Australian citizenship: the four-year residence requirement and absence limits
Translated from the Arabic original. Read in Arabic
Most migrants to Australia become citizens through the general eligibility pathway. Its most important requirement, and the one that causes the most refusals, is the residence requirement, because it depends on an accurate count of days in and out of the country.
The residence requirement
You must have lived in Australia lawfully on a valid visa for the 4 years immediately before the date you apply, including at least 12 months as a permanent resident. Time spent in Australia on temporary visas counts towards the four years as long as it was lawful residence.
Absence limits
You do not have to be in Australia for the whole four years, but your total absences must not exceed 12 months over the four years, and must not exceed 90 days in the final year before you apply. The Department of Home Affairs offers an official residence calculator on its website; using it before you apply helps you avoid a refusal caused by a counting mistake.
The other requirements
Good character for applicants aged 18 and over, which includes a check of criminal records and general conduct. Understanding the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship, usually shown by passing the citizenship test. A basic knowledge of English. And an intention to keep living in Australia or to maintain a close and continuing link with it.
The citizenship test
Most applicants aged 18 to 59 sit the citizenship test at an appointment the department sets after you apply. To pass you must answer every Australian values question correctly, as well as scoring 75% on the test overall. We cover the test in a separate guide.
The citizenship ceremony
After approval you are invited to a citizenship ceremony, and you become an Australian citizen when you make the Australian Citizenship Pledge, not when the approval is issued. Do not travel during a period when your ceremony could be scheduled without checking whether it can be moved. Australia allows dual citizenship, but check the law of your country of origin.
Practical tip
Take your entry and exit dates from your official movement records rather than relying on memory; you can request your movement record from the department. Apply once you are past the minimum by a margin of days, not on the first day you become eligible.
Worked example
Suppose you arrived in Australia on a temporary work visa in March 2021, became a permanent resident in March 2024 and want to apply in April 2025. The four years before applying start in April 2021, all of that period was lawful residence, and more than 12 months of it was as a permanent resident. If your trips abroad over the four years add up to 8 months and your trips in the final year did not exceed 60 days, you are within the limits. If you were away for 100 days in the final year, you need to wait until your absences in the last 12 months drop to 90 days or fewer.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Laws change, so check the official sources below or the competent authority for your situation. Found a mistake? Tell us.