Australian Citizenship (Conferral)

What conferral means

Citizenship by conferral is the pathway for a permanent resident already living in Australia who applies to be granted citizenship. It is the most common route, and it turns on one thing more than any other: the residence requirement, counted in days across four years, with absence limits that catch people who travelled more than they realised.

The other pathway, citizenship by descent, is different in kind — it is for a person born outside Australia to a parent who was already an Australian citizen. Descent registers an entitlement that already exists; it has no residence requirement, no test and no English requirement.

At a glance (updated 20 August 2026)

Processing figures are the Department's own, published 14 August 2026 on data to 31 July 2026, when 56,284 conferral applications were on hand.

The residence requirement, precisely

Section 22 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 requires that you were:

• present in Australia for the 4 years immediately before the day you apply; and
• not present as an unlawful non-citizen at any time in those 4 years; and
• present as a permanent resident for the 12 months immediately before you apply.

Absences are forgiven within limits: up to 12 months total across the four years, and up to 90 days in the final twelve — and during any absence in that final year you must have been a permanent resident throughout.

Two things people miss. Time in Australia on a temporary visa counts toward the four years (it is lawful residence), but only the final twelve months must be as a permanent resident. And time in prison, or in a psychiatric institution by court order, during the four years defeats the requirement unless the Minister exercises a discretion.

Separate pathways exist for people who cannot meet the general rule: the special residence requirement (sections 22A and 22B, for certain occupations requiring regular travel) and the defence service requirement (section 23).

What else you must satisfy

Under section 21(2), a conferral applicant must:

• be 18 or over, and a permanent resident at both application and decision
• satisfy the residence requirement
• understand the nature of the application
• possess a basic knowledge of the English language
• have adequate knowledge of Australia and of the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship
• be likely to reside, or continue to reside, in Australia, or to maintain a close and continuing association with it
• be of good character at the time of decision

A wording point that matters, because it is constantly imported from visa law: citizenship requires a basic knowledge of English, demonstrated by passing the test. "Competent English" is a Migration Regulations term for visas and has no application to citizenship.

The citizenship test

Twenty multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes (90 minutes for an Assisted Test). To pass you need at least 15 out of 20 overall, and 5 out of 5 on the Australian values questions — both, not either. There is no separate fee, and you get up to three test appointments; a third failure can mean refusal.

The test applies to applicants aged 18 to 59 on the day the application is received. You are exempt if you are 17 or younger, 60 or over, or have a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity, or permanent loss or substantial impairment of hearing, speech or sight. Some applicants born in Papua before 16 September 1975, children of former citizens, and people born in Australia and stateless are also exempt. Exempt applicants may still attend an identity interview.

Applicants aged 60 or over are not tested on English or knowledge of Australia at all — section 21(4) simply omits those criteria.

The fee — check it before you pay

The Australian Citizenship Regulation 2016 (Schedule 3) sets the conferral fee at 595 * *forgeneraleligibility, reducedto * *85 for pensioner concession card holders. Applications in other situations (sections 21(3) to 21(8)) are 365 * *, or * *40 on concession. Children under 16 included on a responsible parent's application pay nothing, and several categories — Australian Defence Force service, former child migrants, statelessness — are free.

Be aware of a live discrepancy: some of the Department's summary eligibility pages currently display lower, older figures. The Regulation is the operative law, and the Department's own fee form 1298i (design date 07/2026) matches the Regulation. Confirm the current fee on Form 1298i before paying — and expect it to move on 1 July each year, when citizenship fees are indexed.

When citizenship must be refused

Some grounds are mandatory rather than discretionary. Citizenship cannot be approved where identity is not established; where proceedings for an offence are pending; where the applicant was released from prison less than 2 years ago after a sentence of 12 months or more (10 years for repeat offenders); where the applicant is subject to parole, bond or bail conditions; where they are in prison or a psychiatric institution at the time of decision; where there is an adverse security assessment; or where they ceased to be an Australian citizen in the last 12 months.

Most general-eligibility applicants must also be in Australia at the time of decision — worth planning around if long travel is likely.

Where citizenship applications go wrong

1. Miscounting absences. The 90-day limit in the final year is the usual casualty. Count actual days from movement records, not memory

2. Applying too early after PR. The final twelve months must be as a permanent resident — a day short is a refusal

3. Assuming temporary time does not count. It does, toward the four years — many people wait longer than they need to

4. Travelling during processing when a decision requires presence in Australia

5. Treating the values questions as ordinary questions. They must be answered perfectly; 19/20 overall still fails if one values question is wrong

6. Relying on a fee figure from a summary page rather than the Regulation or Form 1298i

Citizenship advice — Australia-wide

Migration Vision advises on citizenship eligibility for clients across Australia — the day-count against movement records before anything is lodged, the residence discretions where the general rule fails, character and mandatory-refusal risk, and timing an application around travel. Online consultations in English, Hindi, Urdu and Punjabi. Related reading: resident return visas 155 and 157 · the character test.

Frequently asked questions

How long must I live in Australia before applying for citizenship?

Four years of lawful residence immediately before applying, with the last twelve months as a permanent resident, and no time as an unlawful non-citizen. Absences can total no more than 12 months across the four years and no more than 90 days in the final twelve.

Does time on a temporary visa count toward citizenship?

Yes — lawful time on a temporary visa counts toward the four-year residence period. Only the final twelve months must be spent as a permanent resident.

How many questions are on the citizenship test, and what is the pass mark?

Twenty multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes. You must score at least 15 out of 20 overall and answer all five Australian values questions correctly. Both conditions must be met.

Who does not have to sit the citizenship test?

Applicants aged 17 or younger and 60 or over, and people with a permanent or enduring incapacity or a permanent loss or substantial impairment of hearing, speech or sight. Some other categories are also exempt. Applicants aged 60 or over are not assessed on English or knowledge of Australia at all.

How much does citizenship by conferral cost?

The Australian Citizenship Regulation 2016 sets $595 for general eligibility and $85 on a pensioner concession card; other situations are $365, or $40 on concession. Some of the Department's summary pages currently show older, lower figures — confirm on Form 1298i before paying.

How long does citizenship take?

On the Department's figures published 14 August 2026: 75% of conferral applications are decided within 4 months and 90% within 6. Ceremonies then add time — 90% of approvals reach a ceremony within 6 months, and 90% of applicants get from application to ceremony within about 13 months.

What is the difference between citizenship by descent and by conferral?

Descent is for a person born outside Australia to a parent who was an Australian citizen at the time of the birth; it has no residence requirement, no test and no English requirement. Conferral is for a permanent resident already in Australia applying to be granted citizenship.

Reviewed by Dr Asad Muhammad Khan, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2619525. Updated 20 August 2026 — eligibility, residence and refusal provisions verified against the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (compilation No. 37, in force 4 June 2026) and fees against the Australian Citizenship Regulation 2016 (compilation in force 1 July 2026, Schedule 3) on legislation.gov.au; test rules and processing times verified against the Department of Home Affairs on that date. This page is general information, not migration or citizenship advice for your circumstances.