Step 1: Am I eligible? – General eligibility

General eligibility

From 1 October 2007, people who satisfy the general eligibility criteria are required to pass a test before applying for citizenship.
See: Citizenship Test

People who apply must:

• have passed a test
• be aged 18 years or over at the time the application is made
• be a permanent resident at the time of application, and also, at time of decision
• satisfy the residence requirement

• be likely to reside, or to continue to reside, in Australia or to maintain a close and continuing association with Australia
  and
• be of good character.

See also:
Citizenship Test
Good character

Residence requirements and calculator

People who became permanent residents on or after 1 July 2007 must have been lawfully resident in Australia for four years immediately before applying including:

• 12 months as a permanent resident
  and
• absences from Australia of no more than 12 months, including no more than ninety (90) days in the 12 months before applying.

If people became permanent residents before 1 July 2007 and apply before 30 June 2010, they must have been physically present in Australia as a permanent resident for a total of two years in the five years before applying, including one year in the two years before applying.

Note: Periods of lawful residence cannot include a period of confinement in a prison or psychiatric institution by order of a court made in connection with proceedings for an offence against an Australian law except in limited circumstances. A residence calculator is available to assist you to determine if you meet the residence requirement. This calculator can accept future dates.
See: Residence Requirements Calculator
See: What is Australia as currently defined for citizenship?

Residence exemptions and discretions

Exemptions

People are exempt from the residence requirement if they:

• have served ninety (90) days in the permanent forces of the Commonwealth of Australia
  or
• have served six months in the Australian Reserve Forces
  or
• were discharged from defence service as medically unfit for that service.

A partial exemption applies to former Australian citizens and people born in Australia. They need only have been resident in Australia for 12 months as a permanent resident.

Discretions

You may apply for any of these residence discretions if you will be in Australia at the time your application is decided. If you will be overseas during this period only discretions 5 and 6 are applicable.

1. Periods during which a person was present in Australia as an unlawful non-citizen solely because of an administrative error may be treated as periods of lawful residence.
2. Periods of lawful residence in Australia but not as a permanent resident solely because of an administrative error may be treated as periods of permanent residence.
3. Periods of lawful residence in Australia but not as a permanent resident may be treated as a period of permanent residence if a person would otherwise suffer significant hardship or disadvantage.
4. Periods of confinement in a prison or psychiatric institution may be counted towards the residence requirement if it would be unreasonable not to do so, taking into account the circumstances which resulted in the person’s confinement.
5. Periods spent outside Australia by the permanent resident spouse or de facto partner, or the surviving spouse or de facto partner of an Australian citizen may be treated as periods in Australia, if they had close and continuing association with Australia during that period.
6. Periods spent outside Australia by a permanent resident who is in an interdependent relationship with an Australian citizen may be treated as periods in Australia, if they had close and continuing association with Australia during that period.

Note: You may lodge your application while you are overseas but you must be in Australia at the time your application is decided unless you are applying for discretion 5 or 6.

Good character

It is the responsibility of a person applying to show that they are of good character.
See: Good character

Privileges and responsibilities

Australian citizenship formalises your membership of the Australian community. It entitles you to the privileges of Australian citizenship and also brings with it responsibilities.
See: Privileges and responsibilities of Australian citizenship

More information

Further information regarding eligibility is available in Form 1299i.
See: Form 1299i How to apply for Australian citizenship by conferral (88KB PDF file)