Australia
Citizenship processing time in Australia: the official figures, dated
Enter the weeks since you applied: the tool compares them with the time in which nine applications in ten are decided.
Where my application stands against the official time
Against the 90% mark
10 weeks to go
| 90% of applications decided in | 5 months |
| Same mark in weeks | about 22 |
| Ceremony (90%) | within 6 months of approval |
Home Affairs processing times, page updated 2026-10-16. One in ten applications takes longer.
Home Affairs publishes how long citizenship applications currently take, as the time within which 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% of applications are processed. On its page updated on 16 October 2026, for citizenship by conferral (general eligibility and other situations), 90% of applications were decided within 5 months of being lodged, and half within 42 days. From approval to the ceremony, 90% waited up to 6 months. From application to ceremony, the whole journey, the figures were 7 months for half of applicants and 11 months for 90%. These are past results, not a promise for a new application: the department says a file may take longer if it is incomplete, if information must be checked or if you delay attending your ceremony. The tool above tells you whether your wait is still inside the 90% mark.
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How the questions and dates are built
The official times
| Period | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Application to decision | 36 days | 42 days | 78 days | 5 months |
| Approval to ceremony | 71 days | 4 months | 5 months | 6 months |
| Application to ceremony | 5 months | 7 months | 8 months | 11 months |
On the same page, 90% of applications for citizenship by descent were decided within 4 months, and 90% of applications for evidence of citizenship within 15 days.
How to read a percentile
"90% in 5 months" means that, among the applications decided recently, nine in ten had been lodged no more than 5 months earlier. It says nothing about your file in particular, and one application in ten took longer. If your wait has passed the 90% mark, it does not mean something is wrong, but it is a reasonable moment to check ImmiAccount for a request for information.
From approval to the pledge
If the application is approved and you need to attend a ceremony, the invitation letter arrives about four weeks before it. Ceremonies are generally held within six months of approval, says the Our Common Bond booklet, and the figures above show 90% within 6 months. Some people do not need to attend a ceremony: they become citizens on the day the application is approved. You can apply for an Australian passport only after the ceremony and the pledge.
Before you lodge
The clock starts when you lodge, so lodging on the first possible day saves time. The residence calculator gives that day, the cost page the fee, and the practice test prepares you for the appointment.