How to Get Australia CitizenshipKey facts
- Residence for naturalisation
- 4 years
- Language
- Test or certificate
- Dual citizenship
- Accepted
- Civic test
- Required, with a test or certificate
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
- Income condition
- No income condition in the law
- Dual citizenship in detail
- Accepted in both directionsNew citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship.Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship.
- Available routes
- Region
- Oceania
- Law in force as of
- 1 January 2024
- Last checked
- Not yet checked by our team
The rule text in the sections below was coded for the law on 1 January 2024. A November 2026 search found no later change for this country, but this has not been verified.
Naturalisation (residence)
This route covers foreign residents who seek citizenship after living in Australia, subject to the conditions below. Australia allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
- Residence
- 4 years
Person must have been lawfully resident in Australia for 4 years immediately prior to making the application and holding permanent resident status for the last 12 months of that period. Minister must be satisfied that the person is likely to reside, or to continue to reside, in Australia or to maintain a close and continuing association with Australia.
- Previous citizenship
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Language
- Required, with a test or certificate
Person is required to sit a citizenship test (English language skills and knowledge about Australia and Australian citizenship).
- Civic knowledge
- Required, with a test or certificate
Person is required to sit a citizenship test (English language skills and knowledge about Australia and Australian citizenship).
- Criminal record
- A criminal record or good character condition applies
Person must be of good character at the time of the Minister's decision.
- Income or economic resources
- No income condition in the law
Descent (citizen parent)
Descent from a citizen parent is the basis of this route in Australia.
Descent (born in country)
Person is born in Australia to a citizen or permanent resident (with exceptions for birth to an enemy alien in occupied territory).
Descent (born abroad)
Person is born abroad to a citizen. Only requirement for applying to become a citizen is that a responsible parent be a citizen at time of birth and that, if aged over 18, the person is of good character. If the parent was a citizen by descent or by overseas adoption by a citizen then, unless the person was never a citizen of another country, the parent must have spent a total of 2 years in Australia at any time before application for citizenship.
Birth in the country
For people born in Australia, the rules below show when birth there leads to citizenship. No authority decides this matter, since citizenship follows directly from the law of Australia.
Birth in country
Person is born in Australia to parent with permanent residence status.
Birth in country (acquisition after birth)
Person must be 'ordinarily resident' (as defined in AUS 3.) in Australia throughout the period of 10 years from birth.
Adoption
Adoption by a citizen of Australia is the basis of this route.
Person is adopted under a law in force in a State or Territory of Australia by a citizen present in Australia as a permanent resident at that time.
Person is adopted in accordance with the Hague Convention on Intercountry Adoption or a bilateral agreement by a citizen present in Australia for a total period of at least 2 years at any time before the person made the application.
Other family members of citizens
For certain relatives of citizens, former citizens or new citizens of Australia, the rules below set out what applies.
Transfer from former citizen
Person is born outside of Australia and is the child of a former Australian citizen who lost his/her citizenship under pre-2002 provisions which provided for loss of citizenship on acquisition of another citizenship.
Transfer from deceased citizen
Person is the child of a deceased citizen who died before the birth.
Former citizens (reacquisition)
For former citizens of Australia, the rules below show when citizenship can be reacquired. Australia allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
Person is eligible to become a citizen again if s/he ceased to be a citizen through renunciation in order to acquire or retain the citizenship of a foreign country or to avoid suffering significant hardship or detriment. Resumption provisions also apply to a child who lost his or her own citizenship as a result of his or her parent(s) ceasing to be citizens for the above reasons.
Citizens of specific countries
Holding the citizenship of a particular country is the basis of this route in Australia. Australia allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
Person satisfies the Minister that she or he was born in Papua before 16 September 1975 to a citizen born in Australia (as that term is understood at the time of the application) and is of good character.
Stateless persons
This route covers stateless people and children who would otherwise be stateless, subject to the conditions below.
Foundlings
Person is found in Australia as a child whose parents are unknown.
Otherwise stateless (born in country)
Person has never been the national or citizen of any other country, and is 'not entitled to acquire' the nationality or citizenship of a foreign country.
Special achievements
Special achievements, or a national interest in granting citizenship, are the basis of this route in Australia. Australia allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
Person is employed by the Commonwealth government in a position that requires a security clearance as high or higher than the nominated level, or participates in an Australian team in certain competitions, or is engaged in 'particular kinds of work requiring regular travel outside Australia'. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation (but at variance with the standard naturalisation requirements, provision is made for 'special' i.e. less onerous, residence requirements for those seeking to engage in an activity of benefit to Australia, where the person needs to be an Australian citizen to engage in that activity and there is insufficient time for that person to comply with the general residence requirements).
Public or military service
For people with public or military service for Australia, the rules below set out what applies. Australia allows authorities to refuse an application, even where conditions have been met.
Person has performed a 'relevant defence service'. Other conditions: see the rules for ordinary naturalisation (except that provision is made for 'special' i.e. less onerous, residence requirements).
Not available in Australia: Marriage or civil partnership, Child of a new citizen, Ethnic or cultural affinity, Residence during childhood, Very long residence, Refugees, Investment. This follows the GLOBALCIT coding, with in-force changes applied.
Dual citizenship
Dual citizenship is accepted in Australia for new citizens and for citizens who naturalise abroad.
- New citizens
- New citizens do not have to give up their previous citizenship
- Citizens who naturalise abroad
- Citizens who naturalise abroad keep their citizenship
Compare with neighbours
Under the law of Australia, 4 years applies, which is shorter than the usual 5 years seen in Oceania.
Check where Australia sits in the full residence ranking
| Country | Residence | Language | Dual citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|
 Fiji | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Kiribati | 7 years | Required, no test | Not accepted |
 New Zealand | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Samoa | 5 years | None | Accepted |
 Tonga | 5 years | Required, no test | Accepted |
 Tuvalu | 7 years | None | Accepted |
Official sources
This page was located by search and has not yet been checked by our team.
Naturalisation provisions: Nationality law: Art. 21-24.
Cite this page
TravelDecl. (n.d.). How to Get Australia Citizenship. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/australia/
<a href="https://traveldecl.com/citizenship/australia/">How to Get Australia Citizenship</a> (TravelDecl, retrieved 5 November 2026)
Sources and licence
Vink, van der Baaren, Bauböck, Džankić, Honohan, Manby (2025). GLOBALCIT Citizenship Law Dataset v3.1. Global Citizenship Observatory, https://hdl.handle.net/1814/73190. CC BY 4.0. Modified by TravelDecl.
Modified by TravelDecl: updated with changes after 1 January 2024.
GLOBALCIT codes the law as written. Fees, processing times, quotas and how officials apply the rules in practice are not in this dataset: check them with the official authority.
FAQ
How many years to become an Australian citizen?
Ordinary naturalisation in Australia requires 4 years of residence, plus the other conditions in the law.
Does Australia allow dual citizenship?
Yes. Australia accepts dual citizenship in both directions, as coded in the data.
Do I need a language test for Australian citizenship?
A language test or certificate forms part of the requirements for Australian citizenship.
Is there a civic knowledge test for Australian citizenship?
Applicants must pass a civic knowledge test or present a certificate for Australian citizenship.
Do I have to give up my current citizenship to get Australian citizenship?
Australia does not require you to give up your current citizenship for Australian citizenship. The law of your current country may have its own rules on this.
Can I get Australia citizenship by marriage?
No separate marriage route is coded for Australia. Other routes on this page may still apply to a spouse.
Can I get Australia citizenship by descent?
Yes, Australia has a descent route. Procedure: automatic, discretionary.
Can I get Australia citizenship by investment?
No. The data codes no citizenship-by-investment route for Australia.
Related pages
Also see: Australia passport, visa-free access and entry rules. Latest law changes.
Corrections to this page are handled by Sarah Kim, Fact-Checker.