How to Apply for Australian Citizenship: Step by Step

Step 1: Check you meet the eligibility rules

Before you spend anything, make sure you qualify. For most people the pathway is citizenship by conferral, which applies to permanent residents and eligible New Zealand citizens. There are three things the Department of Home Affairs has to be satisfied about: residence, character, and your intention to stay connected to Australia. For the full set of rules, see who is eligible in our guide to the Australian citizenship requirements.

The general residence requirement

This is the rule that trips most people up, so check the dates carefully. To meet the general residence requirement, the day before you apply you must:

• have been living in Australia on a valid visa for the 4 years immediately before the day you apply
• have held a permanent visa, or a Special Category (subclass 444) visa, for the last 12 months immediately before the day you apply
• not have been absent from Australia for more than 12 months in total in those 4 years, including no more than 90 days in total in the 12 months immediately before you apply

Those limits are firm, and absences add up across the whole period rather than per trip. If you are close to a threshold, run your travel history through the official residence calculator before lodging. Some people, including spouses of citizens living overseas and applicants in defined occupations, can meet a different test, so read the full permanent resident eligibility page if your case is unusual. These rules are current as at June 2026.

Character and intention to reside

If you are 18 or over you must be of good character, which Home Affairs describes as the enduring moral qualities of a person. They look at your record in Australia and overseas, so if you have lived in another country for 12 months or more since turning 18 you will usually need a penal clearance certificate from that country. You also have to show you intend to live in Australia or keep a close and continuing link with it. For most applicants that is straightforward; if you spend long stretches overseas, be ready to explain it.

Step 2: Gather your documents

The Department assesses your identity from birth to the present, so collecting documents is usually the slowest part of getting ready. Have these to hand before you open the online form:

• a full birth certificate that shows your parents' names (if you cannot get one, the Department lists alternatives)
• a current or expired passport or travel document covering your time in Australia
• proof of any change of name, such as a marriage certificate or change of name certificate
• a recent passport-style photograph of yourself, and one of each child included in the application
• documents that support your residence, for example visa grant notices and travel records

Scan the original of each document. You attach a document only once, even if it proves more than one thing. Getting identity right matters: if Home Affairs is not satisfied of who you are, it cannot approve the application.

Step 3: Lodge the application in ImmiAccount

Most people aged 18 to 59 apply online. The flow is the same whether you are a single applicant or including children.

1. Create or sign in to ImmiAccount. You need an email address and a mobile phone for security codes. The official ImmiAccount guidance walks through setting it up, and the myGov how-to-apply page links the same process.
2. Start a new citizenship application. Choose citizenship by conferral and work through Form 1300t. Save as you go; you do not have to finish in one sitting.
3. Attach your documents. The form lists exactly what to upload for you, any children, and a responsible parent if one applies. Double-check names and dates against your documents before moving on.
4. Pay the fee and submit. The general eligibility fee is $575, paid at this point. Once you submit, you get a confirmation and the application moves into processing.

You cannot apply online if you are claiming a fee exemption, and a few other situations need a paper form. If you apply on paper, you still pay through the My Payments section of ImmiAccount.

What the application costs

There is no separate charge for the test; it is part of the conferral application. The fees below come straight from the Department's citizenship application fees schedule (Form 1298i), current as at June 2026. They are indexed to the consumer price index on 1 July each year, so confirm the amount on the day you apply.

• General eligibility (Form 1300t): $575. The standard conferral fee for most permanent residents.
• Concession: $80. If you hold a valid Australian Government Pensioner Concession Card.
• Child 15 or younger on a parent's form: no fee.

Step 4: The test and interview stage

Once your file is far enough along, the Department invites you to a test and interview appointment. The invitation arrives by post or in your ImmiAccount and sets the date, time and location. You do not book this yourself.

Most applicants aged 18 to 59 sit the Australian citizenship test: 20 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, with a 75% pass mark and all 5 Australian values questions correct. You sit it on a computer at a Home Affairs office and get your result on the spot. Exempt applicants (under 18, 60 or over, or with a qualifying incapacity) skip the test but still attend an interview to confirm their identity.

The smart move is to prepare during the processing wait rather than after the invitation lands. Our free practice tests mirror the real format, and the free study guide covers every section the questions come from.

Step 5: Approval and the citizenship ceremony

After you pass and the remaining checks are done, you receive an approval notice. You are approved, but not yet a citizen. For almost everyone the final step is making the pledge of commitment at a citizenship ceremony, and you receive your citizenship certificate once you make the pledge. You generally have to make the pledge within 12 months of approval, or the approval can be cancelled.

Ceremonies are run by local councils, which is why the wait varies. Some councils hold them most months; others a few times a year, often with a larger event around Australia Day. We track the official figures in detail in our guide to citizenship processing times.

A realistic timeline

The figures below are the official Home Affairs processing times for citizenship by conferral, current at 30 April 2026. They describe the whole caseload as percentiles, not a promise about your file. Use the 50% row as a middle estimate and the 90% row to plan around.