Welcome to San Francisco
A city agency with one job: to welcome you in.
An independent art project by Beneath the Sidewalk. Not affiliated with the City and County of San Francisco or any government agency.
The Department
You moved to San Francisco. The City noticed eventually. We started the Welcome Department to change that.
No permits. No forms. No waiting room. Just officially recognizing your existence.
So you arrived, you unpacked, you stayed long enough to do laundry.
You learned which corner store has fresh squeezed orange juice. A year passed. Then one day someone recognized your name.
Feeling known happens slowly — through repetition, through recognition, through the people who start to expect you.
We're here to help that happen sooner. We work at the scale where San Francisco actually turns into home: the block, the sidewalk, the corner, the familiar face.
Not for the commuter or the consumer.
For the neighbor you're becoming.
LET US WELCOME YOU
Processing your relationship with the City? Let us welcome you. Twenty minutes if you're in a hurry, two hours if you let it pull you around.
Text WELCOME to 415-915-0969
A representative of the Department will be with you shortly.
By texting WELCOME, you agree to receive recurring informational messages from the SF Welcome Department. Msg frequency varies. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out. See our Terms and Privacy Policy.
THE FIELD OFFICE
Come find us in person during the Future of Us festival, July 5–12, 2026. No appointment necessary.
We'll welcome you, sign you into the Civic Welcome Registry, ask you a few questions, and hand you your official credential as a San Franciscan.
Processing time: approximately 5 minutes.
Pop-up Hours
- July 2 — First Thursdays, 5–8p
- July 8 — Food for Thought Day 1, The Food Pavilion, 5–8p
- July 12 — Slow Street Community Potluck, 1–4p
CONTACT
Tell us you're here. Questions, ideas, or just a hello — we read everything.