RSVP date.

How can I check the status of my application?

Please email the Department of Home Affairs on Perth.Citizenship@homeaffairs.gov.au.

I have been invited to a ceremony but I cannot attend.

If you have already received the invitation from the Shire of Murray but cannot attend the ceremony, please contact us on mailbag@murray.wa.gov.au or 9531 7777.

Your name will be removed from the Shire’s list and the Department of Home Affairs will allocate you to the next available ceremony. You are not able to ‘book-in’ to a scheduled ceremony date.

If you cannot attend due to exception, such as FIFO, please inform us and then make an application to the Department of Home Affairs. You will need to include evidence in your application. The application can be made by emailing ceremony.wa@homeaffairs.gov.au.

Do I have to attend a ceremony to become a citizen?

Yes, you must say the Pledge of Commitment in front of the Presiding Officer to become a citizen.

Passport

It is recommended that you wait 10 working days after your citizenship ceremony before applying for an Australian Passport. For more information on passports, please see the Australian Passport Office or 131 232.

See also Department of Home Affairs