Australian Citizenship Guide: Pathways, Residence Requirements, Test & Fees

Last checked: June 2026. Refer to the Department of Home Affairs for the authoritative position.

Once you hold permanent residency (PR), you can apply to become an Australian citizen after meeting residence and other conditions. The most common route is citizenship by conferral; there are also citizenship by birth, citizenship by descent, and other situations. This page lays out the current 2025-26 rules to help you work out when you qualify, what to prepare, and roughly how much it costs and how long it takes.

1. Overview of citizenship pathways

There are four main categories; the vast majority of PR holders take the first (conferral):

Citizenship by conferral: a permanent resident applies once they meet the residence requirement, passes the citizenship test (some groups are exempt), and makes the pledge at a citizenship ceremony.
Citizenship by birth: a child born in Australia automatically becomes a citizen if at least one parent was a citizen or PR at the time of birth; if neither parent was a citizen/PR, the child usually acquires citizenship automatically on their 10th birthday, provided they have ordinarily resided in Australia since birth.
Citizenship by descent: a person born outside Australia, where at least one parent was an Australian citizen at the time of birth, can apply (you must apply; it is not automatic).
Other situations: special channels for stateless persons, children of former citizens, adoption, etc., using forms such as Form 1290.

Official pathway overview: Home Affairs — Become an Australian citizen

2. General residence requirement

This is the most critical step for a PR holder applying for citizenship, and the one people most often get stuck on. Counting back from the date you apply, you must meet all of the following:

In the 4 years before lodging, you have lawfully lived in Australia on a valid Australian visa (this can be a mix of temporary and permanent visas);
and in the last 12 months before lodging, you have held a permanent visa (or the Special Category Visa SCV 444 held by New Zealand citizens);
Absence limits: total time outside Australia in the 4 years must be no more than 12 months; and in the last 12 months, absences must be no more than 90 days.

Days of residence are calculated by Home Affairs from the movement records in its system, and the system data prevails at lodgement. We strongly recommend using the official Residence Calculator first to check whether you qualify: Home Affairs — Residence Calculator.

Detail on the PR residence requirement (conferral eligibility page): Home Affairs — Become a citizen (permanent resident)

Common misconception: "a full year" from the day you got PR only satisfies the second condition above; if you spent long periods outside Australia in the past 4 years (more than 12 months in total), you may still fall short. Special exemptions (such as a spouse who is a citizen, or certain occupations working overseas) are assessed case by case; rely on official sources and a registered agent.

3. Citizenship test and interview

Conferral applicants aged 18 to 59 generally must pass the Citizenship Test (different rules or exemptions apply to those aged 16/17, 60 and over, etc.). Key points:

20 multiple-choice questions, with a 45-minute time limit, entirely in English;
you must score at least 75% (15 of 20 correct);
all 5 "Australian values" questions must be answered correctly (5/5), otherwise you fail even if your overall score is high enough;
all questions come from the official study guide "Australian Citizenship — Our Common Bond", which can be downloaded free and used alongside the official practice test.

At the interview, Home Affairs verifies your identity and documents and confirms you understand the responsibilities and commitments of citizenship. After you pass the test, Home Affairs continues processing your application.

Test rules: Home Affairs — Learn about the citizenship test · Official practice test: Citizenship practice test

4. Citizenship ceremony (the pledge)

Once your application is approved, most people must attend a citizenship ceremony and make the Australian Citizenship Pledge; you only become an Australian citizen once the pledge is made. Ceremonies are organised by your local council, and wait times depend on local demand; Home Affairs usually sends the invitation around 4 weeks before the ceremony. Where no ceremony is required (e.g. some descent or minor cases), the certificate is sent by registered post.

Ceremony and wait times: Home Affairs — Ceremony wait times

5. Children and citizenship by birth

Born in Australia with at least one parent a citizen or PR at the time of birth: automatically a citizen.
Born in Australia with neither parent a citizen/PR: usually acquires citizenship automatically on the 10th birthday, provided the child has ordinarily resided in Australia since birth.
Born overseas with at least one parent an Australian citizen at the time of birth: can apply for citizenship by descent (you must apply; descent is usually processed faster).
A child under 16 applying with a parent can be included as a dependant in the parent's conferral application.

Citizenship by descent: Home Affairs — Citizenship by descent

6. Dual citizenship

Australia allows dual (and multiple) citizenship — you can keep your original nationality while becoming an Australian citizen, provided the other country's law also allows it (for example, mainland China does not recognise dual citizenship, so becoming an Australian citizen usually means automatically losing Chinese nationality; always assess this against your own country's law). Note: under section 44 of the Constitution, dual citizens generally cannot be elected to the Australian federal Parliament.

Official information: Home Affairs — Australian citizenship

7. Fees and processing times

The following are current 2025-26 reference figures (fees are indexed from July 2025; ImmiAccount automatically charges the rate applicable on the day you lodge):

Citizenship by conferral (Form 1300t) application fee: about AUD 575; eligible applicants (e.g. holders of a Pensioner Concession Card) may pay a concession fee of about AUD 80.
Processing times: figures for conferral vary by source, but roughly 90% of applications are decided within about 14–17 months, after which you wait around 6 months for the ceremony; descent is usually faster (90% in about 4 months).

Rely on the latest official figures: the application fee may change each July, and Home Affairs updates processing times monthly; they also vary case by case. Check the official processing-times and fees pages before you lodge.

Official processing times: Home Affairs — Citizenship processing times · Application form 1300t: Form 1300t (PDF)

From PR to citizenship: related visas and tools

Citizenship requires PR first. If you are still planning your permanent residence pathway, start with the common PR visas and our tools:

Skilled Independent subclass 189, state-nominated subclass 190, regional permanent subclass 191, and employer-sponsored permanent subclass 186.
To see your overall pathway, try the migration pathway planner, or read the PR pathways overview guide.
To check fees and processing times, use the cost estimator and processing-time lookup.
For more public data, see the Data Centre.

This site is an information guide and does not constitute migration agent (MARA) advice; for application decisions, refer to the official information from the Department of Home Affairs, or consult a registered migration agent (OMARA registered).