Citizenship ceremonies

citizenship1Choosing to become an Australian Citizen is an important expression of commitment to Australia.

Initial enquiries regarding Australian citizenship, applications and approval should be directed to Australian Citizenship. The Department of Home Affairs is open from 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday and can be contacted directly on 131 880.

Once a citizenship application has been approved the Department of Home Affairs will provide a list of candidates to council for the upcoming ceremony. Council will then invite candidates to the ceremony and advise the citizenship ceremony details.

Attending a ceremony

Mackay Regional Council conducts citizenship ceremonies at the MECC throughout the year. Invites are mailed out to candidates 3-4 weeks prior to each ceremony.

If you are a citizenship candidate please visit Frequently Asked Questions for more information.

NOTE - all council events are run in accordance with COVID-19 event requirements and candidates are reminded to stay home if feeling unwell or displaying the following symptoms - cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue or shortness of breath.

Event dates for 2024

  • 10am Friday, January 26 (Australia Day)
  • 5:30pm Thursday, June 6 (QLD Day)
  • 5:30pm Wednesday, September 18
  • 5:30pm Thursday, November 14

* Note - registration opens one hour before the ceremony start time.

Photo update - candidates who attend a ceremony will receive a free digital copy of receiving their certificate from the Mayor. Please note, the photo will be emailed directly to the candidate within two weeks of the ceremony and may include photos of other candidates who also attended the same ceremony and received citizenship. If you do not wish for your photo to be included with other event photos please let us know when you RSVP.