Blog / Citizenship
How long does Australian citizenship take in 2026?
Short answer
Home Affairs reports that 90% of applications for Australian citizenship by conferral were decided within 5 months of lodgement, and half within 42 days. After approval you become a citizen at a ceremony, which adds more time; see the full table on our citizenship page.
Key facts
- Citizenship by conferral, application to decision: 25% within 36 days, 50% within 42 days, 75% within 78 days, 90% within 5 months.
- At 30 September 2026 the department had 53,298 conferral applications on hand.
- Home Affairs says a bridging visa cannot be used while a citizenship application is being decided.
Checked against Home Affairs every day. Last checked 11 November 2026.
Cite this page
AusVisaClock. “How long does Australian citizenship take in 2026?.” Updated 9 November 2026. https://ausvisaclock.com/blog/how-long-does-australian-citizenship-take/
The figures come from the Department of Home Affairs. You may quote them with a link to this page.
Full figures
See Australian citizenship processing time for every application type, the ceremony wait and monthly application numbers.