Who can apply
Citizenship by descent: born overseas to an Australian parent
Work out the fee for one child or several, then check whether the parent’s citizenship gives you the right to apply.
Independent, non-government site: tests, applications and appointments are handled only on the Home Affairs website.
Citizenship by descent: fee for my children
Total fee
$540
| First child | $380 |
| Each sibling at the same time | $160 |
| 90% decided within | 4 months |
Australian citizenship by descent is for people born outside Australia who had at least one Australian citizen parent on the day they were born. It is applied for on form 118, at any age, usually online in ImmiAccount, and form 1298i of July 2026 sets the fee at $380, with $160 for each brother or sister who applies at the same time (the Home Affairs descent page still shows an older $230 and $95). If the parent was a citizen by descent or by adoption overseas, that parent must have spent at least 2 years lawfully in Australia before the application. Applicants aged 18 or over must be of good character. There is no test, no residence requirement for the child and no ceremony: citizenship begins on the day of approval, and the certificate arrives by registered post. On the table updated 16 October 2026, half of descent decisions took 37 days or less and nine in ten 4 months or less.
Can I apply for citizenship by descent?
Citizenship by descent
Open to you
| Parent’s time in Australia | not required |
| Good character | assessed (18 or over) |
| Fee, form 118 | $380 |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
Who can apply
The Home Affairs descent page lists four situations: people born outside Australia on or after 26 January 1949 to a parent who was an Australian citizen at the time; people born outside Australia or New Guinea before that date, under older rules; people born through an international surrogacy arrangement; and people who were adopted but whose biological parent was an Australian citizen when they were born. The first is by far the most frequent. What matters is the parent’s status on the birth date, not today: a parent who became a citizen by conferral after the birth does not pass on descent to that child.
The parent’s two years in Australia
A parent who was born in Australia or became a citizen by conferral passes on citizenship without any further condition. A parent who is a citizen by descent, or by adoption overseas under the Hague Convention or a bilateral arrangement, must have spent at least 2 years lawfully in Australia at some time before the child applies. Evidence can be school records, employment records or any document from an Australian government agency, and the National Archives of Australia can help find old records. The rule is waived if the child has always been stateless. The check below tells you whether your family meets it.
Can I apply for citizenship by descent?
Citizenship by descent
Open to you
| Parent’s time in Australia | not required |
| Good character | assessed (18 or over) |
| Fee, form 118 | $380 |
Fees: one child or several
| Applicant | Fee, form 1298i | Shown on the descent page |
|---|---|---|
| First child | $380 | $230 |
| Each brother or sister at the same time | $160 | $95 |
| Three children together | $700 | $420 |
Form 1298i is the fee schedule Home Affairs publishes with its forms, and it is more recent than the figures still printed on the descent page; this site follows the form. Siblings save only if they lodge at the same time. Form 1298i adds that a payment surcharge may apply.
Documents to prepare
Identity from birth comes first: 3 documents that together show birth name, date of birth and sex, a photograph, a signature and the current address, plus proof of any change of name. For an applicant aged 15 or under, provide a full birth certificate showing the parents, any passport, one passport-sized photo and an identity declaration on form 1195, signed by an Australian citizen with the right authority. Then the claim itself: proof that a parent was an Australian citizen at the birth, such as the parent’s full Australian birth certificate or citizenship or naturalisation certificate, plus evidence of any other nationality that parent held. Home Affairs may ask for DNA testing when parentage needs proof. Adults who lived overseas for 12 months or more in total in the last 10 years, with 90 days or more in one country, add overseas police certificates; an Australian check is requested for applicants aged 18 or over who have spent time in Australia since turning 18.
Online or on paper
Most people apply online in ImmiAccount and pay when they lodge. A paper application is needed for a concession fee, defence force members, stateless people, people with no current or expired passport, and people who have not travelled in or out of Australia since July 1990. Each sibling makes a separate application, even when they lodge together to get the lower fee.
How long it takes
| Share of decisions | Within |
|---|---|
| 25% | 34 days |
| 50% | 37 days |
| 75% | 70 days |
| 90% | 4 months |
The descent page itself still quotes 3 months for 75% and 5 months for 90%, figures superseded by the monthly table. On 30 September 2026 the department had 2,988 descent applications on hand and had received 1,664 in September 2026. After approval, allow about 2 weeks for the certificate to arrive in Australia, or about 6 weeks overseas without an Australian postal address. The processing page explains how these figures are measured.
Surrogacy, adoption and older births
Three less common situations have their own criteria on the Home Affairs page. A child born overseas through an international surrogacy arrangement to an Australian citizen parent is one; the department sets out separately what proof of parentage it expects. A person adopted by another family is the second: they can still apply through a biological parent who was an Australian citizen on the day they were born, with the adoption order among their identity documents. The third is a person born outside Australia or New Guinea before 26 January 1949, the date from which the main rule runs. Each of these needs more documents than the common case, and the department may ask for originals or extra evidence after you lodge.
Passing it on
A citizen by descent has the same rights as any other citizen, including the right to apply for their own children born overseas. The only difference is the parent rule above: before a child of theirs can apply, they must have spent 2 years lawfully in Australia. Families who live abroad over several generations often plan a stay in Australia for that reason, and keep school or employment records from it.
After approval
The new citizen can apply for an Australian passport once the application is approved and must enrol to vote from age 18. Check the certificate at once: an error made by the department is fixed without a new application if reported within 6 weeks of receipt. A refused application comes with reasons and the time limit to seek review by the Administrative Review Tribunal. The dual citizenship page covers keeping the nationality of the country of birth, and the certificate page explains replacements.