The English Requirement for Australian Citizenship Explained

People often worry that Australian citizenship requires a formal English exam with a high band score. For citizenship by conferral, that is not how it works. The requirement is more modest than many applicants expect, and for most people it is met through the citizenship test rather than a separate exam.

This guide explains what the English requirement means and how it is assessed.

What the law asks for

To be granted Australian citizenship by conferral, an applicant generally needs to have a basic knowledge of the English language. The word that matters here is basic. You do not need to be fluent, and you do not need a university level of English. The requirement is about being able to function in everyday situations in English.

How the requirement is assessed

For applicants aged 18 to 59, the basic knowledge of English is assessed through the citizenship test. The test is conducted entirely in English, the questions are written in English, and you read and answer them in English. By sitting and passing the test, you demonstrate the level of English the law requires at the same time as you demonstrate your knowledge of Australia.

This is why there is no separate IELTS-style English exam for citizenship by conferral. The English requirement and the knowledge requirement are checked together in the one test.

It is worth keeping the citizenship English requirement separate in your mind from the English requirements that apply at the visa stage. Some permanent visas have their own English conditions, sometimes described as functional English, but those are part of the visa process and are assessed differently. The citizenship requirement for conferral is the basic knowledge of English shown through the test.

Who is exempt

Some applicants do not have to sit the citizenship test, and the English requirement is handled differently for them.

Applicants aged 60 and over are not required to sit the test. Applicants under 18 are also not required to sit it. People with a permanent physical or mental incapacity that means they cannot understand the nature of the application may be exempt as well, subject to evidence.

If you fall into one of these groups, the way your application is assessed differs, and you should check the specific requirements that apply to your situation on homeaffairs.gov.au.

What this means in practice

For most adults applying by conferral, the practical message is simple. You do not need to book or pay for an English exam. You prepare for the citizenship test, and passing it satisfies the English requirement as well as the knowledge requirement.

If you are not confident in your English, the best preparation is to practise reading and answering questions in the same multiple-choice format as the test. Working through practice questions in English builds both your knowledge of the material and your comfort reading the kind of language the test uses. Reading the official resource, Our Common Bond, in English also helps, because the test draws its wording from it.

If English is genuinely a barrier for you and you are unsure whether you can meet the requirement, do not guess. Speak to a registered migration agent or check the official guidance, because the rules around exemptions are specific.

Because individual cases vary, treat this as a general map rather than personal advice, and rely on homeaffairs.gov.au or a registered migration agent for your own situation. The part you can prepare for now is the citizenship test. PassCitizen has the full question bank by section from Our Common Bond and free timed mock tests, with no account needed.

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