An Australian citizenship certificate by descent is an important document for a person born outside Australia who has a parent who was an Australian citizen at the time of their birth. It serves as evidence of Australian citizenship and is commonly required for related procedures, including applying for an Australian passport.
For a child born in Vietnam to an Australian citizen parent, having an Australian citizen parent does not always mean the child can immediately apply for an Australian passport. In many cases, the family needs to apply for Australian citizenship by descent first. Once the application is approved and the citizenship certificate is issued, the family may use it to proceed with the child’s Australian passport application.
This article provides an overview of the requirements, documents, application process, fees and key notes for applying for Australian citizenship by descent.
What is an Australian citizenship certificate by descent?
An Australian citizenship certificate by descent is a document issued by the Australian Government to a person who is eligible to become an Australian citizen through descent or a legally recognized parent-child relationship with an Australian citizen.
This pathway generally applies to a person born outside Australia where at least one parent was an Australian citizen at the time of the person’s birth.
The citizenship certificate is an important document to prove that the holder is an Australian citizen. In practice, it is commonly used for:
- Applying for a first Australian passport;
- Proving Australian citizenship status;
- Completing personal, education, residence or international travel records;
- Handling administrative procedures related to Australian citizenship rights.
Can a child born in Vietnam to an Australian citizen parent apply for an Australian passport immediately?
Not in all cases.
If the child was born outside Australia, the family usually needs to apply for Australian citizenship by descent for the child first. After the application is approved and the Australian citizenship certificate is issued, the parents may use the certificate to apply for the child’s Australian passport in accordance with the passport requirements.
The Australian Embassy or Consulate-General generally cannot issue a support letter in place of an Australian citizenship certificate. Therefore, if the child needs an Australian passport, the family should first check eligibility and prepare the citizenship application according to the guidance of the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
Eligibility for Australian citizenship by descent
A person may be eligible for Australian citizenship by descent if they meet the following basic requirements:
- They were born outside Australia;
- At least one parent was an Australian citizen at the time of their birth;
- There are documents proving the parent-child relationship;
- There is evidence proving the Australian citizenship status of the parent at the time of birth;
- Identity verification requirements are met;
- If the applicant is 18 years or older, character requirements must be satisfied.
In certain cases, if the Australian citizen parent acquired citizenship by descent or was adopted outside Australia under a recognized adoption arrangement, additional documents may be required to demonstrate the parent’s residence in Australia or relevant connection to Australia. Families should review the specific circumstances carefully before applying.
Who can submit an application for Australian citizenship by descent?
Depending on the applicant’s age and circumstances, the application may be submitted by:
- A parent of the child;
- A legal guardian;
- A person with legal responsibility for the child;
- The applicant, if they are old enough and able to apply on their own;
- An authorized representative, where permitted.
For children, parents or legal guardians need to prepare documents proving the child’s identity, the parent-child relationship and the Australian citizenship status of the relevant parent.
Required documents for Australian citizenship by descent
The document checklist may vary depending on each case. In general, the application may require the following groups of documents.
Identity documents of the applicant
The applicant needs to provide documents proving identity and personal details, such as:
- Birth certificate showing full parent details;
- Passport, if already issued;
- Identity document or other travel document, if available;
- Evidence of any change of name, if applicable;
- Citizenship photo meeting the applicable requirements;
- Form 1195 – Identity Declaration for identity verification.
For a child born in Vietnam, the birth certificate is an important document to prove identity and the parent-child relationship. If the birth certificate or other Vietnamese documents are not in English, they should be translated into English as required.
Evidence of the Australian citizenship of the parent
The family needs to provide documents proving that the parent was an Australian citizen at the time the applicant was born.
Documents may include:
- Australian passport of the parent;
- Australian citizenship certificate of the parent;
- Australian birth certificate of the parent, where relevant;
- Australian naturalization certificate;
- Other documents proving Australian citizenship status at the time of the applicant’s birth.
If the parent has changed their name, name change documents should be prepared to clearly link the documents.
Documents proving the parent-child relationship
Depending on the case, additional documents may be required to prove the relationship between the applicant and the Australian citizen parent.
Documents may include:
- Birth certificate of the applicant;
- Marriage certificate of the parents, if applicable;
- Parentage recognition, adoption or court documents, if applicable;
- Medical records, civil status records or other documents proving the parent-child relationship, if requested.
If information across the birth certificate, passport, marriage certificate or citizenship documents is inconsistent, the family should prepare explanations or additional supporting documents.
Additional documents for applicants aged 16 or older
For applicants aged 16 or older, additional identity and residential address documents may be required, such as:
- Passport;
- National identity card or equivalent identity document;
- Driver licence, if available;
- Student card or other identity document, if available;
- Documents proving residential address, such as utility bills, internet bills, rental agreement or equivalent documents.
Applicants aged 18 or older may also need to provide documents related to character requirements as required by the Department of Home Affairs.
Translation of non-English documents
All documents that are not in English are generally required to be translated into English. The translation should accurately reflect the full content of the original document and meet the requirements of the receiving authority.
For Vietnamese documents, families should prepare English translations through an appropriate translation provider and check whether certification, notarization or verification of the translation is required before submission.
What is Form 1195 – Identity Declaration?
