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Source: Department of Home Affairsfigures dated checked

Queensland citizenship ceremony wait times, November 2026

13,090 approved applicants waiting across 77 councils. 80% had waited under 3 months, 5% more than 6 months.

Ceremony wait by state

85%under 3 monthsNSW21,240 waiting88%under 3 monthsVIC21,471 waiting80%under 3 monthsQLD13,090 waiting69%under 3 monthsWA12,882 waiting79%under 3 monthsSA5,667 waiting82%under 3 monthsTAS631 waiting81%under 3 monthsACT670 waiting83%under 3 monthsNT466 waitingAll 539 councilssearch by name

Big number: share of approved applicants still waiting who had waited under 3 months, at 31 Oct 2026.

13,090

approved applicants were waiting for a citizenship ceremony in Queensland on 31 October 2026

QLD citizenship ceremony wait times: 80% had waited under 3 months since approval, 16% 3 to 6 months and 5% more than 6 months. Australia: 81%, 16% and 2%.

Official page updated · Waits counted to · Checked by us · Official ceremony wait times

Waited under 3 months80%Australia 81%Queensland councils, weighted.
Waited 3 to 6 months16%same as AustraliaApproved, no ceremony yet.
Waited more than 6 months5%Australia 2%Approved more than 6 months before the cut-off.
Councils listed7717 show "<5", 25 show none waiting.
QLD21%
Australia18%
Gladstone Regional Council56%
Moreton Bay Regional Council44%
Cassowary Coast Regional Council43%

Under 3 months3 to 6 monthsMore than 6 monthsNumber: waiting 3 months or more

Showing 77 of 77 councils

CouncilWaiting<3 mo3–6 mo>6 mo
Brisbane City Council3,58988%7%5%
City of Gold Coast2,06274%20%7%
Moreton Bay Regional Council2,04555%38%6%
Logan City Council1,52687%9%4%
Ipswich City Council99387%11%2%
Sunshine Coast Regional Council57786%11%3%
Toowoomba Regional Council31994%5%2%
Redland City Council28788%9%3%
Cairns Regional Council27091%6%2%
Townsville City Council15189%8%3%
Mackay Regional Council14491%8%1%
Noosa Council12862%29%9%
Gladstone Regional Council11644%53%3%
Fraser Coast Regional Council11286%12%3%
Bundaberg Regional Council10986%11%3%
Rockhampton Regional Council9693%5%2%
Lockyer Valley Regional Council8874%25%1%
Whitsunday Regional Council5279%19%2%
Mount Isa City Council4475%14%11%
Scenic Rim Regional Council3887%11%3%
Western Downs Regional Council3866%24%11%
South Burnett Regional Council3485%15%0%
Southern Downs Regional Council3284%13%3%
Gympie Regional Council3177%19%3%
Somerset Regional Council2896%4%0%
Maranoa Regional Council2665%27%8%
Cassowary Coast Regional Council2357%39%4%
Goondiwindi Regional Council2383%13%4%
Douglas Shire Council2195%5%0%
Mareeba Shire Council2167%33%0%
Livingstone Shire Council19100%0%0%
Central Highlands Regional Council1872%6%22%
Tablelands Regional Council13100%0%0%
Burdekin Shire Council1090%10%0%
Banana Shire Council786%0%14%
Aurukun Shire Council<5---
Balonne Shire Council<5---
Barcaldine Regional Council<5---
Barcoo Shire Council0---
Blackall-Tambo Regional Council<5---
Boulia Shire Council0---
Bulloo Shire Council0---
Burke Shire Council0---
Carpentaria Shire Council0---
Charters Towers Regional Council<5---
Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council0---
Cloncurry Shire Council<5---
Cook Shire Council<5---
Croydon Shire Council0---
Diamantina Shire Council0---
Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council0---
Etheridge Shire Council<5---
Flinders Shire Council0---
Hinchinbrook Shire Council<5---
Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council<5---
Isaac Regional Council<5---
Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Council0---
Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council0---
Longreach Regional Council0---
Mapoon Aboriginal Shire Council0---
McKinlay Shire Council0---
Mornington Shire Council<5---
Murweh Shire Council<5---
Napranum Aborignal Shire Council0---
North Burnett Regional Council<5---
Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council<5---
Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council<5---
Paroo Shire Council0---
Pormpuraaw Aboriginal Shire Council0---
Quilpie Shire Council0---
Richmond Shire Council0---
Torres Shire Council0---
Torres Strait Island Regional Council0---
Winton Shire Council<5---
Woorabinda Aboriginal Shire Council0---
Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council0---
Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council0---

What this can't tell you

  • The date of your ceremony. The Department says invitations arrive about four weeks before the event, from your council or the Department.
  • Whether you can move to another council. The Department says the ceremony you attend is set by your current residential address and you cannot choose where or when.
  • How long people now joining the list will wait. The figures describe who was waiting at 31 Oct 2026.

Longest waits in QLD: share waiting 3 months or more

CouncilWaiting3 months or more
Gladstone Regional Council11656%
Moreton Bay Regional Council2,04544%
Cassowary Coast Regional Council2343%
Noosa Council12838%
Western Downs Regional Council3835%
Maranoa Regional Council2635%
Mareeba Shire Council2133%
City of Gold Coast2,06227%
Lockyer Valley Regional Council8826%
Mount Isa City Council4425%

QLD councils with 20 or more waiting.

How to read the QLD ceremony wait figures: 5 things to know

  • The people counted are approved applicants who have not yet had their ceremony, including those already invited to one, at 31 October 2026.
  • The time is how long each of them had been waiting since approval at that date. It is not the full wait of people who have already had their ceremony.
  • Councils with 1 to 4 people waiting are shown as "<5". The Department masks these for privacy.
  • The three shares may not add up to 100% because of rounding.
  • The Department publishes only the current month. We started keeping a copy on 13 November 2026, so this page has no earlier history.

Other states and territories: NSW ceremony wait times · VIC ceremony wait times · WA ceremony wait times · SA ceremony wait times · TAS ceremony wait times · ACT ceremony wait times · NT ceremony wait times. Full decision times: Australian citizenship processing time.

6 questions about QLD citizenship ceremony wait times

How long is the citizenship ceremony wait in Queensland?

On 31 October 2026, 13,090 approved applicants were waiting for a ceremony in Queensland. 80% had waited under 3 months since approval, 16% 3 to 6 months and 5% more than 6 months.

Which QLD council has the longest citizenship ceremony wait?

Among QLD councils with 20 or more people waiting, the highest shares waiting 3 months or more were Gladstone Regional Council (56%), Moreton Bay Regional Council (44%), Cassowary Coast Regional Council (43%).

Which QLD councils have the most people waiting for a ceremony?

Brisbane City Council: 3,589; City of Gold Coast: 2,062; Moreton Bay Regional Council: 2,045.

Can I choose where and when to attend my citizenship ceremony?

No. The Department says the ceremony you attend is set by your current residential address, and you cannot choose where and when.

How will I be invited to my citizenship ceremony?

The Department says invitations arrive about four weeks before the event, by a letter from your local council or from the Department of Home Affairs.

Is this a government website?

No. Visa Processing Time is independent and is not affiliated with the Department of Home Affairs.