Citizenship by Descent

To qualify for citizenship-by-descent, you must meet specific criteria regarding your birth date, your parent's status, and your own personal conduct.

Parental Citizenship

The most critical requirement is that at least one of your parents must have been an Australian citizen at the moment you were born.

• If your parent lost their Australian citizenship before you were born and only resumed it later, you are generally not eligible for this pathway.
• If your parent was an Australian citizen by descent themselves (meaning they were also born outside Australia), they must have spent a total of at least 2 years physically present in Australia at any point in their life before you apply. This requirement is waived if you would otherwise be stateless.

Birth Date Categories

• Born on or after January 26, 1949: This is the standard category. You qualify if a parent was a citizen at your birth.
• Born before January 26, 1949: You may be eligible if at least one parent became an Australian citizen on January 26, 1949 (the date Australian citizenship was established), and that parent was born or naturalized in Australia before your birth.

Good Character

If you are 18 years of age or older, you must satisfy the character requirement. The Australian government assesses your criminal record and general conduct to ensure you are of "good character." Significant criminal convictions or associations with certain groups may result in a refusal.

Surrogacy

If you were born through an international surrogacy arrangement, you may still be eligible if a legal parent-child relationship is established under Australian law and your parent was a citizen at the time of your birth.