Documentation requirements for people resuming Australian citizenship

Original documents must be provided.

Certified copies of the documents must also be provided with the application. The people who can certify documents are the same as those that can endorse photographs - see below. The person that certifies the documents does not have to be the same person who endorses the photograph and completes the proof of identity declaration on the application form. The original documents will be returned.

Note: If you are applying overseas and you provide copies of identity documents certified by an Australian consular officer or Australian Diplomatic officer you do not need to provide original documents with your application.

If documents are not in English, an official translation also must be provided. In Australia translations should be done by translators accredited by the National Accreditation Authority of Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).
See: NAATI

The following documents will be required to support an application:

• an endorsed passport size photograph – for full details on photograph requirements
  See: Endorsed photographs

• evidence of former possession of Australian citizenship (such as full birth certificate if born in Australia, or certificate of Australian citizenship) - must be original certificate or certified copy

• passport held, if any - must be original passport or certified copy of the personal particulars page

• evidence of acquisition of foreign citizenship (such as naturalisation certificate or a statement from the authorities of the other country stating how and when the applicant acquired the citizenship of that country) - evidence is not required if the applicant renounced their Australian citizenship to acquire a foreign citizenship

• Applicants will need to provide penal clearance certificates from overseas countries if, in the last 10 years:

  • they lived or travelled overseas since the age of 18 years or over; and
  • the total time spent overseas added up to 12 months or more; and
  • the time spent in any one country was more than 3 months; or
  • requested to do so by the department.

Information about how and where to obtain penal clearance certificates is available.
See: Character and Penal Clearance Requirements

You can also call the Citizenship Information Line.
Telephone: 131 880 (Australia only)

If applicable, official evidence of any name change (such as an official change of name certificate issued by an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths or Marriages (RBDM) or a marriage certificate issued by an Australian RBDM. Overseas marriage certificates are not acceptable evidence of a change of name). Applicants who are resident overseas can provide overseas marriage certificates as acceptable evidence of a change of name.

Adult applicants who think they may have lost their citizenship as a child also need to provide the following documents:

• evidence that the applicant held another citizenship when a responsible parent lost Australian citizenship (such as their name on responsible parent’s naturalisation certificate, statement from the authorities of the other country stating how and when the citizenship of that country was acquired)
  and
• evidence that a responsible parent ceased to be an Australian citizen, (such as a naturalisation certificate, or statement from the authorities of the other country stating how and when the parent acquired the citizenship of that country).

If an applicant was born in Papua prior to 16 September 1975 and has PNG grandparents, they will need to show:

• a letter of authority to enter Australia for permanent residence issued prior to 16 September 1975
  or
• a ‘PNG Entry Permit’ booklet, ‘Declaration as to Status’ permit or a ‘Permit to Enter the Territory of Papua and New Guinea’ showing approval for permanent residence in Australia issued prior to 16 September 1975.

An applicant may also be required to obtain evidence from the PNG Government stating that they made a Declaration of Loyalty to PNG.