Australian Citizenship Requirements

Australian Citizenship by Birth

Eligibility Criteria for Australian Citizenship Applications are assessed more rigorously than other types of applications as the grant of Australian citizenship is considered a privilege.

Please contact ANVS if you would like more information on Australian Citizenship Requirements. or applications.

Australian Citizenship may be granted automatically where:

You are born in Australia and have a parent who is an Australian Citizen or Permanent Resident at the time of your birth, or
You are born in Australia and have been ordinarily resident in Australia for the next 10 years, or
You are adopted by a person who is an Australian Citizen and who is present in Australia as a Permanent Resident at that time.

Australian Citizenship by Conferral

You may apply to be granted Australian Citizenship in the following circumstances:

You are born outside Australia and one or both of your parents were Australian Citizens when you were born, or
You were adopted outside Australia in accordance with the Hague Convention and at least one of your parents is an Australian Citizen, or
You satisfy all of the following requirements for Citizenship by Conferral:
- You are 18 years or older, and
- have not been unlawful in Australia at any time in the 4 years before making application, and
- You have held Australian Permanent Residence for at least 12 months, and
- You have lived in Australia for at least 9 of the 12 months before you make application and have not been absent from Australia for more than 12 months in the last 4 years, and
- You have been lawfully resident in Australia for at least 4 years, and
- You are of good character, have a basic knowledge of the English language and have sat the citizenship test, and
- you intend to reside in Australia or maintain a close and continuing relationship with Australia.

Dual Citizenship

Effective from 4 April 2002, there are no restrictions (under Australian law) on Australians holding citizenship from other countries.

As a matter of practicality, all Australian citizens are required to use an Australian passport when entering and leaving Australia. There are restrictions on being an Australian Parliamentarian where dual citizenship is held.

New Zealand Citizens

New Zealand citizens arriving after February 2001 are required to apply for and obtain Australian permanent resident status before becoming eligible for Australian citizenship.

Children born in Australia before 27 February 2001 to New Zealand parents have generally been Australian citizens by birth. There is an exception to this for those born between 20 August 1986 and 31 August 1994 who do not acquire Australian citizenship by birth.

In addition, a child born in Australia to two parents who are New Zealand citizens by descent is entitled to Australian citizenship. This is because under New Zealand nationality law, New Zealand citizens by descent cannot pass on New Zealand citizenship by descent, therefore rendering the child otherwise stateless.

Children born in Australia to New Zealand parents automatically acquire Australian citizenship on their 10th birthday, if ordinarily resident in Australia until age 10, if they had not already acquired Australian citizenship by birth or naturalisation.