If you were born outside Australia and at least one of your parents was an Australian citizen when you were born, you may be eligible for Australian citizenship by descent. It is not a visa, and it is not the residence-based pathway most people picture when they think about becoming Australian. It is closer to a registration of a status you were already entitled to at birth. This post is for the person whose mum or dad is Australian, who grew up somewhere else, and who now wants the passport, the right to live and work here, or simply the formal link to a parent’s country.
What is Australian citizenship by descent?
Citizenship by descent is the pathway for a child born overseas to an Australian citizen parent. The core test is about your parent’s status at one specific moment: the day you were born.
You may be eligible if you were born outside Australia and one or both of your parents was an Australian citizen at the time of your birth, according to the Department of Home Affairs citizenship by descent page. The legal basis sits in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, which sets out who can apply and the conditions that attach.
Two things trip people up here. First, it is your parent’s citizenship at your birth that counts, not their status now and not yours. Second, citizenship by descent applies to people born on or after 26 January 1949. If you were born before that date, different historical rules apply and you should get advice on your specific situation.
Who can apply, and the generational rule
A common assumption is that being the grandchild or great-grandchild of an Australian is enough. It usually is not. The pathway is built around the parent-to-child link, and there is an extra condition aimed at families where citizenship has already been passed down once by descent.
If the Australian parent was themselves a citizen by descent (rather than by birth in Australia or by conferral), that parent must have been present in Australia for a total of at least two years at some point before you lodge your application, as set out in the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. This is the rule that quietly stops citizenship by descent from cascading endlessly through generations who have never set foot in the country.
A few other points worth knowing before you start:
- There is no age limit. You can apply as an adult, and parents can apply on behalf of a young child. The eligibility test still looks back to the parent’s status at your birth.
- Good character applies to adults. If you are 18 or over and are or have ever been a citizen of any country, the Minister must be satisfied you are of good character. We explain how character issues are assessed in our guidance on Australian citizenship eligibility.
- You do not need to have lived in Australia. Citizenship by descent can be granted to someone who has never visited.
Descent versus conferral: which one applies to you?
People search for “citizenship by descent” when what they actually need is conferral, and the other way around. Getting this wrong wastes time and money, so it is worth pinning down early.
Citizenship by descent is for people born overseas to an Australian parent. Citizenship by conferral is the residence-based pathway for permanent residents who have lived in Australia and meet the residence requirement. They are different applications, with different forms, different fees and different eligibility.
| Feature | Citizenship by descent | Citizenship by conferral |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Born overseas to an Australian citizen parent | Permanent resident who has lived in Australia |
| Key test | Parent was an Australian citizen at your birth | Meeting the residence requirement on a valid visa |
| Need to live in Australia? | No | Yes |
| Citizenship test | Not required | Generally required |
| Citizenship ceremony | Not required | Generally required |
For conferral, you generally need to have been living in Australia on a valid visa for the four years immediately before you apply, including the most recent year as a permanent resident, per the Home Affairs eligibility for permanent residents page. If that sounds more like your situation, our broader walkthrough of the Australian citizenship application process covers conferral in detail, and our overview of permanent residency pathways explains how to reach PR in the first place.
Evidence you will need
Most by descent applications stand or fall on documents. The Department needs to be satisfied of two things: who you are, and that your parent really was an Australian citizen on the day you were born.
For your parent’s Australian citizenship at your birth, Home Affairs lists acceptable evidence such as your parent’s Australian citizenship certificate, their naturalisation certificate, or their full Australian birth certificate, on the by descent page.
There is an extra layer if your Australian parent was born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986. Because of changes to who is a citizen by birth, you may also need to show that your parent was a citizen at birth. That usually means a grandparent’s evidence: your grandparent’s Australian citizenship certificate showing they became a citizen before your parent was born, or your grandparent’s Australian birth certificate showing they were born in Australia before 20 August 1986.
Practical tips that save weeks:
- Start with your parent’s documents. Track down the certificate that proves their citizenship before you touch the form.
