From 1 July 2021, new citizenship application fees will apply for all Australian citizenship applications and for citizenship by descent and adoption, certificates will be issued to approved applicants.
As per the Department of Home Affairs, Citizenship application Fees are increasing to reflect the cost of application processing more accurately.
Applicants will be charged the relevant fee-based on when the Department receives their application. The new fees apply if the Department receives the application and payment on or after 1 July 2021.
The circumstances in which a fee concession applies from 1 July 2021 have been simplified however, there are no changes to fee exemptions.
Citizenship application fees (effective 1 July 2021)
| Application type | Fee from 1 July 2021 (amounts in AUD) |
|---|---|
| Australian citizenship by conferral—General eligibility (Form 1300t): | |
| Standard fee | $490 |
| Concession fee* | $70 |
| Child 15 years or younger applying on the same form as parent / Fee exemption^ | Nil |
| Australian citizenship by conferral—Other situations (Form 1290): | |
| Standard fee | $300 |
| Concession fee* | $35 |
| Child 15 years or younger applying on the same form as parent / Fee exemption^ | Nil |
| Australian citizenship by descent (Form 118) | |
| Single application / First sibling when two or more siblings apply | $315 |
| Second and each subsequent sibling applying at the same time | $130 |
| Australian citizenship for children adopted under full Hague Convention or bilateral arrangements (Form 1272) | |
| Single application / First sibling when two or more siblings apply | $315 |
| Second and each subsequent sibling applying at the same time | $130 |
| Renunciation of Australian citizenship (Form 128) | $265 |
| Resumption of Australian citizenship | |
| Resumption of Australian citizenship | $210 |
| Child 15 years or younger applying on the same form as parent | Nil |
| Evidence of Australian citizenship (Form 119) | |
| Separate application for evidence of Australian citizenship | $240 |
| Application for replacement of evidence of Australian citizenship lost, destroyed or damaged due to a natural disaster | Nil |
* Fee concessions for forms 1300t and 1290
A fee concession is payable by:
- holders of a Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Australian Government (Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs)
- persons aged 17 years or younger listed as a dependant on a Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Australian Government (Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs) applying independently.
No fee is payable for children aged 15 years or younger applying on the same form as a parent.
NOTE: To be eligible for the fee concession, applicants must provide a certified copy of both sides of their Pensioner Concession Card with the citizenship application.
^Fee exemptions
No fee is payable for applicants who:
- are a British or Maltese former child migrant who came to Australia without parents between 22 September 1947 and 31 December 1967 under the Commonwealth Child Migration Scheme. A letter from the Child Migrants Trust confirming details of arrival and sponsorship will need to be submitted with the citizenship application.
- served for at least 90 days in the permanent forces of the Commonwealth of Australia. A letter or discharge papers from the Australian Defence Force specifying service dates will need to be submitted with the citizenship application.
- are applying under the Statelessness provision (section 21(8) of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007).
Why citizenship fees are changing
This is the first fee increase in more than five years. The revised fees were determined by citizenship application processes and costs.
The changes to citizenship fees apply from 12.00 am 1 July 2021 (Australian Eastern Standard Time). New fees apply for any application submitted on or after this time.
Citizenship fee changes and your application
If you submit your application online on or after 1 July 2021, the new fee will apply. This is regardless of when you started the application. If you apply online, your application is considered submitted when the Department receives it, along with the applicable fee.
If you apply online and pay by credit or debit card, PayPal, or UnionPay, your application and fee are generally received on the same day. If you pay by BPAY there may be a delay in receipt of your application and payment.
Before submitting the application, please ensure it includes all the required documents. If you submit an incomplete application, you may be required to make a new application, and pay the relevant fee. If the department of Home Affairs receives an application on or after 1 July 2021, the new application fee applies.
Paper applications
If you lodge a paper application by mail, the date you submit your application is the date the Department receives it, not the day you post the application form. If we receive your application on or after 1 July 2021, the new fee applies.
Please consider postage times. To avoid the risk of postal delays, we recommend applying online where possible.
If we receive your paper application without the full fee that applies on the date we receive your application, we cannot consider your application until the correct application fee has been paid.
If you previously paid a lower fee, but there has been a delay in submitting your application, you are able to make a ‘top-up’ payment via ImmiAccount. Go to ImmiAccount:
My payments > Manage payments > Pre-pay Paper Service and select Top-up payment.
If you do not pay the ‘top-up’ amount, you will need to submit a new application with the correct fee.
Fee Concessions
From 1 July 2021, if you are applying for Australian citizenship by conferral you can pay a concession fee if you:
- hold a Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) issued by the Australian Government (Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs)
or
- you are:
- aged 17 years or younger,
- applying independently, and
- listed as a dependant on a PCC issued by the Australian Government (Services Australia or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs).
If you are paying a concession fee, you must provide a certified copy of both sides of your concession card with your application.
For more information on applying for Australian citizenship, see Becoming an Australian citizen.
Changes to citizenship certificates from 1 July 2021
From 1 July 2021, applicants approved for Australian citizenship by descent and Australian citizenship by adoption will receive an Australian citizenship certificate. This is instead of an Australian citizenship extract.
An Australian citizenship extract is an informal document that can be used to access limited government services. An Australian citizenship certificate is an official document that provides formal evidence of Australian citizenship.
Applicants for Australian citizenship by descent and adoption who:
- applied prior to 1 July 2021, and
- have their application approved on or after 1 July 2021
are also eligible to receive an Australian citizenship certificate instead of an extract. The Department will contact these applicants directly with more information.
The Government will not issue citizenship extracts for applications approved on or after 1 July 2021, However, a citizenship extract (issued prior to 1 July 2021) can be used to apply for an Australian Passport.
