Loss of Citizenship
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Can I lose my Australian citizenship?
You could have lost your Australian citizenship automatically if you applied for and were granted the citizenship of another country before 4 April 2002. Prior to 4 April 2002, Section 17 of the Australian Citizenship Act 1948 provided that adult Australians who did 'any act or thing - the sole or dominant purpose of which, and the effect of which, is to acquire the nationality or citizenship of a foreign country shall upon acquisition cease to be an Australian citizen'.
If you had any children under 18 they would have also lost their Australian citizenship, unless their other parent was an Australian citizen.
Section 17 was repealed on 4 April 2002. If you are unsure whether you lost Australian citizenship, please contact any of our offices in Australia or overseas.
See:
Contact Us - Immigration Offices outside Australia
Contact Us - Australian Offices
See also:
Citizenship and travel
People born overseas to a former Australian citizen
Other ways of ceasing to be an Australian citizen
Other ways of ceasing to be an Australian citizen are by:
- renunciation (choosing to give up your citizenship)
- revocation (citizenship being taken away).
See:
Renouncing Australian citizenship
Revocation of Australian citizenship
Can I get my Australian citizenship back?
Yes, in certain circumstances.
See: Resuming Australian citizenship