Citizenship document checklist

• Three documents, five things. Together they must show your birth name, date of birth and sex, a photograph, your signature and your current residential address.
• Online or on paper. Online, attach scans of your original documents. On paper, provide certified copies, and original police certificates.
• Don't get a New Zealand police certificate yourself. The Department requests it directly from the New Zealand Ministry of Justice.

Identity

1. Full birth certificateShowing your date of birth, birth name, sex, place of birth and your parents' names where available. If you can't provide one, any one of: an adoption order, an ImmiCard, a Document for Travel to Australia, a family or household registration document, or documents issued before you arrived that together confirm your identity from birth. If you have no evidence of birth at all, provide a statement explaining why and what you did to try to get it.Always
2. Photo identification with your signatureFor example an Australian driver licence (front and back), the photo, personal details and issue and expiry pages of a valid passport, a national identity card, an ImmiCard or an Australian proof of age card.Always
3. Evidence of your current residential addressFor example an electricity, gas or water bill, a rates notice, a rental contract or a bank statement. It must be in your current name.Always
4. Evidence of any change of nameAn official marriage or divorce certificate, a change of name certificate from an Australian births, deaths and marriages registry or the overseas authority, or other official documents linking your current and previous names. Statutory declarations are not accepted.If it applies
5. Evidence of a change of sex or genderA statement from a registered medical practitioner or registered psychologist, a valid Australian Government travel document specifying your sex, or a births, deaths and marriages certificate reflecting the change.If it applies

Photographs

1. A photo of you and of each dependent child on the applicationNo more than 6 months old, in colour and unedited, against a neutral or light grey background, full face, eyes open and mouth closed, no glasses unless medically required. Online: a JPEG between 70 KB and 3.5 MB, ideally 1200 x 1600 pixels, not a scan or photo of a photo. On paper: 35 to 40 mm wide and 45 to 50 mm high, face 32 to 36 mm from chin to crown, with the applicant's name on the back.Always

Character

1. Overseas police certificatesYou need one if, since turning 18, you lived or travelled outside Australia in the last 10 years or since you got your first permanent visa, whichever is more recent; and you spent a total of 12 months or more outside Australia; and you spent 90 days or more in any one country. Get it from the relevant authority in each such country. The Department may also ask you for one directly.If all three apply
2. Australian police checkIf you are 16 or over, the Department requests a check from the National Police Checking Service on your behalf. You don't provide it.Department arranges

Children 15 or younger on your application

1. For each childA full birth certificate or family or household registration document showing the parents' details, a passport or travel document, evidence linking the child's birth name and current name if it applies, and one passport-sized photograph.If included
2. Parenting or adoption documentsAny parenting orders relating to the child, and adoption documents if the child is adopted.If it applies

Fee concession

1. Pensioner Concession Card, both sidesA valid, unexpired card issued by Services Australia or the Department of Veterans' Affairs, with you as the primary cardholder. Health Care Cards, Student Cards and Senior Health Cards cannot be used. On paper, the copy must be certified. No fee is payable for children 15 or younger applying on the same form as a parent.If claiming it

Preparing your documents

• Translations. If a document is in another language, have it translated into English, and provide both the translation and the original.
• Travel plans. If you plan to travel, include a statement of your leave and return dates, the countries and the purpose, if they are not already in your application.

Sources, checked 8 November 2026. Department of Home Affairs: Become an Australian citizen: permanent residents · Citizenship by conferral: additional guidance (PDF) · Photo requirements for citizenship applications · Character requirements for Australian citizenship · Fee concessions or exemptions. Ticks are saved on this device only. This checklist is general information drawn from the Department's pages, not migration advice, and it does not cover every circumstance. What you need depends on your situation, and the Department can ask for more.