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Citizenship by descent

Australian Citizenship

Australian citizenship by descent.

Born outside Australia to an Australian citizen parent? Citizenship by descent is how that citizenship is recognised and registered, so you can hold an Australian passport and pass citizenship to your own children. No residence rule, no test - it turns on your parent's citizenship at the moment you were born.

Born overseas to an Australian parentNo residence rule, no testAn application to register
Book a Citizenship ReviewOr citizenship by conferral
Who Is Eligible

It turns on your parent's citizenship, not on time spent here.

You may be eligible for citizenship by descent if you were born outside Australia and, at the time of your birth, at least one of your parents was an Australian citizen. It is an application to have your citizenship registered, not a visa, so there is no points test, no residence period and no citizenship test.

This page is the descent deep-dive. If instead you are a permanent resident who has lived in Australia for years and wants to naturalise, that is citizenship by conferral, which does have a residence requirement and a test. The two pathways rarely overlap.

The Detail That Changes the Outcome

Dates and your parent's own citizenship.

A date distinction applies. The current pathway under the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 covers people born on or after 26 January 1949. People born before that date fall under different, older provisions and may have become citizens by a separate route. If you are in that earlier group, eligibility is assessed differently, so it is worth confirming rather than assuming.

Where the Australian parent you are claiming through was themselves a citizen by descent (rather than by birth in Australia), additional requirements may apply before they can pass citizenship on, for example a requirement that the parent had spent a period living in Australia. The detail here changes the outcome, so we confirm the current rule for your parent's situation rather than state a figure that may be out of date.

These are national rules under the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 and can change. Descent is generally not automatic - in most cases you make an application to register it, and once approved you receive evidence of citizenship, which is what an Australian passport application relies on. Confirm the current detail at homeaffairs.gov.au, or have us check it against your family's history.

Descent or Conferral

Which applies to you?

Citizenship by descent

You were born outside Australia and a parent was an Australian citizen when you were born. No residence rule, no test. This page.

Citizenship by conferral

You live in Australia as a permanent resident and have met the four-year residence rule. You apply, meet character, sit the test if required, and make the pledge. See citizenship by conferral.

Common Questions

Citizenship by descent, answered.

Citizenship by descent is generally not automatic. In most cases you make an application to register it, and once approved you receive evidence of your Australian citizenship. From that point you can apply for an Australian passport. We can confirm whether you already hold citizenship or need to apply.
No. That is the key difference from citizenship by conferral. Descent has no four-year residence rule and no citizenship test, because eligibility rests on your parent's citizenship at the time you were born rather than on time you have spent in Australia.
It can. Where the parent you are claiming through was themselves an Australian citizen by descent rather than by birth in Australia, additional requirements may apply before they can pass citizenship on, such as a period of living in Australia. The specifics matter and can change, so we confirm the current rule for your parent's situation rather than rely on a number that may be out of date.
Yes. The current descent pathway under the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 is framed around births on or after 26 January 1949. Births before that date fall under older provisions and are assessed differently, and you may already be a citizen by another route. If this is you, it is worth having your status confirmed rather than assumed.
Often yes. Once your Australian citizenship is recognised, your children born outside Australia may in turn be eligible by descent through you, though the parent-a-citizen-by-descent requirements above can apply to your situation. It is common to handle a parent's and a child's applications together, and we can map the chain across the generations.
Generally yes. A passport application relies on evidence of citizenship, so having your citizenship by descent registered first is usually the order of events. If time matters, for travel, work or study, tell us your deadline so we can plan around it.
You will generally need your own birth record and documents establishing your parent's Australian citizenship at the time of your birth, along with identity documents. The exact list depends on your circumstances and where you were born, so we confirm what is needed for your case before you lodge.
An application fee applies and is set by the government; confirm the current amount at homeaffairs.gov.au, since it changes. Processing times vary with your documents and the Department's caseload, so we work to the current published estimate rather than a fixed promise. Our own professional fee, if you engage us, is quoted in writing first.
Where to From Here

Related citizenship pathways.

CitizenshipCitizenship by ConferralThe residence-based pathway for PRs. Citizenship hubCitizenship and RRV OverviewAll citizenship and PR-travel pathways.
Sources

Department of Home Affairs - Become an Australian citizen by descent; Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (Cth). Figures and rules are current as at June 2026 and verified live at publish. Confirm the current detail at homeaffairs.gov.au.

Written and reviewed by Brian Chan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217857)

Visa Store Australia, Perth · Last reviewed June 2026 · Verify on the MARA register · General information only, not personal migration advice.

Born overseas to an Australian parent?

We can check whether you already hold citizenship by descent, register it, and map the chain to your own children.

Book a Citizenship ReviewSpeak With a Registered Agent
Citizenship by Descent Born overseas to an Australian parent
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