Babies born overseas: how to make your little one an Aussie

If one parent was an Australian citizen when your baby was born, your baby can almost certainly become Australian too. It just doesn't happen by itself. You apply, and then you get the passport.

The short version

• Citizenship by descent is for people born outside Australia with at least one parent who was an Australian citizen at the time of the birth [1][3].
• You apply online through ImmiAccount (form 118). The fee is A$380, or A$160 for each extra sibling applying at the same time [2].
• If the Australian parent is themselves a citizen by descent, they must have spent at least two years in total in Australia before you apply [3].
• Citizenship starts when it's registered, not when you apply. Your baby can't get an Australian passport until it's approved [4][5].
• For the passport, everyone with parental responsibility usually needs to consent, and overseas child passports cost A$305 in 2026 [5][6].

Does your baby qualify?

The basic test is simple. Your child must be born outside Australia, and at least one parent must have been an Australian citizen at the time of the birth [1][3]. It doesn't matter who your child's other parent is, where you live now, or whether your baby has ever set foot in Australia. There is no age limit, either. Adults born overseas to an Australian parent can apply too [3].

Timing matters to the day. Moya Migration Law points out that if the parent became a citizen "even just one day later" than the birth, this pathway isn't available [7]. Being a permanent resident at the time of the birth doesn't count.

The two-year rule for second-generation expats

This one catches out families who have been overseas for a generation. If the Australian parent was also born overseas and got citizenship by descent, that parent must have been present in Australia for a total of at least two years before the child's application is lodged [3]. The two years don't have to be in one stretch.

If you're in this group, dig out old passports and travel records early. Proving two years of presence from decades ago can take time.

Who else should get advice

International surrogacy, donor conception and cases where the Australian parent isn't on the birth certificate are more complex. Home Affairs may ask for DNA evidence, and it generally requires testing through approved laboratories [7]. Get specialist advice before you lodge.

What it costs and what you need

The fees above come from the Home Affairs fee schedule dated July 2026 [2]. Check it again before you pay.

Documents to gather

According to Moya Migration Law, a typical child application needs [7]:

• Your baby's full birth certificate showing the parents' details. This is the document that links your child to you.
• Proof the Australian parent was a citizen at the time of the birth. For example, an Australian birth certificate, a citizenship certificate, or an Australian passport that was valid on the birth date.
• Identity documents for the child, often with a photo.
• Name change evidence, such as a marriage certificate, if names don't match.

If documents aren't in English, you'll generally need certified translations. Scan everything in colour and keep the originals safe. You'll need several of them again for the passport.

Step by step: from birth to passport

1. Register the birth locally. Get the full birth certificate from the country of birth, ideally the version that lists both parents.
2. Sort translations if the certificate isn't in English.
3. Check eligibility using the Home Affairs citizenship by descent page [1].
4. Lodge form 118 in ImmiAccount and pay the fee. A parent applies on behalf of a young child [4].
5. Wait for the decision. You'll be notified by email. Respond quickly if Home Affairs asks for more information.
6. Receive the citizenship certificate. Your child's citizenship starts on the date it's registered, not the date you applied [4].
7. Apply for the Australian passport at your nearest embassy, high commission or consulate.
8. Enrol in Medicare if and when you move back to Australia.

The first Australian passport

Once citizenship is granted, you can apply for an Australian passport. For a child born overseas, the Australian Consulate-General in Geneva says you need both the original citizenship certificate and the original full foreign birth certificate before a passport can be issued [5]. Extracts and commemorative certificates aren't accepted.

Other points from the Geneva post's child passport guidance [5]:

• Written consent is needed from each person with parental responsibility. If a parent is somewhere else, they can usually give consent through an Australian passport office, Australia Post or an Australian mission.
• A parent lodges the application in person at an appointment. Children under 16 don't have to attend.
• Allow up to four weeks for the passport to arrive.

Passport fees in 2026

Australian missions list the following fees for applications made overseas from 2026 [6]:

The overseas price includes a surcharge on top of the Australian fee. Payments are made in Australian dollars, and some posts only take credit cards [6].

Dual citizenship and your other passport

Australia allows dual citizenship, so your child can usually be Australian and a citizen of their birth country or the other parent's country. But the other country may have its own rules. Moya Migration Law recommends checking whether that country also allows dual nationality [7]. Some countries restrict it, ask children to choose at a certain age, or have rules about which passport to use when entering and leaving.

A few practical points:

• Australian citizens generally need to enter and leave Australia on an Australian passport. Plan the first trip home after the passport arrives.
• Keep both passports valid. Child passports only last five years, and faces change fast.
• Register your child with the other country's consulate too, if required.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until a trip is booked. Citizenship and then a passport can take a while. Start soon after the birth.
• Short birth certificates. Many countries issue a short extract by default. Ask for the full version.
• Forgetting the second parent's consent. If the other parent lives elsewhere or travels often, organise their consent early.
• Assuming a grandparent link is enough. Citizenship by descent needs a parent, not a grandparent, to have been Australian at the birth.
• Losing the certificate. You can apply for a replacement, but it costs time and money [1].

Sources

1. Become an Australian citizen (by descent) – Department of Home Affairs
2. Form 1298i: Citizenship application fees (July 2026) – Department of Home Affairs
3. Australian Citizenship by Descent: Born Overseas to an Australian Parent – One Planet Migration Law
4. Citizenship by Descent – Australian Embassy, Lebanon
5. Child passports – Australian Consulate-General, Geneva
6. Passport fees – Australian Embassy, France
7. Applying for Australian citizenship by descent when born overseas – Moya Migration Law

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