Australian Citizenship Lawyer / entry R-08
- Register no.
- R-08
- Status
- ending
- Last checked
- 19 October 2026
- Sources
- Citizenship Act 2007 ss 33, 36, 52
- Home Affairs, give up citizenship (18 Oct)
- Citizenship Regulation 2016 Sch 3
- Form 1298i
You can renounce Australian citizenship if you are 18 or over and hold, or will immediately gain, another nationality, and Home Affairs says it processes 75% of applications within 11 months and 90% within 13 months (checked 18 October 2026). Renunciation takes effect when the application is approved, not when it is lodged, and approval also depends on identity, Australia’s interests and the statutory nationality conditions (Act s 33).
That opening is a summary. The eligibility table below is the full test.
Enquire about renouncing Australian citizenship
What does the decision turn on?
| Item | Position | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | A nationality route, identity and Australia’s interests; a wartime refusal is possible | Act s 33 |
| Route | ImmiAccount; paper Form 128 in listed cases | Home Affairs |
| Fee | $320 | Regulation Sch 3; Form 1298i |
| Processing | 75% within 11 months; 90% within 13 months | Home Affairs, 18 October 2026 |
| Effect of approval | Citizenship ends at approval, not at lodgement | Act s 33(8) |
Who can renounce?
There are two nationality routes, and approval then needs three further conditions.
| Requirement | What section 33 says |
|---|---|
| Adult with a foreign nationality | Aged 18 or over, and a national or citizen of a foreign country when applying |
| Abroad and shut out | Born or ordinarily resident in a foreign country and not entitled to acquire its nationality because an Australian citizen |
| Identity | The Minister must be satisfied of identity |
| Australia’s interests | The Minister must not approve if it would not be in Australia’s interests |
| Nationality at approval | The person holds, or immediately gains, a foreign nationality |
| War | The Minister may refuse an application made during a war in which Australia is engaged (s 33(5)) |
The second route does not remove the nationality condition at approval.
How do you renounce?
- Confirm the route. Home Affairs lists paper applications for concession-fee cases, Australian Defence Force members, stateless people, people with no current or expired passport, and people with no travel in or out of Australia since July 1990.
- Prepare the evidence the Home Affairs page calls for.
- Apply and pay in ImmiAccount. Form 128 is the paper form.
- Wait for the decision. Citizenship continues until approval.
How much does it cost?
The fee is $320. Schedule 3 of the Citizenship Regulation 2016 sets it from 1 July 2026, and Form 1298i lists the same amount. Some Home Affairs pages show older amounts; the fee charged is the amount at payment.
How long does it take?
| Share of applications | Published processing time |
|---|---|
| 75% | Within 11 months |
| 90% | Within 13 months |
These are statistics across applications, not a deadline for any one decision. Home Affairs says an application takes longer if it is incomplete, lacks documents or needs more checking.
What happens when renunciation is approved?
Citizenship ends at the time of approval. Home Affairs also says you cannot have an Australian passport after giving up citizenship.
A child’s citizenship does not end automatically. Section 36 gives the Minister a separate power, which does not apply if another responsible parent remains a citizen or the child would be stateless.
What if the application is refused?
The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) can review a refusal under section 33, except a wartime refusal under section 33(5).
The Administrative Review Tribunal Act 2024 s 18 sets the application 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.
Is renunciation necessary, and can it be reversed?
Acquiring another nationality no longer ends Australian citizenship: Home Affairs says the repeal of section 17 of the 1948 Act on 4 April 2002 enabled dual citizenship. Whether another country allows it is that country’s rule.
Resuming after renunciation is conditional. Section 29 covers a person who renounced to acquire or keep another nationality, or to avoid significant hardship, and adults must be of good character. Even then the Minister may refuse (s 30(2)).
Related entries
| Entry | Go to | About |
|---|---|---|
| R-06 | how you can lose Australian citizenship | The four other ways citizenship ends |
| R-09 | Australian Citizenship Act 2007 | Every provision, by situation |
| Home | Australian citizenship lawyer help | Enquire |
When to ask a lawyer
Renunciation cannot be undone as of right, and it fails on identity, the nationality conditions or the national interest test as readily as on paperwork. Australian Migration Lawyers can check the conditions before lodgement and prepare the application, which makes approval more likely than an application lodged without that check.