The ceremonies are officiated by the Mayor or Deputy Mayor and run from 6pm to 7.30pm, with candidates and guests required to be seated by 5.30pm. Please bring photo ID with you to the ceremony. Once the ceremony begins, no one is allowed entry. You must stay for the entire duration of the ceremony. Light refreshments follow the ceremony.
Please arrive at least 60 minutes before the ceremony to ensure you are seated on time.
These are held in the Soundings Theatre at Te Papa on the following days:
2021 citizenship ceremonies
- 10 February
- 3 March (Cancelled due to COVID Alert Level 2. All citizens due to be recognised at this ceremony will be invited to a future ceremony.)
- 27 April
- 16 June
- 25 August
- 22 September
- 6 October
- 8 November
- 8 December
Before you attend
You can choose which statement you want to make in your application:
- an oath of allegiance — which is a religious statement, or
- an affirmation of allegiance.
You can make your oath or affirmation in English or te reo Māori.
The ceremony dress code is smart casual. We encourage you to wear the national dress of your country of origin, if you would like to.
You can bring a maximum of 2 guests per family to the ceremony due to limited venue capacity. If you need to bring additional guests, please call the Council on (04) 801 3107. Due to the venue capacity, prams are not permitted inside the venue, and small children are required to sit on the laps of their parents.
Citizenship enquiries
For information on becoming a New Zealand citizen contact the Department of Internal Affairs:
More information
Events and Projects Coordinator
Office of the Mayor