For most migrants, Australian citizenship is the last step after permanent residence. It is also the step with the clearest rules: a residence requirement you can calculate to the day, a fixed fee, and a test with a published pass mark. This guide covers citizenship by conferral under the general eligibility rules, based on what the Department of Home Affairs publishes today.
Who this guide is for
This is for permanent residents aged 18 to 59, and New Zealand citizens holding a Special Category (subclass 444) visa, who are treated as permanent residents for citizenship purposes. Different rules apply if you are 60 or older, aged 16 or 17, a child applying alone, have a permanent incapacity, or qualify under a special residence requirement.
You must be a permanent resident (or SCV holder) both when you apply and when Home Affairs decides, and in most cases you must be in Australia at decision time.
The residence requirement
The general residence requirement has three parts. On the day you apply you must:
- have been living in Australia on a valid visa for 4 years immediately before that day;
- have held a permanent visa (or SCV) for the last 12 months of those 4 years; and
- not have been absent for more than 12 months in total in the 4 years, including no more than 90 days in the final 12 months.
Time on temporary visas counts towards the 4 years, as long as you were living in Australia on a valid visa. Your permanent residence starts on the date the permanent visa was granted if you were in Australia, or the date you first entered Australia on it if you were overseas.
Example
You arrived on a student visa on 1 October 2022, moved to a graduate visa, and were granted permanent residence in Australia on 1 February 2026. On 1 October 2026 you will have 4 years on valid visas, but only 8 months as a permanent resident. The earliest you can apply is 1 February 2027 — 12 months after the PR grant — and only if your absences still fit the limits on that date.
Children under 16 do not have to meet the residence requirement but must be permanent residents. Ministerial discretion can help in limited cases — for example, time spent overseas as the spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen can sometimes be treated as time in Australia — but it cannot be assessed until you apply, and you need evidence.
Counting absences
The absence limits trip up more applicants than anything else. Two rules apply at once:
- Total days outside Australia across the whole 4-year window must be 12 months or less.
- Days outside Australia in the 12 months immediately before applying must be 90 or fewer.
Because the window is measured back from the day you apply, moving your application date forwards or backwards changes which trips fall inside it. Home Affairs provides a free Residence Calculator for this.
Tip: run the Residence Calculator on the exact date you plan to lodge. A long holiday in the final year can push you past 90 days even when your 4-year total looks fine.
Other requirements
- Good character if you are 18 or over. Home Affairs may consider criminal convictions and other conduct, and may ask for overseas penal clearance certificates for countries you lived in or travelled to since turning 18.
- Identity from birth. You give three documents that together show your birth name, date of birth and sex, a photograph, a signature and your current address. If Home Affairs is not satisfied of your identity, it cannot approve the application.
- Knowledge and English, usually shown by passing the citizenship test.
- A close and continuing link — you must be likely to live in Australia, or keep a close and continuing link with Australia if you are overseas.
The citizenship test
Most applicants aged 18 to 59 on the day Home Affairs receives their application sit the test. It is included in the application fee.
- 20 multiple-choice questions on a computer or tablet, in 45 minutes.
- To pass you must answer all 5 Australian values questions correctly and score at least 15/20 (75%) overall.
- Everything tested is in the official booklet Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond. Home Affairs says it does not endorse paid apps or courses and offers a free practice test.
- An Assisted Test gives 90 minutes instead of 45 for eligible people, such as those who have completed at least 400 hours of Adult Migrant English Program tuition or have a relevant impairment.
- If you fail, another appointment is booked at no extra cost and your visa is not affected. After three appointments without a pass, the application may be refused.
Bring original photo ID (a passport or Australian driver licence, for example) and your appointment letter. Certified copies or photos of your ID are not accepted, and without it your appointment will be moved.
How to apply, step by step
- Check eligibility with the Residence Calculator on your intended lodgement date.
- Prepare documents: identity documents, a photo, character documents and any evidence for exemptions or discretion.
- Apply and pay online in ImmiAccount. A dependent child 15 or younger can be included on a parent's form at no cost; 16- and 17-year-olds must apply separately.
- Attend your appointment to confirm identity and sit the test (or an interview if you are exempt from the test). The wait for an appointment can be several months.
- Wait for the decision, and tell Home Affairs if your circumstances change. A refusal can usually be reviewed by the Administrative Review Tribunal.
- Attend a ceremony and make the pledge.
Fees
From Home Affairs Form 1298i (July 2026 edition):
- General eligibility (Form 1300t): AUD595.
- Concession fee: AUD85, only for holders of a valid Australian Government Pensioner Concession Card listed as the primary cardholder (or a dependant aged 17 or younger). Health Care Cards and Senior Health Cards do not qualify.
- Children under 16 on the same form as a responsible parent: no fee.
- Fee exemptions (for example, certain former child migrants and people with at least 90 days in the permanent Defence forces) require a paper application.
Fees are indexed to the consumer price index on 1 July each year, so check Form 1298i before you pay. A payment surcharge may also apply.
Processing and ceremony times
Home Affairs publishes processing times for citizenship by conferral:
| Stage | 50% of applications | 90% of applications |
|---|---|---|
| Application to decision | 47 days | 5 months |
| Approval to ceremony | 4 months | 6 months |
| Application to ceremony | 7 months | 12 months |
These are guides based on recently finalised applications, not promises. Incomplete applications, slow responses to requests and character or national security checks all add time. Home Affairs will not give updates while you are within the published timeframe.
The ceremony and pledge
For most people, making the pledge of commitment is a legal requirement, and you do not become a citizen until you make it. Ceremonies are usually run by local councils. You receive an invitation about four weeks before and cannot choose the date or place. Your citizenship certificate is handed over at the ceremony.
Important: if you do not attend a ceremony within 12 months of approval and cannot give an acceptable reason with evidence, Home Affairs may cancel the approval. Avoid long trips that could stop you attending until you have made the pledge.
Children under 16 included in your application become citizens at the same time as you and do not have to make the pledge.
Common mistakes
- Applying the day you reach 4 years without checking the 90-day limit in the final year.
- Counting from the wrong PR date. If you were overseas at grant, residence starts when you first enter Australia on the permanent visa.
- Forgetting gaps without a valid visa. Only time on a valid visa counts, unless the Minister applies a discretion (for example, for an administrative error).
- Paying for unofficial test prep instead of using the free official booklet and practice test.
- Travelling long-term after approval and missing the ceremony window.
Still on the way to PR? See how to get Australian PR, our partner visa guide, and the parent visa comparison.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I need to be a permanent resident before applying for Australian citizenship?
Under the general residence requirement you must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for 4 years immediately before you apply, including 12 months as a permanent resident. Your absences in those 4 years must total no more than 12 months, and no more than 90 days in the final 12 months.
Does time on a temporary visa count towards citizenship?
Yes, time living in Australia on a valid temporary visa counts towards the 4 years, as long as the last 12 months before you apply are on a permanent visa (or a Special Category visa for New Zealand citizens).
How much does Australian citizenship cost in 2026?
The general eligibility application (Form 1300t) costs AUD595. A concession fee of AUD85 applies to eligible Pensioner Concession Card holders, and there is no fee for children 15 or younger on a parent's application. Fees are indexed every 1 July.
What is the pass mark for the Australian citizenship test?
You must answer all 5 Australian values questions correctly and score at least 15 out of 20 (75%) overall. You have 45 minutes. If you fail, another appointment is booked at no extra cost, but the application may be refused if you do not pass after three appointments.
How long does Australian citizenship take?
As at the latest Home Affairs figures, 90% of conferral applications are decided within 5 months, and 90% of approved applicants get the chance to attend a ceremony within 6 months of approval. From application to ceremony, 90% take up to 12 months.
Do I have to attend a citizenship ceremony?
Most people who apply by conferral must make the pledge of commitment at a ceremony, and only become citizens once they do. Children under 16 do not have to. If you do not attend within 12 months of approval without an acceptable reason, the approval may be cancelled.
Sources
Checked on 30 September 2026:
- Home Affairs – Become a citizen: permanent resident
- Home Affairs – Residence Calculator
- Home Affairs – Learn about the citizenship test
- Home Affairs – Form 1298i Citizenship application fees (PDF)
- Home Affairs – Citizenship processing times
- Home Affairs – Citizenship ceremony
Disclaimer
This article is for general information purposes only. Citizenship rules, fees and processing times change, and fees are indexed every 1 July. The information in this guide was checked against official sources on 30 September 2026 but may not reflect later changes. Nothing in this article is legal advice or migration advice. Always check the official Department of Home Affairs website at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au. For advice about your situation, speak to a Registered Migration Agent (MARA) or a qualified migration lawyer.