How much does Australian citizenship cost? Here’s what the application charge covers, the extra costs to plan for, and how to confirm the current fee.
Australian citizenship by conferral, the pathway most permanent residents use, has a single government application charge that covers your application, the citizenship test, and your ceremony. That charge is a set amount published by the Department of Home Affairs, and it’s the main cost most people pay. There’s a lower concession fee for eligible applicants, such as some pensioners and people under 16 applying on their own, and children included on a parent’s application are often cheaper again. On top of the charge, budget for smaller extras like photos, document certification, and possibly translations. Because the government reviews these figures regularly, always confirm the current amount before you lodge.
The application charge is insert current citizenship by conferral fee from Home Affairs at publish date, with a concession rate of insert current concession fee. Here’s what actually goes into the cost, and where people trip up.
For most adults becoming citizens by conferral, you pay one charge to the Department of Home Affairs when you lodge. That single fee bundles together three things: assessing your application, sitting the citizenship test, and attending your citizenship ceremony where you make the pledge. You don’t pay separately for the test or the ceremony, and you don’t pay again if you have to resit the test.
This is different from the visa fees you may have paid on your way to permanent residency. Citizenship is the final step, and its charge is generally much smaller than the cost of a skilled or partner visa. If you’re comparing the whole journey, the citizenship fee is usually the least expensive part.
The application charge is not the only money you’ll spend, though the extras are modest. Plan for:
None of these are large on their own, but they add up, and gathering them late is the main reason applications stall.
Not everyone pays the full charge. A reduced concession fee applies to certain groups, which commonly includes:
Children included in a parent’s conferral application usually attract a lower fee than an adult, and in some family situations there’s no separate child charge at all. The rules on who qualifies for a concession change from time to time, so it’s worth checking your exact situation rather than assuming.
“Citizenship” isn’t one product with one price. The pathway changes the cost:
If you’re applying for a newborn or a child born overseas, the pathway and the cost differ from an adult conferral application, so identify the correct one first.
Two applicants with the same visa history can end up spending quite different amounts. What moves the number:
From an agent’s point of view, the expensive errors are rarely the fee itself. They’re these:
Plenty of people apply for citizenship themselves, and if your residence history is clean and your documents are in order, that’s reasonable. Get advice if your situation is not straightforward: long or frequent absences from Australia, a partner visa or complex visa history, past character issues, or uncertainty about whether you even meet the residence requirement yet. A registered migration agent can confirm your eligibility before you spend anything, which is often the most valuable step of all.
We confirm you actually meet the residence and other requirements before you lodge, so you don’t waste the charge on an early application. We tell you the current fee for your situation, including whether you qualify for a concession, and we help you assemble and certify your documents so the application runs cleanly through to your ceremony. If your history is complicated, we handle that too.
The main cost is a single government application charge for citizenship by conferral, with a lower concession rate for eligible applicants. Because the Department of Home Affairs updates these amounts, we’ll confirm the exact current figure for you before you apply.
Yes. The application charge covers the citizenship test and your ceremony. You don’t pay a separate fee to sit the test, and there’s no extra charge if you need to resit it.
Children included on a parent’s conferral application usually pay a reduced fee, and in some family situations there’s no separate child charge. The amount depends on the pathway and how the child is included, so check before lodging.
No. Citizenship by descent has its own separate charge, generally lower than conferral, and it’s charged per person. It’s a different pathway for people born overseas to an Australian citizen parent.
You may, if you hold an eligible concession or pensioner card, or fall into certain categories such as applicants under 18 applying in their own right. Eligibility rules change, so it’s worth confirming yours.
Yes, but they’re usually small: photos, certifying copies of documents, translations of non-English documents, and sometimes overseas police checks. These vary by person.
Generally the application charge is not refunded once your application has been assessed. That’s exactly why confirming your eligibility before you lodge matters so much.
Almost always, yes. The citizenship charge is typically far lower than skilled or partner visa fees. It’s the final and least expensive step of most migration journeys.
No. The test is covered by your application charge, and resitting it doesn’t cost extra. You’re given further chances to pass within your application.
Each adult pays their own application charge, so a couple pays two. Children are usually cheaper or included. We can give you a combined estimate for your household.
If you want the current fee and a straight answer on whether you’re eligible yet, talk to a registered migration agent at BYD. We’ll confirm your dates, your documents, and any concession you qualify for before you spend a cent. Learn more on our Australian Citizenship page, or call 0434 893 901 to book a consultation.
