Citizenship

How do I prove I’m an Australian citizen?

Unless you qualify for renewal, you have to show us documents that prove you’re an Australian citizen.

Because of changes to Australian citizenship laws on 20 August 1986, the documents we require depend on whether you were:

Born overseas

In most cases, you must attend a citizenship ceremony before you can be granted citizenship.

You can provide your Australian citizenship certificate with your application.

If you don’t have your citizenship certificate, just make sure that you provide your full name on your passport application form as it’s shown on your citizenship certificate.

If you know your citizenship certificate number or your Home Affairs client ID (CID) number, please provide that, too.

If you don’t have your CID number or citizenship certificate number, you will have to complete a paper form.

Born in Australia before 20 August 1986

If you were born in Australia before 20 August 1986, you only have to show us your full birth certificate issued by an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.

Born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986

If you were born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986, you can prove your citizenship by showing us:

How do I prove citizenship by birth?

If you were born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 and one of your parents was an Australian permanent resident or citizen on the day you were born, then you can prove your citizenship by showing us your own full birth certificate and:

  • your parent's full birth certificate that shows your parent was born in Australia before 20 August 1986, or
  • your parent's Australian passport issued on or after 20 August 1986 that was valid for at least two years and issued before you were born, or
  • your parent’s Australian citizenship certificate that shows citizenship was acquired before you were born, or
  • if both of your parents were Australian permanent residents when you were born, you will need to apply for evidence of your citizenship through the Department of Home Affairs.

If none of the above apply to your situation, and if your parent was born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986, then to prove citizenship by birth you’ll need to show us your own full Australian birth certificate and your parent’s full Australian birth certificate and:

  • the full Australian birth certificate of a grandparent who was born in Australia before 20 August 1986, or
  • the Australian passport of a grandparent issued on or after 20 August 1986 that was valid for at least two years and issued before your parent was born, or
  • the Australian citizenship certificate of a grandparent that shows they acquired citizenship before your parent was born.

We only accept full, original Australian birth certificates issued by an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages that show parent or grandparent names.

If the link between you and your parent, or between your parent and your grandparent, isn’t clear from their birth certificates because one or both of them changed their names, then you’ll also need to show us name change documents that prove these links.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and don’t have a birth certificate, you can provide a completed B19 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander declaration.pdf (PDF 152.79 KB).

You don’t need a citizenship certificate.

How do I get a citizenship certificate?

If you want an Australian citizenship certificate, you have to apply to the Department of Home Affairs.

See also: