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Citizenship Australia

Apply for Australian Citizenship

Australian citizenship may be conferred upon permanent residents of Australia who have resided in Australia for the required period of time, and meet all other criteria. Those who have been conferred citizenship have the same rights and privileges as any other Australian citizen, including the right to vote, to work for the Australian Public Service or Defence Force, and to obtain and use an Australian passport.

Citizens by conferral are also subject to the same responsibilities as other Australian citizens, including the responsibility to serve on a jury and to defend Australia should the need arise.

Please note, from 1 July 2026, the application fee for citizenship by conferral (general eligibility) is AU$595, or AU$85 if you hold an eligible Pensioner Concession Card. The minimum requirements for citizenship by conferral are set out below. These requirements apply to most applications; however please note that depending upon your particular circumstances, you may be subject to other criteria:

Citizenship entitlements

As an Australian citizen, you are eligible for certain entitlements too.

You can:

  • apply for an Australian passport
  • leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want
  • ask for help from an Australian consulate if in trouble overseas
  • vote in federal, state or territory elections
  • vote in a Constitutional referendum or plebiscite
  • seek election to parliament, if you are aged 18 years or over and are not dual citizen
  • register the birth of your children in another country as an Australian citizen
Citizenship responsibilities and privileges

As an Australian citizen, you have new responsibilities to:

  • behave in accordance with Australia’s democratic beliefs
  • respect the rights and liberties of all Australians
  • follow and obey the law
  • vote in federal and state or territory elections, and in referenda
  • defend Australia if necessary
  • serve on jury duty if summoned

There are 3 main ways to become an Australian citizen:

  • By birth: If you are born in Australia and one or both of your parents is an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia.
  • By descent: If you are the child of an Australian citizen but you are born overseas, you will generally be granted Australian citizenship.
  • By grant: If you are a non-citizen of Australia you can apply to become an Australian citizen (by conferral).
Am I eligible to apply for Australian Citizenship?

CITIZENSHIP BY CONFERRAL

For applicants who are permanent residents of Australia, and have lawfully resided in Australia for at least four years.

EACH applicant for citizenship by conferral must:

  • be a permanent resident of Australia (and have been a permanent resident for at least the last 12 months)

NOTE: If you are a New Zealand citizen living in Australia on a Special Category visa (SCV), since 1 July 2023 you are treated as a permanent resident for citizenship purposes and can apply directly once you meet the residence requirement. See the New Zealand citizens section below. Generally the residence requirements for Australian citizenship by conferral are:

  • have lawfully resided in Australia for at least the last 4 years
  • not have been outside Australia for more than a total of 1 year in the last 4 years (and no more than 90 days during the last 12 months)
  • be likely to reside in, or maintain a close and continuing connection with, Australia
  • if aged 18 years or older, be of good character

NOTE: As part of its assessment of your eligibility for citizenship, the Department of Home Affairs requires you to provide details of ALL overseas travel you have undertaken since you turned 18 years old.

If you are under 18, or 60 years of age or over, you are not required to sit the citizenship test. Under some circumstances you might be eligible for a variation to the residence requirement or be eligible under the special residence requirement.

Calculate your permanent residency

If you were granted a permanent resident visa before you arrived in Australia, your permanent residence date is the date that you arrived in Australia on that visa. If you were granted a permanent resident visa after you arrived in Australia, your permanent residence date will be the date that the visa was granted.

Fees

From 1 July 2026 the main citizenship application fees are:

Application Fee Concession fee
Conferral, general eligibility (sitting the citizenship test) AUD 595 AUD 85
Conferral, other situations (for example aged 60 or over, or not required to sit the test) AUD 365 AUD 40
Children under 16 included in a parent’s application Nil
Citizenship by descent AUD 380 (AUD 160 for each additional sibling)
Resumption of citizenship AUD 255
Evidence of Australian citizenship AUD 290

The concession fee is only available to the primary holder of a current Pensioner Concession Card (and dependants listed on it). Health Care Cards and Seniors Health Cards do not qualify. Fees are indexed each year on 1 July, and the fee you pay depends on the date you lodge.

Are you eligible for Australian Citizenship? Book a time to learn how to apply.

Am I eligible to apply for Australian Citizenship?

APPLICATION PROCESS

Stage 1: Lodgement of application
The first step is to lodge your citizenship application online, along with the supporting documents that show you meet the requirements (identity documents, your permanent visa details, and police certificates if required). Applicants over 18 must also have their identity confirmed by an eligible person.

Stage 2: Interview and citizenship test
Once the Department of Home Affairs is satisfied you may be eligible, you will be invited to an appointment where your original identity documents are checked and, if you are aged 18 to 59, you sit the citizenship test. The test is taken on a computer in English and has 20 multiple choice questions, which you have 45 minutes to answer. To pass you need at least 75% (15 correct answers), and you must answer all 5 questions about Australian values correctly. If you do not pass, you can sit the test again at no extra cost.

The questions are based on the testable section of the official resource book, Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, which covers Australia and its people, our democratic beliefs, rights and liberties, government and the law, and Australian values. You can practise with our citizenship practice test questions.

Stage 3: Decision and citizenship ceremony
After you pass the test and your application is approved, you will be invited to a citizenship ceremony, usually run by your local council. Waiting times vary between councils, and many approved applicants attend a ceremony within a few months of approval. At the ceremony you make the Australian Citizenship Pledge, which completes the process of becoming an Australian citizen. You do not become a citizen until you make the pledge, so do not travel on your old status assuming the process is finished. All eligible adult applicants must attend a citizenship ceremony, and there are very few exceptions to this requirement.

Reasons citizenship can be refused

The Department of Home Affairs may refuse an application for citizenship on the following criteria not satisfied:

  • Your identity cannot be established;
  • You represent a national security risk;
  • You are unable to satisfy the general or special residence requirements and you are not eligible for an exemption;
  • You have pending criminal matters or you are found not to be of good character; or
  • You have renounced your Australian citizenship within the last 12 months. This does not apply, however, if you are at risk of becoming stateless.

You may be able to apply for review of a refusal by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which replaced the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) on 14 October 2024. Apply within the specified timeframes indicated on your refusal letter.

Past changes to citizenship law (for reference)

The two legislative instruments below took effect on 1 January 2023 and still shape how some applications are assessed.

Australian Citizenship (Permanent Resident) Determination (LIN 22/103) 2022- F2022L01628determines that a New Zealand citizen, which has held a special category visa and who holds a Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent) visa in the New Zealand stream granted after 31 December 2021 and before 1 July 2023 is taken to have become a permanent resident on 1 January 2022. This arrangement applies to both primary and secondary visa holders. This arrangement does not apply to a person who is in Australia as a diplomatic or consular representative of New Zealand or a spouse or dependent child of a diplomatic or consular representative of New Zealand.

This change will enable affected New Zealand citizens to satisfy the general residence requirement set out in subsection 22(1) of the Act at an earlier point than they otherwise would. In some cases, a New Zealand citizen may be eligible to apply for Australian citizenship by conferral immediately after being granted a Subclass 189 visa in the New Zealand stream.

The instrument replaces IMMI 17/108 and substantially maintains the arrangements in that instrument.

The instrument commences on 1 January 2023.

Australian Citizenship Amendment (Translation Requirements for Applications) Regulations 2022 – F2022L01667 removes a duplicated requirement to provide English language translations as part of citizenship applications. The instrument repeals section 14 of the Citizenship Regulations which requires an applicant to provide an official English translation of any documents provided that are not in English. This requirement is maintained in the citizenship application form which must be completed in order to make an application under s 46 of the Citizenship Act. The removal of the duplication assists to remove confusion and streamlines the processing.

The instrument commences on 1 January 2023.

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Direct pathway to Australian citizenship for New Zealand citizens

Since 1 July 2023, New Zealand citizens who have been living in Australia for four years or more can apply directly for Australian citizenship. They no longer need to first apply for and be granted a permanent visa. This applies to New Zealand citizens holding a Special Category (subclass 444) visa (SCV), including those who arrived after 26 February 2001. Protected SCV holders also remain eligible to apply directly.

How it works:

  • All New Zealand citizens holding an SCV are treated as permanent residents for citizenship purposes.
  • If you were granted an SCV before 1 July 2022, your period of permanent residence for citizenship purposes counts from 1 July 2022.
  • If you were first granted an SCV on or after 1 July 2022, you are treated as a permanent resident for citizenship purposes from the date of that SCV grant.
  • You must still meet the four year residence requirement, including at least 12 months as an SCV holder or permanent resident immediately before you apply.

Usually, unless you have been granted another type of visa, when you arrive in Australia and present your New Zealand passport you are automatically granted a Special Category visa (subclass 444). It is a temporary visa that lets you stay and work in Australia. Other pathways and general information for New Zealanders in Australia are also available.

Citizenship ceremonies

Citizenship ceremonies are held in person, mostly by local councils, with larger ceremonies on Australia Day (26 January) and Australian Citizenship Day (17 September). Online ceremonies were used during the COVID-19 pandemic as a temporary measure. If you cannot attend your ceremony, you can ask to reschedule, see our citizenship appointment reschedule guide.

Most adults who became a permanent resident on or after 1 July 2007 must have been lawfully living in Australia for four years immediately before applying for citizenship. This includes at least 12 months as a permanent resident, absences from Australia of no more than 12 months in total, and no more than 90 days outside Australia in the 12 months before you apply.

The standard fee for an Australian citizenship by conferral is AUD 595 from 1 July 2026 (AUD 85 with an eligible Pensioner Concession Card)

Processing times change regularly and depend on how complete your application is, your appointment date and your local council. As a guide, many conferral applications take several months to a year from lodgement to decision, and you then wait for a ceremony date with your council. Lodging a complete application with clear identity documents is the best way to avoid delays.

Becoming a citizen by conferral is a common way to become an Australian citizen. If you are aged 60 or older you do not need to sit the citizenship test, and you apply as an “other situations” applicant, with a fee of AUD 365 from 1 July 2026. You still need to meet the residence and character requirements and understand the nature of your application.

Subclass 838 (Aged Dependent Relative visa) is permanent visa and lets a single older person stay in Australia if they rely on a relative living in Australia for financial support. You must be sponsored by an eligible relative or a relative’s partner.

Australia has specific age limits for different Migration Programs, and understanding these requirements can help you plan your immigration journey. Visa options after turning 45 can be seen here.

​​​​​​​​​​​​​The Retirement visa (subclass 410) is designed for retirees and their partners (if any) who want to spend some of their retirement years in Australia however it is closed to new applicants.

You may already be an Australian citizen and eligible for Evidence of Australian citizenship if you were born in Australia: and have been ordinarily resident in Australia throughout the first 10 years from your birth.

The test has 20 multiple choice questions in English, and you have 45 minutes to answer them. You need to score at least 75% (15 out of 20) and answer all 5 Australian values questions correctly. The questions come from the testable section of Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond. Try our citizenship practice test questions.

Yes, but make sure your permanent visa still has a valid travel facility, or you may need a Resident Return visa to come back. You also need to be in Australia for your appointment and your ceremony. Read more about leaving Australia before your citizenship application is finalised.

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