Australian citizenship test · Learn · 2 November 2026 · 5 min read
Australian citizenship fee history: AUD 490 to AUD 595 since 2021
How the Australian citizenship conferral fee rose from AUD 490 to AUD 595 between 2021 and 2026, with concession amounts and the yearly indexation rule.
The standard fee for an Australian citizenship application by conferral is AUD 595 for applications made on or after 1 July 2026. It has risen every July since 2023: from AUD 490 to AUD 540 in 2023, to AUD 560 in 2024, to AUD 575 in 2025 and to AUD 595 in 2026. Since 1 July 2024 the government has indexed citizenship fees every year, so a small rise each July is now the normal pattern. The citizenship test has no separate charge: Home Affairs says the application fee covers it.
This guide sets out the history from the regulations themselves, explains why the fee changes and what it means for your budget.
The standard fee, year by year
| From | General eligibility (standard) | With a Commonwealth pensioner concession card | Test not required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 July 2021 | AUD 490 | AUD 70 | AUD 300 |
| 1 July 2023 | AUD 540 | AUD 75 | AUD 330 |
| 1 July 2024 | AUD 560 | AUD 80 | AUD 345 |
| 1 July 2025 | AUD 575 | AUD 80 (no change) | AUD 350 |
| 1 July 2026 | AUD 595 | AUD 85 | AUD 365 |
"General eligibility" is the route most permanent residents use, and it is the one that normally includes the citizenship test. The amounts for 2021 are the figures the 2023 regulation replaced; fees had been fixed since July 2021.
There is also a separate fee band for a new general eligibility application by someone who passed the test on an earlier application. In each year above it has matched the "test not required" amount: AUD 330 in 2023, AUD 345 in 2024, AUD 350 in 2025 and AUD 365 in 2026.
How each change was made
July 2023: two years at once
The Australian Citizenship Amendment (Indexation of Citizenship Application Fees) Regulations 2023, registered on 21 June 2023, took effect on 1 July 2023. Instead of one year's adjustment, it applied two years of indexation together, for 2021-22 and 2022-23. That is why the jump, AUD 50, was larger than the rises that followed. Citizenship by descent or adoption went from AUD 315 to AUD 345.
July 2024: indexation every year
The Australian Citizenship Amendment (Indexation of Fees) Regulations 2024, registered on 26 June 2024, raised the standard fee from AUD 540 to AUD 560 from 1 July 2024. The more lasting change was the method: under a 2023-24 Budget measure, citizenship fees are now indexed to the Consumer Price Index every 1 July. The lowest concession fees, AUD 40, did not change, and some small fees stayed the same because of rounding.
July 2025: a smaller rise
The Australian Citizenship Amendment (Indexation of Fees) Regulations 2025, registered on 28 March 2025, applied CPI indexation from 1 July 2025. The standard fee rose from AUD 560 to AUD 575. The pensioner concession amount stayed at AUD 80, again because of rounding. Citizenship by descent or adoption rose from AUD 360 to AUD 370.
July 2026: the current amounts
Schedule 1 of the Home Affairs Legislation Amendment (2026 Measures No. 1) Regulations 2026, dated 25 June 2026 and registered on 30 June 2026, amended the fee table in the Australian Citizenship Regulation 2016. For applications made on or after 1 July 2026:
- general eligibility: AUD 575 to AUD 595;
- with a pensioner concession card: AUD 80 to AUD 85;
- test not required: AUD 350 to AUD 365;
- previously passed the test: AUD 350 to AUD 365;
- citizenship by descent or adoption: AUD 370 to AUD 380.
Applications made before 1 July 2026 keep the old fee.
What the fee covers
The application fee includes the citizenship test. Home Affairs says there is no extra cost to sit it. The test itself did not change with any of these fee rises: it still has 20 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes, a pass mark of 15, and all five Australian values questions must be answered correctly. Our guide to the test format and values rule explains how that works.
How to use this
- Budget for the fee on the day you lodge. Because the fee now changes every 1 July, the amount you saw when you started saving may not be the amount you pay.
- Check the fee options carefully. If you hold a Commonwealth pensioner concession card, or if you passed the test on an earlier application, a lower band may apply to you.
- Check the fee shown in ImmiAccount on the day you lodge, before you pay.
- There is no test fee to budget for. The test is covered by the application fee.
While you wait for your appointment, use the time well. Our 12 practice tests follow the real format and check both pass rules, and the Australian values drill helps you lock in the five questions that must be right. Start with practice test 1 or browse the Australian citizenship hub.
Key points
- Standard conferral fee: AUD 595 from 1 July 2026.
- Rises every July since 2023; annual CPI indexation since 1 July 2024.
- Concession fee with a pensioner card: AUD 85 from 1 July 2026.
- The test is included in the application fee.
Official sources: Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au): F2023L00822 and F2024L00729 (explanatory statements), F2025L00467 (regulation and explanatory statement) and F2026L00874 (regulation text); Home Affairs citizenship test page (last updated 7/10/2026). All checked on 1 November 2026.