Who can apply
Australian citizenship for New Zealand citizens
Pick your visa and the year it was granted to see when Home Affairs treats you as a permanent resident, then check your days away.
Independent, non-government site: tests, applications and appointments are handled only on the Home Affairs website.
When a New Zealand citizen counts as a permanent resident
Permanent resident from
1 July 2022
| SCV granted before 1 July 2022 | PR from 1 July 2022 |
| Earliest possible application | 1 July 2023 |
| Still needed | 4 years in Australia, absence limits |
New Zealand citizens living in Australia on a Special Category visa (subclass 444, the SCV) are treated as permanent residents for citizenship purposes. If the SCV was granted before 1 July 2022, permanent residence is counted from 1 July 2022, which made people eligible from 1 July 2023; an SCV first granted on or after that date counts from its grant date. Holders of the New Zealand stream of the Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa granted during 2022 count as permanent residents from 1 January 2022, and those granted on or after 1 January 2023 can apply from the grant date, without the usual 12 months on a permanent visa. Every other part of the general residence requirement stays: 4 years living in Australia on a valid visa, no more than 365 days away in that time and no more than 90 in the last year. Applicants aged 18 to 59 sit the test and pay $595.
How many days can I still spend overseas?
Days you can still add
50
| Four-year limit | 200 of 365 used |
| Last-12-months limit | 40 of 90 used |
| Departure and arrival days | count as days in Australia |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
Two visas, two sets of dates
Since 2022 Home Affairs has moved the start of permanent residence for many New Zealanders. Which rule applies depends on the visa you hold, as set out on the permanent resident criteria page.
| Visa | Granted | Permanent resident for citizenship from | Can apply from |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCV (subclass 444) | before 1 July 2022 | 1 July 2022 | 1 July 2023 |
| SCV (subclass 444) | on or after 1 July 2022 | grant date | grant date + 12 months |
| 189, New Zealand stream | during 2022 | 1 January 2022 | 1 January 2023 |
| 189, New Zealand stream | on or after 1 January 2023 | grant date | grant date |
What the SCV change means for long-term residents
A New Zealander who has lived in Sydney or Perth since the 2000s on an SCV already has years of lawful residence. Before 2022, an SCV did not count as permanent residence, so many needed a separate permanent visa first. Now the SCV itself is enough. For an SCV granted before 1 July 2022, the 12 months of permanent residence ran out on 1 July 2023, and from then on the question is only whether your travel fits the absence limits.
The 189 New Zealand stream
For the subclass 189 New Zealand stream the change is even larger: a grant on or after 1 January 2023 removes the 12-month wait entirely. You still need 4 years on a valid visa immediately before applying, and most holders of this stream reached the visa after years on an SCV, which counts as a valid visa. The second calculator below tells you how many days you can still spend overseas before a limit breaks.
Trips across the Tasman
Frequent visits home are the main risk. Every full day outside Australia counts as absence, while the days you leave and arrive count as days in Australia. The limits are 365 days in the 4 years before you apply, and 90 days in the final 12 months. The residence calculator counts your trips one by one and gives the first date that works.
The rest of the application
New Zealanders follow the normal conferral process. Applicants aged 18 to 59 sit the citizenship test, the character requirement applies from 18, and identity must be proven from birth with 3 documents. A New Zealand passport covers the photo and signature; a full birth certificate covers birth name, date of birth and sex. The fee is $595, or $85 with a Pensioner Concession Card, as set out on form 1298i.
Do you need to become a citizen?
Many New Zealanders live in Australia for decades on an SCV. Citizenship adds the right to vote, an Australian passport, the right to apply for jobs in the Australian Public Service and the Defence Force, and the ability to apply for citizenship by descent for children born overseas. Australian law has allowed dual citizenship since 4 April 2002, but New Zealand’s own rules are a separate question to check before you apply; the dual citizenship page explains the Australian side.
Children in a New Zealand family
A child under 16 can be added to a parent’s application free of charge and does not need to meet the residence requirement, as long as the child is a permanent resident or an SCV holder when you apply and when Home Affairs decides. Teenagers aged 16 or 17 apply on their own and must meet the general rule themselves. A child born in Australia may already be a citizen: the page on birth in Australia explains when that happens, including the rule for children who live here for their first 10 years.