Proving your citizenship
To qualify for an Australian passport, you must be an Australian citizen.
This page explains how you can prove your citizenship when you apply for a new passport. Most people don't need to prove their citizenship when renewing a passport. If we need citizenship documents from you, we'll ask for them.
On this page 'you' means the person applying for the passport. If you're applying for a child, 'you' means the child.
Find the option that applies to you
Your citizenship documents depend on when and where you were born.
- Born in Australia before 20 August 1986
You can prove your citizenship with your full Australian birth certificate. - Born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986
Your Australian birth certificate does not prove citizenship by itself. You'll need other documents to prove you're an Australian citizen. - Born overseas
You can prove your citizenship with your Australian citizenship certificate.- If you've been issued a certificate but can't provide it, see what information to include with your application.
- If you've never been issued a certificate, contact the Department of Home Affairs(Opens in a new tab/window) before applying for an Australian passport.
If you were born in Australia
Born in Australia before 20 August 1986
If you were born in Australia before 20 August 1986, you can prove your citizenship with your full Australian birth certificate issued by an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM).
Born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986
Australian citizenship laws changed on 20 August 1986. If you were born in Australia on or after this date, your Australian birth certificate does not prove that you're an Australian citizen by itself.
You can prove your citizenship by providing one of the following:
Option 1: Australian citizenship certificate
Provide an Australian citizenship certificate in your name from the Department of Home Affairs(Opens in a new tab/window).
Option 2: Previous Australian passport
Provide an Australian passport that:
- was issued in your name on or after 1 January 2000
- was valid for at least 2 years.
Option 3: Documents that prove citizenship by birth
The documents you need depend on your circumstances. See documents that prove citizenship by birth for details.
Birth certificates
If you need to provide a birth certificate to prove your citizenship, we only accept full, original Australian birth certificates that:
- are issued by an Australian RBDM
- show parent or grandparent names.
You can get a birth certificate from the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in the state or territory where your birth was registered.
Australian RBDM by state and territory
- Australian Capital Territory(Opens in a new tab/window)
- New South Wales(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Northern Territory(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Queensland(Opens in a new tab/window)
- South Australia(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Tasmania(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Victoria(Opens in a new tab/window)
- Western Australia(Opens in a new tab/window)
Documents that prove citizenship by birth
You may need to provide documents about one of your parents and/or your grandparents to prove you're an Australian citizen by birth.
One parent was an Australian citizen
If one of your parents was born in Australia before 20 August 1986, or was an Australian citizen when you were born, you'll need to provide your own full Australian birth certificate and one of the following documents for your parent:
- their full Australian birth certificate, showing they were born in Australia before 20 August 1986
- their Australian passport, issued on or after 20 August 1986, before you were born, and valid for at least 2 years
- their Australian citizenship certificate, showing they became an Australian citizen before you were born.
If one of your parents was born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986, and you can’t provide one of the parent documents listed above, you’ll need to provide:
- your own full Australian birth certificate
- that parent's full Australian birth certificate and
- one document for your Australian citizen grandparent.
The document provided for your grandparent must be one of the following:
- their full Australian birth certificate, showing they were born in Australia before 20 August 1986
- their Australian passport issued on or after 20 August 1986, before your parent was born and valid for at least 2 years
- their Australian citizenship certificate, showing they became an Australian citizen before your parent was born.
Both parents were Australian permanent residents
If both your parents were Australian permanent residents when you were born, you'll need to apply for evidence of your citizenship through the Department of Home Affairs(Opens in a new tab/window).
If names have changed
If name changes affect your documents, we need to see a direct link between you and your parent, and between you and your grandparent.
If you, your parent or your grandparent changed names, your birth certificates may not show these links clearly. If this applies to you, you’ll also need to show us name change documents that prove these family links.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
If you were born in Australia and identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and can't provide documents that prove your citizenship, an alternative process is available.
You can complete a B-19 form and submit it with your passport application if you:
- don’t have a birth certificate
- can’t get a late registration of birth
- were born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 and can’t provide documents to prove your parents’ and/or grandparents’ Australian citizenship
- have different names on your personal identification documents.
Completing a B-19 form means you may not need to provide a citizenship certificate. Instead, we'll verify the information in the B-19 form to confirm both your identity and proof of your Australian citizenship.
If you were born overseas
Citizenship certificate
In most cases, if you were born overseas, you must either be registered as an Australian citizen by descent or attend a citizenship ceremony before you can acquire citizenship. After you are registered or you attend an Australian citizenship ceremony, you should receive a citizenship certificate.
You should provide your original Australian citizenship certificate with your application.
If you've never been issued an Australian citizenship certificate, contact the Department of Home Affairs(Opens in a new tab/window) to apply for evidence of your citizenship before applying for an Australian passport.
If you've been issued a certificate but can't provide it
If you've been issued a citizenship certificate but can't provide it, enter your full name on your passport application form exactly as it appears on your certificate.
Also include your citizenship certificate number or your Home Affairs client ID (CID) number if you know it.
Need help?
If you can't provide the documents listed on this page, there may be another way to prove your Australian citizenship in limited circumstances. You can contact us to discuss your situation.
We can only issue a passport once we're satisfied that you're an Australian citizen.
If you need help or advice about documents that prove your citizenship, contact the Department of Home Affairs(Opens in a new tab/window).