How Much Does Australian Citizenship Cost in 2026?
The real cost of Australian citizenship in 2026, including the conferral application fee, the concession fee, the citizenship by descent fee and the smaller costs to budget for.
The cost of becoming an Australian citizen is lower than in many comparable countries, but the figures changed recently, so it is worth confirming the current amounts before you apply. This guide sets out the main application fees in 2026 and the smaller costs that people sometimes forget to budget for.
The main application fee
For most people, the relevant fee is for citizenship by conferral under general eligibility, which is the standard pathway for permanent residents. As of 1 July 2025, this fee is 575 Australian dollars. It rose from 560 dollars, so any older guide quoting 560 is out of date.
This fee is paid when you submit your application through ImmiAccount. It is not refundable, which is one of the reasons it pays to confirm your eligibility before lodging.
The concession fee
If you hold a valid Pensioner Concession Card issued by the Australian Government, you may be eligible to pay a reduced concession fee of 80 dollars for citizenship by conferral. The concession applies to specific eligible groups, so check whether your situation qualifies before relying on it.
Other fees you may come across
The 575 dollar fee covers the most common pathway, but there are other application types with their own fees:
- Citizenship by conferral under other situations, used in particular circumstances, has a lower fee, with a concession rate for eligible applicants.
- Citizenship by descent, for people born outside Australia to an Australian citizen parent, has its own fee of 370 dollars, with an additional amount for siblings applying together.
- Evidence of citizenship, renunciation of citizenship and resuming citizenship each have separate fees.
Fees are reviewed and indexed on 1 July each year in line with the consumer price index, so the figures can move. Always confirm the current amount on homeaffairs.gov.au before you pay.
Costs beyond the application fee
The application fee is the main cost, but a few smaller items are worth keeping in mind.
The citizenship test itself does not have a separate fee. It is included in the application process, which is good news compared with some other countries that charge for the test.
You may need to pay for certified copies of documents, translations of any documents not in English, or passport-style photographs, depending on what the application requires. These are usually modest amounts, but they add up.
If your circumstances are complicated and you choose to use a registered migration agent, their professional fees are an additional cost that varies depending on the work involved.
The bottom line
For a straightforward citizenship by conferral application, the main cost in 2026 is the 575 dollar application fee, or 80 dollars if you qualify for the concession. Add a small allowance for documents and translations if you need them. Compared with citizenship in many other countries, the total is relatively low, and the test does not cost extra.
The simplest way to avoid wasting money is to confirm you genuinely meet the requirements before you pay the non-refundable fee, and to pass the citizenship test on your first attempt so the process does not drag on.
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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