Requesting confirmation of Australian citizenship status of a deceased person

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The following steps are a guide for requesting confirmation of the Australian citizenship status of a deceased parent or grandparent for official purposes, for example, to support an application for a passport of another country.

If you are seeking citizenship information that is more than 30 years old and it is for genealogy or family research purposes contact the National Archives of Australia.
See: National Archives of Australia

Who can request information

You can only request confirmation of the Australian citizenship status of your deceased parent or grandparent. Requests for the Australian citizenship status of your deceased parent or grandparent can only be for official purposes, for example, to support an application for a passport of another country.

Step 1. Gather original documents

If you are requesting information about your deceased parent or grandparent, you must provide the following documents:

  • birth certificate showing evidence of your relationship to the deceased parent or grandparent
  • the death certificate of the deceased person

If you have difficulty finding suitable documents please call the Citizenship Information Line on 131 880 in Australia between 8.30am and 4.30pm Monday to Friday.

Step 2. Copy and certify your documents

You must copy your original documents and have them certified by an Australian citizen from the designated list of occupations.

If you are overseas when applying, you can have your original documents certified by a citizen of your country of residence who is employed in one of the designated list of occupations.
See: Designated list of occupations

Step 3. Complete and lodge your application

When completing your Form 1391 – Request for confirmation of Australian citizenship status of a deceased person you must ensure that you provide all details requested along with your supporting documentation.
See: Form 1391

The completed form and certified copies of all supporting document(s) should be posted to:
Citizenship Branch
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
PO Box 25
BELCONNEN ACT 2616
AUSTRALIA

The table below describes how to complete the application

Topic Action
Details of person requesting information Requires you to provide your personal details.
Note: If you change address during the application process you must tell the department your new address.
See: Form 929 – Change of address and/or passport details (117 KB PDF file)
Details of deceased person Requires you to provide the personal details of the deceased person.
Declaration Carefully read and make sure you understand the terms of this declaration before signing it.
Supporting documents Requires you to list the supporting documents you are providing with your application.
Use this checklist to make sure you have completed the application correctly and provided relevant documents.