Australia
Australian citizenship eligibility: the conditions and your first date
Check the conditions below, then enter your dates: the calculator gives the first day your residence allows an application.
Earliest date you can apply
You can apply today
On that date
| Four years of lawful residence | met |
| Permanent resident for 12 months | met |
| Days abroad in the period (35 / limit 365) | met |
| Days abroad in the last 12 months (0 / limit 90) | met |
To become an Australian citizen by conferral under the general eligibility rules, you must be a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen holding an eligible Special Category visa, both when you apply and when the department decides. You must meet the residence requirement: 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, the last 12 months as a permanent resident, at most 365 days away in total and 90 days in the last year. You must understand what becoming a citizen means and have a basic knowledge of English, which most applicants aged 18 to 59 show by passing the citizenship test. Applicants aged 18 or over must be of good character. Home Affairs must also be satisfied that you are likely to live in Australia or keep a close and continuing link with it, and in most cases you must be in Australia when the decision is made. The calculator above gives the first date your residence allows you to apply.
Australian citizenship fee for my family
Fees to pay
A$1,190
| Per adult (general) | A$595 |
| Pensioner concession | A$85 |
| Child on a parent’s form | free |
Form 1298i (Design date 07/26).
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the questions and dates are built
The conditions in one table
| Condition | What Home Affairs requires |
|---|---|
| Status | permanent resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen, when you apply and when it decides |
| Residence | 4 years on a valid visa, 12 months as a permanent resident, absence limits |
| Knowledge and English | citizenship test for most applicants aged 18 to 59 |
| Character | good character from age 18 |
| Link to Australia | likely to live in Australia or keep a close and continuing link |
| At decision | in Australia in most cases |
The test, or an interview
Passing the test with at least 75% and all 5 values questions right meets both the knowledge and the English requirement. Applicants who do not sit it, such as people aged 60 or over or those with an incapacity, may have an interview so the department can confirm their identity. Our free practice test is marked with both official rules.
A close and continuing link
The department looks at where you have lived, how long you spent in each place, your participation in the Australian community, and close family members who are permanent residents or citizens and intend to live in Australia. It is a condition in its own right, assessed separately from the residence count, so meeting the day count alone does not settle it.
Who is exempt from the residence rule
Home Affairs lists exemptions and special circumstances, among them children under 16, some people born to a former Australian citizen, people born in Papua before 16 September 1975 to a parent born in Australia, and members of the Australian Defence Force and their families. These cases need supporting documents when applying, and their rules are not built into our calculator.
What it costs
The general eligibility application costs A$595 per applicant on form 1298i (Design date 07/26), A$85 with an eligible Pensioner Concession Card, and nothing for a child aged 15 or under on a parent’s form. The cost page explains why a Home Affairs page still shows a lower amount.