Renouncing Australian citizenship
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Can I renounce my Australian citizenship?
Renunciation of Australian citizenship is a very serious matter.
You can renounce your Australian citizenship if:
- you are over 18 years of age and you are a citizen of another country or will immediately become a citizen of another country following your renunciation
or - you were born, or are ordinarily resident in another country and you are not entitled to acquire the nationality of that country because of your Australian citizenship
and - it is considered that it would not be against the interests of Australia for you to renounce.
If you have any children under the age of 18, the Minister may revoke your children's citizenship unless the other parent is an Australian citizen or the child would become stateless.
You must indicate on the application form as to whether you want the Minister to give consideration to revoking your children’s citizenship.
If you renounce your Australian citizenship while in Australia you can continue to live permanently in Australia. However, should you wish to leave Australia and return, you will need a resident return visa.
If you renounce your Australian citizenship while overseas, you can not re-enter Australia without a visa.
See: Form 968i Return documents for Australian citizens and permanent residents (52KB PDF file)
Can children renounce citizenship?
Children can apply to renounce Australian citizenship, only if they were born or are ordinarily resident in a foreign country and are not entitled, under the law of that country, to acquire the nationality or citizenship of that country because they are Australian citizens. Applications for children under the age of 16 must be made by a responsible parent.
See: Form 128 Renunciation of Australian citizenship (193KB PDF file)
Renunciation process
To renounce your Australian citizenship you must complete the five steps in the table below:
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Check that you meet the requirements to renounce your Australian citizenship. |
| 2 | Fill in Form 128 Renunciation of Australian citizenship. |
| 3 | Include all supporting documents. |
| 4 | Once form is complete, send it with the fee and supporting documents to our office. Contact your nearest overseas office for lodgement details. Note: There is a fee of AUD$260 as listed on Form 990i. Applications are processed in Australia. |