When I gave birth to my second daughter in Germany, I was determined that she too would be an Australian citizen. Suddenly, it seemed that the most valuable thing I could give her was access to my home country, language and culture.
Maybe it was all the hormones.
Regardless of the reason, I fell down a rabbit hole of websites, forums and bureaucratic processes, trying to figure out how she could become Australian if she was born overseas.
By sharing my experience and the steps I followed, I hope to save you the confusion I went through.
This post is for you if:
- You are expecting or have had a child born overseas,
- You’re an Australian citizen and
- You would like your child to be an Australian citizen.
Is my baby an Australian citizen if born overseas?
If, like my littlest, your baby was or will be born overseas, they may be eligible for Australian citizenship.
First, figure out if your baby is eligible for Australian citizenship. If you or your baby’s other parent were Australians when your baby was born, you can apply for Australian Citizenship by Descent.
As I was born and raised in Australia and my partner is a naturalised Australian citizen, our baby was automatically eligible to apply for Australian Citizenship by Descent.
What is Australian Citizenship by Descent?
When a baby is born in Australia to Australian parents, Australian citizenship is automatic. Nice and easy. You don’t need to do anything more.
But in our case, for you and me, the bureaucratic cogs are a little slower to turn because our babies were born overseas. You might be an Australian citizen, but the Australian bureaucracy doesn’t know that you’ve had a baby.
How can my baby get Australian citizenship by Descent?
Here comes the paperwork!
Step 1: Follow local rules for birth registration
Well before you get onto anything with Australian citizenship, you must ensure your child’s birth is first registered with the local authorities.
I know this can be daunting if the local bureaucracy is in a foreign language.
Ask for help from hospital staff, midwives or other community agencies to make sure you follow all of the local birth registration rules.
Thankfully, my incredible midwife helped me with all of the paperwork, so registering our daughter’s birth was easy (well, as easy as German bureacracy is!) I thank my lucky stars for her!
Step 2: Prepare your documents
To apply for Citizenship by Descent for your little one, you will need to have the following documents with you:
- Proof of your baby’s registration.
- Birth certificate or passport for you and/ or your partner as evidence of Australian citizenship.
- Evidence of Australian citizenship for your other children (if applicable)
You may be required to provide additional documents.
Don’t forget: translate all documents that are not in English.
Step 3: Get a passport photo and complete the Identity Declaration
I know. Getting a photo of a baby or toddler that meets the very strict requirements is tough!
The photo must be:
- less than 6 months old,
- good quality colour, not a photocopy of a photo;
- be of the full face and shoulders, front-on and
- in front of a plain or light-coloured background.
The photo then needs to be signed by someone who meets the following:
- Is an Australian citizen, who
- has known your child for more than a year (or their entire life if they’re less than one year old)
- who is not related to you by birth or marriage
- and doesn’t live with you.
If you don’t know any Australians in your location overseas, this declaration can be signed by someone who:
- has known the baby their entire life who
- is not related to you by birth or marriage
- and doesn’t live with you
- and works in one of the professions listed.
A good person to approach might be the child’s paediatrician because doctors are listed as trusted professionals and will likely have already examined your baby several times since birth.
Your trusted person will need to sign the identity declaration form and write the following on the back of the passport photo:
This is a true photo of
[insert applicant’s name]
Signature
Step 4: Complete the online application
- Create an online account with the Australian Immigration Department.
With an online account, you can complete the entire application online. You can save your application to complete later. Once submitted, you can check here for updates.
- Once logged in, the first page will display a lot of notifications. Read through or just skip straight to the “Continue” button in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen.
- In the Top Left of your screen, select “New Application”.
- From the list, select “Citizenship” and then, from the drop-down menu, “Citizenship by Descent”.
- Input all of the required information and click “Next” when you’ve completed the current page.
Note: The system will not let you move to the next page if there’s any missing information. - Upload and attach all required documents, including the photo (both sides!)
- Apply and pay the fee.
Confirmation of your application will arrive by email. It’ll include your application numbers if you need to follow up on anything in the future.
Step 5: Waiting
And now, like all good bureaucratic things, you have to wait.
An email will be received as soon as a decision has been made.
Step 6: Receive the Certificate of Australian Citizenship
Soon after receiving the email that says your baby is now an Australian citizen, you’ll receive a fancy certificate in the post.
KEEP THIS IN A SAFE PLACE.
It proves your baby’s Australian citizenship and will be needed to apply for a passport.
How long does it take to get Australian Citizenship by Descent?
How long it takes to get an outcome depends on:
- Your family’s circumstances,
- The quality of documents provided: if any are missing, unreadable or not translated, this will add time to your wait for an outcome and
- How busy the assessing officers are.
An application for Australian Citizenship by Descent takes between 71 days and 5 months (at the time of writing).
When I applied for Australian Citizenship by Descent for my youngest born in Germany back in 2023, we had an outcome within six weeks. Unbelievably fast!
Check the current estimates for application processing.
How much does Australian Citizenship by Descent cost?
At the time of writing, applying for one child born overseas to receive Australian Citizenship by Descent costs $360 (AU).
If you’re applying for more than one child, each additional application will cost $150.
Can my baby visit Australia without citizenship?
Yes. But only if they have another citizenship and a valid passport to travel on.
For example, my youngest is a dual German-Australian national. Before she received her Australian citizenship, she could enter Australia using her German passport with a tourist visa. Now that she’s an Australian citizen, she must enter the country on her soon-to-arrive Australian passport.
It’s best to delay your travel plans if your baby is only eligible for Australian citizenship.
In an emergency, contact your nearest consulate for advice about what to do.
You can contact the Australian Consular Services Team, 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world on +61 2 6261 3305 to seek further information and advice about entering Australia with your baby if they have not yet received Australian citizenship by descent.
Final Tips
A few final tips about your application for Australian Citizenship for your baby born overseas:
- Get all of your documents organised before starting the online application form. It’ll save you so much time!
- Have everything translated before starting your application process. Many translation services are available online, but many will take upwards of a week to complete the job.
- Remember, this application process is only for Australian Citizenship by descent and not for an Australian Passport. A passport can only be applied for once Australian Citizenship is confirmed.
- When in doubt, just ask! Contact your local consulate or ask other Aussie expats about their experiences. Or get in touch – I’d be happy to help.
And there you have it – the process of gaining Australian Citizenship for your baby born overseas.
It can be frustrating to jump through these hoops if you know your baby is eligible to be an Australian but be patient. It’s well worth the effort!
Good luck and let me know in the comments how you get on.
Have you applied for Australian Citizenship for your baby born overseas? Share your experiences below!
