Citizenship by Descent
Citizenship by Descent
A person born outside Australia on or after 26 January 1949 is eligible for citizenship by descent if at least one parent was an Australian citizen at the time of their birth. This pathway does not require the applicant to have ever lived in Australia. Registration is required before an Australian passport can be issued or the citizenship used.
Citizenship by descent — how it works
Citizenship by descent is not automatic. The eligible person must register their citizenship through an application to the Department of Home Affairs. Until registered, the person is not recognised as an Australian citizen for the purposes of obtaining a passport, sponsoring family members, or exercising any other right of citizenship.
Where the Australian citizen parent themselves acquired citizenship by descent or by adoption, an additional requirement applies. The parent must have resided in Australia for at least two years before the descent application is lodged. This prevents citizenship by descent from being passed indefinitely through generations without any connection to Australia.
Applicants aged 18 and over must satisfy the good character requirement. Applicants under 15 must have their applications signed by a parent. The Department will not grant a bridging visa for a citizenship by descent application, so the applicant does not need to be in Australia to apply.
Eligibility requirements
Born overseas on or after 26 January 1949
The applicant must have been born outside Australia on or after 26 January 1949, which is the date Australian citizenship was first created.
At least one Australian citizen parent at birth
At least one parent must have been an Australian citizen at the time of the applicant's birth. If both parents were not citizens at birth, citizenship by descent is not available through that parent.
Parent acquired citizenship by descent — additional requirement
Where the Australian citizen parent themselves became a citizen by descent or adoption, that parent must have resided in Australia for at least two years before the applicant's descent application is lodged.
Good character
Applicants aged 18 and over must satisfy the good character requirement under the Australian Citizenship Act 2007. This is the same standard applied to citizenship by conferral applications.
No residence requirement for applicant
The applicant is not required to have lived in, or even visited, Australia. The connection to Australia flows through the Australian citizen parent, not through the applicant's own residence history.
26 Jan 1949
Earliest eligible birth date
No residence
Applicant need not live in Australia
2 years
Parent residence if citizen by descent
Registration
Required before passport can be issued
Why instruct Visa Plan?
Parent citizenship status verification
The eligibility of the applicant depends entirely on whether the parent held Australian citizenship at the time of birth. We confirm the parent's citizenship status and the applicable evidence requirements before any application is prepared.
Second-generation descent cases
Where the Australian citizen parent acquired citizenship by descent themselves, the two-year residence requirement creates an additional complexity. We assess whether this requirement is met before the application is lodged.
Evidence preparation
Citizenship by descent applications require Form 1195 Identity Declaration and a specific document package establishing the identity of both the applicant and the Australian citizen parent. We advise on the complete evidence required.
Citizenship by descent information is sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 and is current as at 13 May 2026. Eligibility criteria are subject to change. This page provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice.