Citizenship by descent
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I was born overseas to an Australian parent. Am I eligible for Australian citizenship by descent?
You are eligible if you were born overseas on or after 26 January 1949 and meet the following requirements:
- one of your natural parents was an Australian citizen at the time of your birth
- you are of good character if you are over 16 at the time of application
See: Good character - if your parent became an Australian citizen by descent, he or she must have been present in Australia for periods totalling two years at some time in their life.
You are eligible if you were born outside Australia or New Guinea before 26 January 1949 and meet the following requirements:
- one of your parents became an Australian citizen on 26 January 1949 either because your parent was born in Australia or New Guinea or was naturalised in Australia before your birth
- you are of good character.
See: Good character
How do I apply for Australian citizenship by descent?
You must complete the five steps in the table below:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Check you are eligible to apply for Australian citizenship by descent. |
| 2 | Fill in Form 118 Application for Australian citizenship by descent and send
it with the fee and supporting documents to our office. |
| 3 | Include all supporting documents. |
| 4 | If you have lived in any country for a total of 1 year or more in the last 10 years (except Australia), you must get a penal clearance certificate from the authorities in that country. Penal clearance certificates are not required for persons under the age of 16 years. Refer to Form 47P. See: Form 47P Character requirements penal clearance certificates (141KB PDF file) |
| 5 | Check the website of our nearest office for lodgement details. Note: There is a fee of AUD$110 as listed on Form 1298i. Processing generally takes several weeks. |
Are my children eligible for citizenship by descent?
Question: My children were born overseas after I lost my Australian citizenship when I acquired the citizenship of another country. Are they eligible for citizenship by descent?
Answer: They are not eligible to become Australian citizens by descent because you were not an Australian citizen when they were born. However, they can apply for Australian citizenship by conferral.
See: People born overseas to a former Australian citizen