Ceremony and after
Renouncing Australian citizenship
Answer one question above to see whether a renunciation can be approved, then read the conditions, the fee and what follows.
Independent, non-government site: tests, applications and appointments are handled only on the Home Affairs website.
Giving up Australian citizenship: what it takes
Renunciation
Can be approved
| Fee | $320 |
| Form | 128 |
| Living in Australia after | an ex-citizen visa is granted |
Renouncing Australian citizenship means asking Home Affairs to end it, on form 128. You may be eligible if you are already a citizen of another country, if you will be granted another citizenship as soon as the Australian one is cancelled, or if you were born or live in a country where you cannot become a citizen while you remain Australian. A renunciation that would leave you stateless is not approved. The fee on form 1298i of July 2026 is $320; the Home Affairs page on giving up citizenship still shows an older $205. You stop being a citizen on the day the application is approved. If you are in Australia then, you automatically hold an ex-citizen visa, a permanent visa that does not allow re-entry, so a Resident Return visa is needed before travelling. You can no longer hold an Australian passport. If you renounced to keep or acquire another citizenship, or to avoid significant hardship, you may later be able to resume Australian citizenship.
Can I become an Australian citizen again?
Resumption
Open to you
| Fee | $255 |
| Form | 132 |
| Ceremony | not required |
Questions, dates and fees by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How questions and dates are built
Conditions
| Condition | Detail |
|---|---|
| Another citizenship | held already, or granted as soon as the Australian one is cancelled; adults must already hold it in the general case |
| Or a legal obstacle abroad | born or living in a country where you cannot become a citizen while Australian |
| No statelessness | the application is refused if you would be left without any citizenship |
| Age | any age |
Fee and form
The application is form 128. On form 1298i of July 2026 the fee is $320. The Home Affairs page on giving up citizenship still printed $205 when we checked on 25 October 2026; the fee form is the schedule set under the Australian Citizenship Regulation 2016 and is indexed every 1 July, so we follow it. Most people can apply online in ImmiAccount. A paper application is required for a concession fee, members of the Australian Defence Force, stateless people, people with no current or expired passport and people who have not travelled into or out of Australia since July 1990.
What happens on approval
Citizenship ends on the day the department approves the application. From then on you cannot hold an Australian passport. If you are in Australia on that day, you automatically become the holder of an ex-citizen visa, with no application needed. It is a permanent residence visa but does not allow you to re-enter if you leave, so apply for a Resident Return visa before any trip. If you are outside Australia, you need a valid passport and a visa to travel to Australia.
If the application is refused
The department sends a letter giving the reasons. Home Affairs says you can ask the Administrative Review Tribunal to review the decision, and the letter states where to lodge the request and the time limit.
Children and other family
A renunciation affects only the person named on the application. Under the rules for resumption, a child whose citizenship was revoked when a responsible parent's citizenship ended may later be able to resume it; the resumption page lists every case.
Think twice, and check the way back
Renouncing is final for the time being, but not always forever. Resumption is open to people who renounced so that they could acquire or keep another citizenship, or to avoid significant hardship or detriment, at $255. Someone who renounced for another reason would have to go through conferral again as a permanent resident, with the residence requirement, the test and the ceremony. If the only reason to renounce is the other country's law, check that law first: some countries have relaxed their rules on dual nationality. The dual citizenship page explains Australia's position since 4 April 2002.