Taking the oath or affirmation at the ceremony is the last step in the journey to becoming an official New Zealand Citizen, and it’s truly a heartfelt honour for our district to welcome new citizens, not only to New Zealand, but specifically to our district as their new home.

At this first ceremony of the year we had a range of candidates from a range of different locations which is really exciting to see! The countries included: Namibia, Australia, UK, India, Kenya, South Africia, Vietnam, Fiji, Brazil and Samoa.

We hold these special ceremonies throughout the year on behalf of the Department of Internal Affairs, where our Mayor welcomes newcomers to the district to honour their official citizenship.

Read more about the process for becoming a New Zealand citizen here.