New citizenship application fees apply
For Australian citizenship by descent and adoption, certificates will be issued to approved applicants
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 12.00am, 1 July 2021 (Australian Eastern Standard Time). New fees apply for any application submitted on or after this time.
Source: https://migrationalliance.com.au/images/easyblog_images/5725/Citizenship-Fees-1-July-2021.pdf
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 is 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 your 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 receives your application on or after 1 July 2021, the new application fee applies.
The new fees applicable from 1 July 2021 are set out in the table below.
The circumstances in which a fee concession applies from 1 July 2021 have been simplified. There are no changes to fee exemptions.
| 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 | $210 |
| 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 |
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 the Department receives your application on or after 1 July 2021, the new fee applies.
Please consider postage times. To avoid the risk of postal delays, the Department recommends applying online where possible.
If the Department receives your paper application without the full fee that applies on the date the your application is received, your application cannot be considered 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.
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.
You can still use a citizenship extract (issued prior to 1 July 2021), to apply for an Australian Passport.
Receiving your Australian citizenship certificate
The way in which your citizenship certificate will be sent to you depends on your location.
The Department encourages all applicants to provide an Australian postal address with their application. This will help to ensure your certificate is delivered securely and as quickly as possible. It may take around two weeks for a citizenship certificate to arrive at an address in Australia.
If you are unable to provide an Australian postal address, generally the Department will send the certificate to you by international express mail from Australia. It may take around six weeks for a citizenship certificate to arrive.
If your country of residence does not have a functional mail system, the Department will send your certificate to the closest Australian Embassy or High Commission. The Department will notify you on how you can collect the certificate.
Applying for an urgent Australian passport
If you are outside of Australia, you do not need to wait until you receive your certificate to apply for an Australian passport. Information on how to apply will be included in your approval letter.
Evidence of Australian citizenship
Only descent and adoption applications approved on or after 1 July 2021 will receive a citizenship certificate. If you have an extract and would like to obtain an Australian citizenship certificate, you can apply for formal evidence of citizenship.
Source: https://migrationalliance.com.au/images/easyblog_images/5725/Citizenship-Fees-1-July-2021.pdf
