How long does it take to get citizenship in Australia?

The naturalization process in Australia takes 5–28 months on average (11.5 months typical). You need 4 years (1 year as permanent resident) before applying.

What are the steps to get Australia citizenship?

1. Online application (0–1 months). 2. Department processing (3–12 months). 3. Citizenship test (0.5–3 months). 4. Approval + ceremony (1–12 months)

What is the residency requirement for Australia citizenship?

You need 4 years (1 year as permanent resident) to be eligible for naturalization in Australia. Must pass citizenship test (75% pass mark).

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Immigration Tracker

Australia — Citizenship Timeline

4 years (1 year as permanent resident) → 4 processing steps → passport

Average Total

11.5mo

Range

5–28mo

Speed Rank

#7 of 19

Residency Req.

4 years (1 year as permanent resident)

Processing Steps

1Online application0.5mo avg (0–1 months)

2Department processing6mo avg (3–12 months)

Identity, character, residence checks

3Citizenship test1mo avg (0.5–3 months)

4Approval + ceremony4mo avg (1–12 months)

90% attend ceremony within 12 months of approval

Total processing time

Moderate11.5 months average

Important Notes

Must pass citizenship test (75% pass mark). Dual citizenship allowed.

Visa Processing by Subclass

Median and 90th percentile processing times.

Subclass	Name	Median (days)	90th %ile (days)	Tracked Cases
SC189	Skilled Independent	120	270	3057
SC190	Skilled Nominated	90	210	3617
SC491	Skilled Regional	57	120	540
SC482	Temporary Skill Shortage	57	120	—
Partner	Partner Visa	300	540	692

How Australia compares

Average naturalization processing time, all 19 countries. Australia highlighted.

Key Insight

SC190 has 3,617 tracked cases on MyImmiTracker

Based on 10,843 community-tracked data points.

Source: Department of Home Affairs official stats · Last updated: 2025-12

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