Form 1195 – Identity Declaration is used to verify the identity of an applicant for Australian citizenship by descent or evidence of Australian citizenship.
The form must be completed according to the instructions and endorsed by an eligible person. The person making the declaration is generally required to be unrelated to the applicant, to have known the applicant for the required period and to be working in an accepted profession or occupation.
For young children, separate rules may apply regarding how long the person making the declaration must have known the child. Families should carefully review the Form 1195 instructions before preparation.
Identity verification is an important part of the application. If the applicant’s identity cannot be properly verified, the application may not be approved.
Application process for Australian citizenship by descent
The application process generally includes the following steps.
Step 1: Check eligibility before applying
The family should confirm whether the applicant was born outside Australia, whether at least one parent was an Australian citizen at the time of birth and whether the parent-child relationship can be properly documented.
This step is important to avoid applying under the wrong pathway or missing core supporting documents.
Step 2: Prepare documents and translations
After confirming eligibility, the family prepares identity documents, evidence of the Australian citizenship of the parent, documents proving the parent-child relationship, photo, Form 1195 and any additional documents if applicable.
Non-English documents should be translated into English as required. If there are inconsistencies between documents, explanations or supporting documents should be prepared.
Step 3: Submit the application through ImmiAccount
Australian citizenship by descent applications are generally submitted online through ImmiAccount. The applicant or responsible person needs to create an account, complete the form, upload documents, pay the application fee and monitor the application according to the instructions.
When submitting online, the quality of scanned documents, uploaded photo, file names and declared information should be carefully checked before submission.
Step 4: Monitor the application and provide additional information if requested
After submission, the Department of Home Affairs may request additional information, documents or clarification if the application is not sufficient for a decision.
The applicant or responsible person should regularly check email and ImmiAccount messages to avoid missing any request from the Department. If there are changes to address, contact details or application circumstances, the information should be updated as instructed.
Step 5: Receive the outcome and citizenship certificate
If the application is approved, the applicant will be issued an Australian citizenship certificate. Once the certificate is received, it can be used to apply for an Australian passport or for other related procedures.
Upon receipt, the certificate should be carefully checked to ensure that the name, date of birth and personal details are correct.
Fees for Australian citizenship by descent
Under the current fee schedule, the application fee for Australian citizenship by descent is AUD 370 for one application. For the second and each subsequent sibling applying at the same time, the fee is AUD 150 per application.
Fees may be updated by the Australian Government. In addition to the government application fee, families may incur costs for translation, notarization, certification, photos, document preparation, delivery or professional consulting service if they use a service provider.
Applicants should check the applicable fee at the time of submission before making payment.
Processing time for Australian citizenship by descent
Processing time for Australian citizenship by descent is not fixed and may vary depending on the period, caseload, completeness of documents and verification requirements of the Department of Home Affairs.
Factors that may affect processing time include:
- Whether the application is complete and clear from the beginning;
- Whether the evidence of the parent’s Australian citizenship is sufficient;
- Whether parent-child relationship documents are consistent;
- Whether translations meet the requirements;
- How quickly additional information is provided when requested;
- Whether further verification is needed;
- Whether contact details, postal address and ImmiAccount information are kept up to date.
The actual service timeline may differ from the Department’s processing time because it also includes consultation, eligibility review, document checking, translation preparation, document organization, application submission and result monitoring.
Common issues in Australian citizenship by descent applications
Families often encounter difficulties in the following situations:
- The Australian citizenship status of the parent at the time of the child’s birth is not clearly proven;
- The birth certificate does not show full parent details;
- Names, dates of birth or citizenship information are inconsistent across documents;
- Name change documents for the parent or applicant are missing;
- Form 1195 is not completed correctly;
- The identity declarant does not meet the requirements;
- The photo does not meet quality or format requirements;
- Translations are incomplete or not suitable;
- Emails or ImmiAccount messages are not monitored, causing delays in responding to requests.
Reviewing the application before submission helps reduce supplementation requests and the risk of extended processing time.
Nhi Gia’s consulting service for Australian citizenship by descent
Applying for Australian citizenship by descent requires the application to clearly establish eligibility, the applicant’s identity, the Australian citizenship status of the parent at the time of birth and the parent-child relationship.
With experience in visa, citizenship and international mobility documentation, Nhi Gia assists clients in reviewing eligibility and preparing documents based on each specific case.
Nhi Gia supports clients with:
- Advising on eligibility for Australian citizenship by descent;
- Reviewing documents proving the Australian citizenship of the parent;
- Checking birth certificate, passport, identity documents and parent-child relationship documents;
- Guiding preparation of Form 1195 – Identity Declaration;
- Advising on citizenship photo requirements;
- Guiding translation, notarization or certification of non-English documents;
- Supporting document organization for ImmiAccount submission;
- Advising on next steps where information is inconsistent or supplementation is requested;
- Guiding the next procedure after the citizenship certificate is issued, including Australian passport application support if required.
Nhi Gia does not replace the decision-making authority of the Australian Government and does not guarantee the application outcome. The actual service timeline will be advised after reviewing the documents, case circumstances and specific requirements.
For consultation on Australian citizenship by descent for a child born in Vietnam or a person born outside Australia, please contact Nhi Gia for detailed support.
