Step 1: Am I eligible? – Other situations
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Other situations (non-test)
The following people are not required to sit a citizenship test but will need to meet the eligibility requirements below before applying for citizenship by conferral.
People aged under 18 years.
People under 16 years of age should:
- be a permanent resident, and
- be living with a responsible parent who is an Australian citizen and who consents to the application.
If the person applying is living with a responsible parent who is not an Australian citizen, the person needs to demonstrate that he/she would suffer significant hardship or disadvantage if he/she did not become an Australian citizen.
People aged 16 and 17 years should:
- be a permanent resident at the time of application, and also, at time of decision
- satisfy the residence requirement
- have a basic knowledge of the English language
- have an adequate knowledge of the privileges and responsibilities of Australian citizenship
- understand the nature of the application, and
- intend to reside, or to continue to reside, in Australia or to maintain a close and continuing association with Australia
Note: People applying will be asked to demonstrate a basic knowledge of English and an adequate knowledge of responsibilities and privileges of Australian citizenship at interview.
People aged 60 years or over OR suffering from a permanent loss or a substantial impairment of hearing, speech or sight.
People applying must:
- 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
- understand the nature of the application
and - be of good character.
See: Good character
Note: People applying will be asked to demonstrate that they understand the significance of becoming an Australian citizen at interview.
People who have a permanent physical or mental incapacity that means that they are not capable of understanding the nature of the application.
People applying must:
- be a permanent resident at the time of application, and also, at time of decision
- be aged 18 years or over
- satisfy the residence requirements
- be likely to reside, or to continue to reside, in Australia or to maintain a close and continuing association with Australia
- provide specialist medical evidence of their disability
and - be of good character.
See: Good character
People born overseas to a former Australian citizen
People applying must:
- be born overseas after 26 January 1949
- be born after one of their natural parents lost Australian citizenship on acquisition of another citizenship
and - be of good character.
People born in Papua before 16 September 1975 and at the time had a parent who was born in Australia as we now know it.
People applying must:
- be born in Papua before 16 September 1975
- have one parent that was born in Australia as we now know it
and that parent was an Australian citizen at the time of the person's
birth
and - be of good character.
See: Good character
See: What is Australia as currently defined for citizenship?
Stateless people born in Australia.
If a person is born in Australia and thinks that they are stateless, they should contact the nearest office of the department for the relevant application form and information.
A stateless person means that at the time of the application the person is not a national or a citizen of any country, and is not entitled to acquire the nationality or citizenship of a foreign country.
See: Contact Us
Residence requirement
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.
People who became permanent residents before 1 July 2007 and apply before 30 June 2010 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.
See: Residence exemptions and discretions
Residence requirements calculator
A residence calculator is available to assist you to determine if you meet the residence requirement.
See: Residence Requirements Calculator 
Note: This calculator can accept future dates.
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. These people 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Periods spent outside Australia by a permanent resident who is in a 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
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)
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
Where do I go next?
Begin the application process.
See: Step 2: Application process - Other situations