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Community support and resources

Citizenship ceremonies

The Council conducts citizenship ceremonies on behalf of the Department of Internal Affairs for the presentation of citizenship.

At the Westland District Council, citizenship ceremonies are held throughout the year. Please contact the CE's Department at council@westlanddc.govt.nz to find out the next ceremony date. 

You can find out more about the citizenship ceremony at govt.nz.

The ceremony can take a couple of hours. There might be speeches or performances and the national anthem is usually played. You will make an oath or affirmation statement to say you are loyal to New Zealand.

After the allegiance ceremony the new New Zealand citizen is presented with a citizenship certificate.

Attending a public ceremony is a very important step in the process of becoming a New Zealand citizen. It is an opportunity for you to publicly declare your allegiance to New Zealand and for the local community to welcome you on behalf of all New Zealanders.