- Get full birth certificates, not extracts. A short-form extract often will not show the parental detail the Department needs.
- Arrange certified translations for any document not in English.
- Check the 20 August 1986 question early if your parent was born in Australia, because the grandparent evidence can take time to find.
How to apply, the fee and processing
The application is lodged online, and the process is lighter than conferral because there is no test and no ceremony.
You apply using Form 118 through ImmiAccount, and you can do it from anywhere in the world. There is no citizenship test, you are not required to attend a ceremony, and once the application is approved the citizenship certificate is sent to you. People who do not need to sit the test may still be asked to attend a short interview so the Department can confirm identity.
On cost, citizenship by descent was AUD 230, with a discounted charge of AUD 95 for each sibling who applies at the same time, as set out on the Home Affairs citizenship by descent page. Citizenship fees are reviewed and can be indexed each year, so confirm the current figure before you pay.
Processing times vary by case and are updated monthly. Rather than rely on a number that dates quickly, check the current estimate on the Home Affairs citizenship processing times page when you are ready to lodge. Complete applications with all evidence attached tend to move faster than ones where the Department has to ask for missing documents.
When citizenship by descent does not fit
Not every “my parent is Australian” story leads to descent, and it helps to know the common detours before you lodge the wrong form.
If your parent was an Australian citizen but lost that citizenship before you were born, descent generally will not apply, because the test looks at their status on your birthday. There are separate pathways for children of former Australian citizens, and the right one depends on when and how the parent lost their citizenship. Citizenship is also closely tied to family migration in mixed-status households, and if you are weighing up bringing relatives to Australia as well, our family migration services page sets out the visa side of that picture.
Where the facts are unusual, born before 1949, a parent who naturalised elsewhere, a gap in the documentary trail, this is the point to get tailored advice rather than guess.
Frequently asked questions
Is citizenship by descent the same as a citizenship application?
Not quite. By descent registers a status you were entitled to at birth because of your parent. The standard citizenship application most people think of is conferral, which is the residence-based pathway for permanent residents who have lived in Australia. They use different forms and have different eligibility tests, so it is worth confirming which one fits before you lodge.
Can I apply for citizenship by descent as an adult?
Yes. There is no upper age limit. The eligibility test does not care how old you are now; it looks back to whether at least one parent was an Australian citizen at the time you were born. Adults often apply decades after birth, and parents can also apply on behalf of a young child.
Do I have to sit the citizenship test or attend a ceremony?
No. Citizenship by descent applicants are not required to sit the citizenship test or attend a ceremony, unlike conferral applicants. Some applicants may be asked to attend an interview so the Department can confirm their identity. Once approved, the citizenship certificate is issued and sent to you.
My grandparent was Australian. Can I get citizenship by descent?
Usually not on its own. The pathway is built on the parent-to-child link, so your parent generally needs to have been an Australian citizen when you were born. A grandparent only becomes directly relevant in specific situations, such as proving your parent was a citizen at birth where the parent was born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986.
How much does citizenship by descent cost?
The charge was AUD 230, with a discounted AUD 95 for each sibling who applies at the same time, per the Home Affairs citizenship by descent page. Fees can be indexed annually, so check the current amount before paying. The cost is separate from the time and effort of gathering parental evidence, which is often the harder part.
If your situation is clear cut, citizenship by descent can be a paperwork exercise; if there is anything unusual in the family history, it is worth getting your documents reviewed before you lodge. To talk through your circumstances, you can book a consultation with our migration lawyers.
About the author: Tina Nematian is the Principal Lawyer at One Planet Migration Law. She is an Australian Legal Practitioner and a Registered Migration Agent, and has guided clients through partner, skilled, employer-sponsored, student, and humanitarian visa applications across Australia.
This article is general information only and does not constitute legal or migration advice. Visa rules change frequently and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. Speak with a registered migration lawyer or agent before making any application. Figures were current as of June 2026; always check immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before lodging.
