Form 119 Tables A-E

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Tables A to E provide more detailed information on when and how you may have acquired Australian citizenship and the documents you will need to support your claim.

Click on the relevant table below for more information.

Table A: If you were previously issued with evidence of Australian citizenship

If you were previously issued with evidence of Australian citizenship after: Supporting documents needed:
  • migrating to Australia and becoming an Australian citizen, (this includes children who are on a parent’s citizenship certificate), or
  • registration, following your birth overseas to an Australian citizen, or
  • resumption, if you lost your Australian citizenship and then re-acquired it, or
  • notification - from 1 May 1970 to 31 May 1974, British citizens could acquire Australian citizenship ‘by notification’ provided they had been living in Australia for the five years before notifying their intention to become citizens.
 If you still have the certificate, or your name is included on your parent’s certificate, you need to provide the certificate. If you are requesting a new certificate you must surrender the old one.

Table B: If you acquired Australian citizenship by being born in Australia

If you acquired Australian citizenship by being born in Australia: Supporting documents needed:
before 26 January 1949 and you were a British citizen on 25 January 1949 You became an Australian citizen on 26 January 1949 unless your parent or parents were entitled to diplomatic privileges.  
between 26 January 1949 and 19 August 1986 You became an Australian citizen at birth unless your parent or parents were entitled to diplomatic privileges.  
on or after 20 August 1986

You acquired Australian citizenship at birth if at least one of your parents was an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia at the time of your birth, or

You were born in Australia and have lived here most of your life, you acquired Australian citizenship on your 10th birthday if neither of your parents were Australian citizens or permanent residents (or entitled to diplomatic privileges) at the time of your birth.
  • Evidence of one parent’s Australian citizenship such as an Australian passport issued after 22 November 1984, a certificate of Australian citizenship, an Australian birth certificate or
  • Evidence of one parent’s permanent residence in Australia such as a passport with a visa granting permanent residence or permanent entry stamp.
  • Evidence of one parent’s citizenship at the time of your birth, such as a passport and
  • Evidence of your residence in Australia for 10 years since your birth, such as immunisation certificates, a passport, baptismal certificate, school reports, club memberships, banking records etc.
to New Zealand citizen parents

You may already be an Australian citizen (unless your parents were entitled to diplomatic privileges) if you were:

  • born in Australia on or after 27 February 2001 and your parent or parents held an Australian permanent resident visa or were present in Australia on 26 February 2001 as the holder of a Special Category visa, or were in Australia for not less than 1 year in the 2 years before that date, or
  • born in Australia between 1 September 1994 and 26 February 2001 and your parent or parents held a permanent visa or a Special Category visa, or
  • born in Australia between 26 January 1949 and 19 August 1986 and to a New Zealand citizen parent or parents.
  • Evidence of the New Zealand citizenship of the parent present in Australia at the time of your birth, such as a New Zealand passport, certificate of New Zealand citizenship, or
  • A Centrelink certificate stating that your parents were residing in Australia prior to 26 February 2001

Table C: If you were adopted in Australia

If you were adopted in Australia: Supporting documents needed:
on or after 22 November 1984 You acquired Australian citizenship if you were adopted by an Australian citizen and you were a permanent resident at the time of adoption and your adoption was finalised in an Australian court.
  • Adoption papers and
  • Evidence of your Australian parent’s citizenship and
  • Evidence of your permanent residence at the time of your adoption.

Table D: If you were born in the former Australian Territory of Papua

If you were born in the former Australian Territory of Papua: Supporting documents needed:
before 16 September 1975

You may be an Australian citizen from the date of your birth or, if born before 26 January 1949 you acquired Australian citizenship on 26 January 1949.

Persons born in the former Australian Territory of Papua prior to 16 September 1975 who have at least 2 grandparents born in Papua New Guinea (PNG) or adjacent areas automatically became PNG citizens and consequently lost Australian citizenship when PNG gained independence on 16 September 1975 unless:

  • they had been granted the right of permanent residence in Australia, or
  • they possessed another citizenship (other than Australian or Papua New Guinean) when they were under 19 years of age.
  • Evidence of your right to permanent residence in Australia, or
  • Evidence of citizenship other than Australian or Papua New Guinean, or 
  • Evidence of your paternal and maternal grandparents place of birth, for example your parents full birth certificate, or 
  • A signed statutory declaration indicating if, and when, you made a declaration of loyalty to Papua New Guinea.

Table E: If you were born outside Australia before 26 January 1949

You may have become an Australian citizen under special transitional provisions of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007:

if you were born outside Australia before 26 January 1949 and were: Supporting documents needed:
a British citizen on 25 January 1949 and you lived in Australia for the five year period from 26 January 1944 until 25 January 1949

You automatically acquired Australian citizenship on 26 January 1949.
  • Evidence of your British citizenship such as full birth certificate, and
  • Evidence of your residence in Australia during this period such as passports, school reports, employment records club memberships, banking records etc.
a British citizen born to an Australian father before 26 January 1949.

You acquired Australian citizenship on 26 January 1949 if you entered Australia before 26 January 1949 on an unrestricted basis or you were granted permanent residence in Australia before that date, or

You acquired Australian citizenship on the date of arrival in Australia if you entered Australia between 26 January 1949 and 5 May 1966 as a permanent resident, or between 6 May 1966 and 30 April 1987 as a permanent resident.
  • Evidence of your British citizenship, usually a full birth certificate, and
  • Your father’s full birth certificate.
a woman who was a British citizen on 25 January 1949 and you married an Australian before 26 January 1949 You automatically acquired Australian citizenship on 26 January 1949 if you entered Australia and were granted permanent residence before 26 January 1949.
  • Evidence of your British citizenship, usually a full birth certificate, and
  • Your marriage certificate and
  • Evidence of husband’s acquisition of citizenship.
you were born in New Guinea and you were a British citizen on 25 January 1949 You automatically acquired Australian citizenship on 26 January 1949
  • Evidence of your British citizenship, such as a birth certificate.