Australian Citizenship by Conferral 2026: Eligibility, the Residence Requirement, the $595 Fee and How Long It Takes

Australian citizenship by conferral is a common way for permanent residents to become citizens: you apply, sit the citizenship test in most cases, and make the pledge at a ceremony. To apply you must be a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen on a Special Category (subclass 444) visa, and meet the general residence requirement. That means 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, including the last 12 months as a permanent resident, with limits on time overseas.

Applying costs $595 for an adult. Children aged 15 or younger on a parent's form are free. Right now, 90% of conferral applications are decided within 5 months.

Dates matter here. The residence rule counts back from the day you apply, so the date you lodge matters as much as the date you got your visa.

The general residence requirement

When you apply, all three of these must be true:

• 4 years living in Australia. You've been living in Australia on a valid visa for the 4 years immediately before the day you apply.
• 12 months as a permanent resident. You've held a permanent visa, or an SCV, for the last 12 months immediately before the day you apply.
• Limited absences. You haven't been outside Australia for more than 12 months in total in those 4 years, and no more than 90 days in total in the 12 months immediately before you apply.

Your permanent residence starts on the date the permanent visa was granted while you were in Australia, or the date you first entered Australia on it. Home Affairs' Residence Calculator works this out from your travel dates.

Worked example: an applicant arrived in Australia on a temporary visa on 1 March 2023 and was granted a permanent visa in Australia on 1 March 2025. Their earliest eligible date is 1 March 2027. That holds only if they spent no more than 12 months outside Australia between 1 March 2023 and 1 March 2027, and no more than 90 days between 1 March 2026 and 1 March 2027.

Long trips move the date. Time away of more than 90 days in the final year doesn't end your eligibility, but it pushes back the first day you can apply, because the 90 days are counted in the 12 months before the day you lodge.

Who else can apply, and who's exempt

Children under 16 don't need to meet the general residence requirement, but they must be permanent residents. A parent can include a child aged 15 or younger on the same form at no extra cost. A 16 or 17 year old can't be included and must apply separately. Different rules apply to applicants aged 60 or over, and to people with an incapacity or impairment.

Some people are exempt from the residence requirement altogether, including:

• applicants under 16
• people born to a former Australian citizen who lost citizenship before 4 April 2002
• people born in Papua before 16 September 1975 to a parent born in Australia who was an Australian citizen at the time

Certain Australian Defence Force members and their families can also be exempt. These exemptions need documents supporting the claim, lodged with the application.

New Zealand citizens

A New Zealand citizen holding an SCV is treated as a permanent resident for citizenship purposes. If you were granted an SCV before 1 July 2022, the Department treats you as a permanent resident from 1 July 2022, and you've been able to apply since 1 July 2023. Where your first SCV was granted on or after 1 July 2022, you're treated as a permanent resident from that grant date.

You must still meet the general residence requirement. That means 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, with no more than 12 months away in that time and no more than 90 days in the last 12 months.

Different dates apply to New Zealand citizens holding a New Zealand stream Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa. If the visa was granted on or after 1 January 2023, you can apply from the grant date, without first holding it for 12 months. For a visa granted during 2022, the Department treats permanent residence as starting on 1 January 2022.

Character, the test and the ceremony

Some applicants don't sit the test but have an interview instead, to confirm their identity and show they understand the application. After approval, you usually become a citizen by making the pledge of commitment at a ceremony. Invitations generally arrive about four weeks before. If you don't need to make the pledge, you become a citizen on the day the application is approved, and the certificate is posted to you.

If the Department refuses your application, you can ask the Administrative Review Tribunal to review it. Your refusal letter gives the reasons and the time limit.

What it costs and how long it takes

Concessions are narrow. They cover only a holder of a valid Pensioner Concession Card issued by Services Australia or the Department of Veterans' Affairs who is the primary cardholder, or a dependant aged 17 or under listed on it. Health Care Cards, Student Cards and Senior Health Cards don't qualify. Fees are indexed each 1 July, and a payment surcharge may apply.

As at 11 November 2026, the Department's figures for conferral applications are:

• Application to decision: 90% within 5 months, and 50% within 42 days.
• Approval to ceremony: 90% of approved applicants have the opportunity to attend a ceremony within 6 months.
• Application to ceremony: 90% within 11 months.

They're a guide only. Ceremony wait times also depend on where you live.

Before you lodge, gather what the Department asks for: original police certificates, and three identity documents that together show your birth name, date of birth and sex, photograph, signature and current address. Lodge each document once, even if it proves more than one thing. Planning travel? Check your dates against the 90-day rule first. And plan to be in Australia when the decision is made.

FAQ

How much does it cost to apply for Australian citizenship?

A general eligibility application for Australian citizenship by conferral costs $595. A concession fee of $85 applies to eligible Pensioner Concession Card holders. There's no fee for a child under 16 on the same form as a responsible parent. Fees are indexed each 1 July, and a payment surcharge may apply.

How long after receiving permanent residency can I apply for citizenship?

At least 12 months, and you must also have lived in Australia on a valid visa for the 4 years before you apply. Absences can't exceed 12 months in total over those 4 years, or 90 days in the final 12 months. Someone who had already lived here for 3 years on temporary visas can apply 12 months after becoming a permanent resident.

Can I apply for citizenship after 2 years of PR?

Yes, if you meet the general residence requirement on the day you apply. The rule asks for 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, including at least the last 12 months as a permanent resident, within the absence limits. Two years as a permanent resident is enough if your total time living here on visas reaches 4 years.

How long will it take to get Australian citizenship?

The Department currently decides 90% of conferral applications within 5 months, and half within 42 days. After approval, 90% of approved applicants have the opportunity to attend a ceremony within 6 months. From application to ceremony, 90% take up to 11 months. The Department says these figures are a guide only.

What documents do I need to apply for Australian citizenship?

Original police certificates, and three identity documents that together show your birth name, date of birth and sex, photograph, signature and current residential address, such as a full birth certificate. Online applications use scans of the originals. You give each document once, and include everything requested when you lodge.

Can a New Zealand citizen apply for Australian citizenship?

Yes. A New Zealand citizen holding a Special Category (subclass 444) visa is treated as a permanent resident for citizenship purposes. If the SCV was granted before 1 July 2022, permanent residence counts from 1 July 2022. The general residence requirement still applies: 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, within the absence limits.

What does citizenship by conferral mean?

It means becoming an Australian citizen by applying for it, as distinct from being a citizen automatically, for example by birth, or by descent. It's a common way for permanent residents to become citizens. You apply, usually sit the citizenship test, and usually make the pledge of commitment at a citizenship ceremony.

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Not sure your travel dates leave you inside the residence rule, or whether a character issue affects your application? Book a consultation and we'll check your eligibility date before you pay the fee. If you're a permanent resident planning travel first, our guide to the Resident Return visa and travel facility explains how to keep your right to return, and our individuals and families service covers the rest.