What documents do you need?
Main contentGenerally, applications for citizenship require:
- Identity documents
- Good character documents
- Supporting documents.
View the document checklist for your application type. Your application form also provides a checklist with further details of the documents required.
Read important information about the documents you need to provide with your citizenship application.
Document checklist
Choose your application type for a checklist of the documents you need to lodge with your citizenship application.
See:
Australian citizenship
Australian citizenship by descent
Australian citizenship by adoption
Resuming your Australian citizenship
Renouncing your Australian citizenship
Evidence of Australian citizenship
Originals or certified copies?
Do not mail original documents to the department. In some circumstances, the department may request you provide your original documents.
Copies of original documents must be certified by a person from the designated list of occupations for all applications including those lodged overseas.
In Australia
If you attend a citizenship appointment you must bring your original documents with you.
If you are not required to attend a citizenship appointment or are mailing your application to the department, you will need to attach certified copies of your original documents to your application.
Outside Australia
If you are overseas when lodging your application for citizenship by conferral, you should send your application along with certified copies of all required documents by post or courier directly to the Overseas Citizenship Unit at the department's Melbourne Office in Australia.
For all other citizenship application types, you should contact your nearest Immigration Offices Outside Australia or see their website for more information before lodging your application because:
- you may be required to attend an appointment and present original documents as part of your application process
- some posts only accept certain currencies for fee payments with your application
- some posts will ask you to bring in your original documents and they will certify copies for you to attach to your application
- some posts may only accept copies certified by an Australian citizen in your country of residence
- some posts may also accept copies certified by a citizen of your country of residence if no Australian is known to you
- some posts may direct you to their preferred third party for document certification.
Requirements for paper and online applications
If you post a paper application to the department, you must attach certified copies of your original documents to your application.
If an online application is available, you must bring your original documents to your citizenship appointment. You can attach scanned documents to your online citizenship application.
How to certify original documents
Only people from the designated list of occupations are able to certify copies of your original documents.
No particular form of words is required by legislation. However, the department suggests the following wording be used:
| Number of pages | Suggested wording |
|---|---|
| Single page documents | "This is a certified true copy of the original as sighted by me" |
| Multiple page documents |
"I certify this and the following … pages to be a true copy of the original as sighted by me" The department requires that all subsequent pages of the copy are initialled. |
In addition, the department recommends that the following information also be provided along with the above statement on the copy of the document:
- Signature
- Name in full
- Occupation
- Telephone number
- Date
- Address (optional)
Getting documents from overseas
If you have to get your original documents from overseas this can take time. You will not be able to complete your application process without these documents.
Providing translations of original documents not in English
If your documents are not in English, you will need to provide official translations.
In Australia, you must use translators accredited by the National Accreditation Authority of Translators and Interpreters.
If you are outside Australia when applying, contact the Australian mission in the country which issued the documents for advice on acceptable translators.
You must provide the translation and the original document or certified copy with your application.
Documents for children
Generally, identity and other document requirements for children under the age of 16 years are the same for those of an adult.
For children under 6 years of age
Often children under 6 years of age have difficulty in getting copies of their documents certified and their Identity declaration form and photograph signed by a person with the appropriate authority.
Further information on identity requirements for children is available.
Documents to assist long-term Australian residents
If you are a British subject who does not have evidence of entry to Australia and you arrived before 1 January 1975, evidence of residence is required, for example employment, taxation and school records. The National Archives of Australia can help with documents pre-1974,
Telephone: 1300 886 881.
About the information you give
The department is authorised to collect personal information and personal identifiers for the purposes of administering the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (the Act) and the Australian Citizenship Regulations 2007.
Under the Privacy Act, the department may disclose your personal information in various circumstances, including where such disclosure is consistent with the department's disclosure practices of which you are reasonably likely to have been aware.
It is the department's practice to disclose your personal information other than personal identifiers to other Commonwealth (and in some circumstances, state and territory) Government agencies to confirm your identity and for other purposes connected with the Act, or to verify with the issuing agency, the authenticity of a document you have presented to the department, or in some cases to assist other agencies to administer their legislation.
Agencies to which the department may disclose your personal information other than personal identifiers include but are not restricted to:
- Australian Electoral Commission for the purpose of administering the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) for the purpose of administering the Australian Passport Act 2005
- Centrelink for the purpose of administering the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 and Family Assistance (Administration) Act 1999
- Medicare and Centrelink for the purposes of administering the citizenship test
- Commonwealth, state and territory police and other agencies to help assess character requirements for citizenship
- Local governments and other organisations that conduct and host citizenship ceremonies
- Commonwealth, state and territory Members of Parliament for the purpose of formally welcoming new citizens.
Personal identifiers collected under the Act are photographs and signatures. The department and DFAT have signed an arrangement in accordance with the Act that permits disclosure of your personal identifiers for the purposes of administering the Australian Passport Act 2005. When your application for Australian citizenship is approved, your photograph, client number, name, date of birth and gender will be provided to DFAT.
The Act permits disclosure of your personal identifiers in the following circumstances:
- for the purposes of the Act or its regulations, or of the Migration Act 1958 or the Migration Regulations 1994, or
- for the purpose of administering or managing the storage of identifying information, or
- for the purpose of making the identifying information in question available to you, or
- to an agency of the Commonwealth, a state or a territory in order to verify that you are an Australian citizen, or
- under an arrangement entered into with an agency of the Commonwealth, or with a state or territory or an agency of a state or territory, for the exchange of identifying information, or
- when reasonably necessary for the enforcement of the criminal law of the Commonwealth, a state or a territory, or
- when required by an Australian law, or
- for the purpose of a proceeding before a court or tribunal relating to you, or
- for the purpose of an investigation by the Privacy Commissioner or the Ombudsman relating to action taken by the department, or
- if the disclosure takes place with your written consent.
Your personal identifiers can also be disclosed if a person believes on reasonable grounds, that the disclosure is necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the life or health of you or of any other person.
Privacy Act 1988 and Freedom of Information Act 1982
You have a right to make a complaint to the Privacy Commissioner about the handling of your personal information and personal identifiers.
The Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) gives you the right to access certain information and documents in the possession of the Government of the Commonwealth and its agencies. You have a right under the FOI Act to seek access to information or documents about you. You can request the department to amend records containing your personal information that is incomplete, incorrect, out of date or misleading.
The department’s collection, access, storage, use and disclosure of your personal information and personal identifiers is governed by the Privacy Act 1988 and the 11 Information Privacy Principles. For more detailed information you should read information from: