Citizenship certificate at a glance
- Fee: $290 from 1 July 2026 (no fee to replace a certificate lost or damaged in a listed natural disaster, if you apply within 18 months of the event).
- Most people apply online. Form 119 is used for paper applications.
- You need your certificate number to apply for your first Australian passport if you became a citizen by conferral.
- Losing your certificate does not affect your citizenship. It only affects how you prove it.
Have you misplaced or lost your Australian citizenship certificate? Are you looking for a replacement of the citizenship certificate so that you can have the certificate number for a passport application? Today, we will cover how you can apply for your Australian citizenship certificate.
The Australian citizenship certificate is an official document that identifies you as an Australia citizen. If you are born overseas and became an Australian citizen after holding a permanent residency visa, you will need to have an Australian citizenship certificate to obtain documents such as an Australian passport. You will need the citizenship certificate number to apply for the passport.
Who is eligible for an Australian citizenship certificate?
To be eligible, you must meet one of the following:
- Born in Australia between 26 January 1949 and 5 May 1966 (unless your father was not an Australian citizen and was a foreign diplomat)
- Born in Australia between 6 May 1966 and 21 November 1984 (unless your father was not an Australian citizen and was a foreign diplomat)
- Born in Australia between 22 November 1984 and 19 August 1986 (unless neither of your parents was Australian citizens)
- Born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986, and at least one of your parents was an Australian citizen or permanent resident.
- Born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 and acquired Australian citizenship on your 10th birthday. You have to be ordinarily a resident in Australia for the first 10 years after you were born.
- Previously issued with a citizenship certificate.
- Born in the former Australian Territory PNG before 16 September 1975.
- Adopted in Australia on or after 22 November 1984
- Born in Australia to New Zealand parents. There are different requirements based on the year you are born. Generally, if you are born on or after 27 February 2001, one of your parents must have held a permanent residence visa or holds a Special Category Visa and meets the residency requirement.
- Born in Australia before 26 January 1949, and you were a British subject on 25 January 1949. On 26 January 1949, you became an Australian citizen.
- Born in New Guinea before 26 January 1949 and you were a British subject on 25 January 1949. You became an Australian citizen on 26 January 1949.
- British subject born outside of Australia before 26 January 1949
Settle in Australia guides
- Settle in Australia: a guide for new arrivals
- Resident Return visa (155 and 157)
- Resident Return visa subclass 155
- Resident Return visa subclass 157
- Applying for Australian citizenship
- Australian citizenship residence requirement
- Citizenship eligibility assessment
- Citizenship document checklist
- Citizenship practice test questions
- Visas eligible for Medicare
How much does it cost?
The cost to apply for an Australian citizenship certificate is $290 (from 1 July 2026). See all current citizenship application fees. There is no application fee if you are replacing the certificate due to a natural disaster that is listed on the IMMI natural disaster list. You will have to apply for the certificate within 18 months of the date listed for the event (disaster).
How to apply?
In most cases, you can apply for the Australian citizenship certificate online. However, suppose you are applying to replace the certificate due to a disaster on the IMMI natural disaster list. In that case, you can apply on paper using Form 119, Application for evidence of Australian citizenship.
What is the processing time?
Processing times vary through the year, so check the current Home Affairs processing times before you apply (see our processing times guide). Once it has been processed, the Department will print and mail the certificate to you. It may take up to 10 days for the certificate to arrive via post.
Step by step: applying for a citizenship certificate
- Check you are eligible using the list above. If you were born overseas to an Australian parent, you may need to apply for citizenship by descent instead, which is a different application.
- Gather your identity documents (see the checklist below) and have them scanned in colour if you apply online.
- Lodge the application online, or on paper with Form 119 if the paper option applies to you (for example, a fee-free replacement after a listed natural disaster).
- Pay the fee of $290, unless an exemption applies.
- Respond to any requests from the Department for more information or documents.
- Receive your certificate by post. Keep it somewhere safe and make a copy of the certificate number.
Documents you may need
| Document | Why it is needed |
|---|---|
| Current and previous passports | To confirm your identity and travel history |
| Birth certificate | To confirm your date and place of birth, especially if you claim citizenship by birth in Australia |
| Evidence of any name change (marriage certificate, change of name certificate) | To link your current name to the name on earlier records |
| Your old or damaged certificate (if you have it) | A replacement may require you to return the original |
| Parents’ citizenship or visa evidence | If your claim depends on a parent’s status at the time of your birth |
| Statutory declaration | To explain how a certificate was lost, stolen or destroyed |
The Department may ask for other documents depending on your situation.
Common situations
Apply for evidence of citizenship in the usual way and explain how the certificate was lost or stolen. If it was destroyed in a natural disaster on the Department’s list, you can apply without a fee within 18 months of the event date.
Frequently asked questions
Can I travel with my citizenship certificate?
No. A citizenship certificate is not a travel document. Australian citizens need an Australian passport to leave and re-enter Australia.
If I lose my certificate, do I lose my citizenship?
No. Your citizenship continues. The certificate is only evidence of your citizenship, and you can apply for a new one.
I was born overseas to an Australian parent. Is this the right application?
Usually not. Children born overseas to an Australian citizen parent generally apply for citizenship by descent, which is a separate application with its own fee.
I applied for citizenship and attended my ceremony. Do I need to apply for a certificate?
No. People who become citizens by conferral receive their certificate at the ceremony. You only apply for evidence of citizenship if you need a replacement or have never had one.
Can a migration agent help with my application?
Yes. If your situation is complex, for example a claim that depends on your parents’ status at the time of your birth, we can review your circumstances. Book a consultation.
Related guides
- Citizenship application fees
- Australian citizenship residence requirement
- Australian citizenship practice tests
- Australian Citizenship
- Australian Permanent Residency vs Australian Citizenship
- Benefits of becoming an Australian citizen
- Regaining your Australian Permanent Residence
- Renouncing Australian Citizenship
- Citizenship ceremony will be delivered online via video-link
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