Australian Citizenship Lawyer / entry R-05
- Register no.
- R-05
- Status
- held
- Last checked
- 19 October 2026
- Sources
- Home Affairs, citizenship certificate (18 Oct)
- Home Affairs, get a citizenship certificate (18 Oct)
- Citizenship Act 2007 ss 37, 52
- Citizenship Regulation 2016 Sch 3
An Australian citizenship certificate is an official document from the Department of Home Affairs showing that a person is an Australian citizen, and Home Affairs can reissue one that is incorrect. Apply for evidence of Australian citizenship online through ImmiAccount after checking which documents support your status.
Enquire about a citizenship certificate problem
What should you do first?
| Situation | First check | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| No certificate | What documents already support the status | Prepare the evidence application |
| Only a birth certificate | Date of birth; who is asking | See the employer-guidance rule below |
| Lost or damaged certificate | Whether evidence was ever issued | Use the evidence application |
| Details are wrong | What exactly is wrong | Raise it with Home Affairs, which says it can reissue |
For employment checks, Home Affairs’ employer guidance separates births before 20 August 1986 from later births. A full birth certificate alone is not listed for the later group.
What does a citizenship certificate show?
That the person is an Australian citizen. The Home Affairs page calls it an official document. Applying for evidence records citizenship; it does not grant it.
The legal basis is section 37 of the Citizenship Act 2007: the Minister may give a notice, after satisfying identity, stating that a person is a citizen at a particular time. The notice is prima facie evidence of what it states.
Which documents does Home Affairs list?
| Document | Home Affairs employer guidance |
|---|---|
| Certificate or current Australian passport | Listed for anyone |
| Full Australian birth certificate | Listed alone for births before 20 August 1986; later births need a parent or grandparent document as well |
| Descent or adoption extract | Listed for citizenship acquired by application |
Is a birth certificate proof of citizenship?
For a birth in Australia before 20 August 1986, a full birth certificate is on the list. For a birth on or after that date it is listed only with a document showing a named parent was a citizen at the birth. This is document guidance, not the earlier legislation.
How do you get a certificate?
- Establish the basis. Birth, descent or another route.
- Check the supporting evidence. A birth certificate alone may not settle it.
- Apply in ImmiAccount. One application per person. Children under 16 apply through a responsible parent and cannot be added to yours.
The paper-schedule name for the application is Form 119. Australian Migration Lawyers can prepare and lodge the application, which is the safer way to avoid a refusal caused by a missing or mismatched record.
How much does it cost?
$290, according to Schedule 3 of the Citizenship Regulation 2016 and Form 1298i, from 1 July 2026. Home Affairs’ page points to Form 1298i. Confirm the amount shown at payment.
Home Affairs says a fee exemption may apply when replacing evidence after a natural disaster. The Regulation sets a nil fee where its regulation 15 applies.
What if the certificate is missing or incorrect?
| Problem | Action |
|---|---|
| Lost or damaged | Use the evidence application; Home Affairs counts a lost certificate among the eligible situations |
| Details are wrong | Home Affairs says it can reissue an incorrect certificate |
| Looking for a number on it | Not covered here |
What if an evidence application is refused?
The Administrative Review Tribunal can review a refusal to give a section 37 notice (s 52(1)(g)). Cancelling an existing notice is a different decision, and neither is a loss of citizenship.
The Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 s 18 sets the period by rules that cannot end before 28 days after the decision. Other legislation may set a different period, so read the notice. Court review and ministerial intervention are separate and not covered here.
Related entries
| Entry | Go to | About |
|---|---|---|
| R-03 | Australian citizenship evidence | The section 37 application in detail |
| R-04 | proof of citizenship in Australia | Other accepted documents |
| Home | Australian citizenship lawyer help | Enquire |
| Home | Australian Citizenship Lawyer | Home register |
When to ask a lawyer
A certificate problem is often a status problem in disguise: the record behind it is missing, or the details differ across documents. Australian Migration Lawyers can separate a lost document from a doubtful status, prepare the application and deal with a refusal, which makes a good outcome more likely than reapplying unchanged.