Citizenship by birth
People born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 are not automatically Australian citizens by birth.
Where a candidate born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 provides an Australian birth certificate as evidence of citizenship, additional information may be required to confirm that they are an Australian citizen.
Australian citizenship can be established in one of the following ways:
- An Australian passport.
- An Australian citizenship certificate.
- Evidence that at least one parent was an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of the candidate's birth.
- Evidence that the candidate became an Australian citizen under the 10-year rule.
Verifying parental citizenship
Where a candidate provides an Australian birth certificate, the parent's details shown on the birth certificate are reviewed first.
If the birth certificate records that a parent was born in Australia before 20 August 1986, this is accepted as evidence that the parent was an Australian citizen at the time of the candidate's birth.
Otherwise, additional evidence of the parent's citizenship or permanent residency at the time of the candidate's birth may be required, depending on the client's requirements.
The 10-year rule
A person born in Australia on or after 20 August 1986 may also become an Australian citizen if they were ordinarily resident in Australia throughout the first 10 years of their life.
Where a candidate relies on the 10-year rule, additional evidence demonstrating that they were ordinarily resident in Australia during this period may be required, depending on the client's requirements.
Evidence may include:
- School or early childhood records.
- Medical or immunisation records.
- Passport or travel records showing periods of travel outside Australia.
- Other official documents demonstrating residence in Australia during the first 10 years of the candidate's life.