Australia Lists 7 Categories of Foreigners Who Can Become Citizens Without Taking the Pledge
- The Australian government has published the categories of people who are exempt from attending a citizenship ceremony and making the pledge
- The exemptions cover children, people with permanent physical or mental incapacity, and those born under specific historical conditions
- Children under 16 included in an application become citizens at the same time as the primary applicant, regardless of ceremony attendance
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Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined seven categories of people who can obtain Australian citizenship without attending a citizenship ceremony or taking the official pledge.
The guidance, published on the official immigration portal, applies to foreigners going through the naturalisation process in 2026 and clarifies who the government considers exempt from what is otherwise a compulsory step in becoming a citizen.
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Australian citizenship: Who is exempt from ceremony?
According to the Australian government, the following people are not required to attend a citizenship ceremony or make the pledge:
1. Children under 16 years.
2. Those granted Australian citizenship by descent or adoption.
3. People resuming their Australian citizenship.
4. Those assessed as having a permanent or enduring physical or mental incapacity.
5. People born in Papua before September 16, 1975, to an Australian citizen.
6. Those born to a former Australian citizen.
7. People who were stateless when born in Australia.
Children under 16 and the ceremony
The government noted a specific rule for children under 16 who are included in a parent or guardian's citizenship application. Such children automatically become citizens at the same moment the primary applicant does, without needing to be present at the ceremony or recite the pledge.
However, the government clarified that children under 16 are still welcome to attend and take the pledge voluntarily if they and their families choose to do so.
For all other applicants not covered by the listed exemptions, attending the ceremony and making the Australian citizenship pledge remains a formal requirement before citizenship is formally conferred.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Australia had announced the minimum score foreigners need to pass the citizenship test.
Topics covered in Australian citizenship test
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Australian government had highlighted the topics applicants should expect in the citizenship test.
The department offered a clear guide for applicants working through the conferral process.
The test is a compulsory step for most people applying for Australian citizenship by conferral.
Source: Legit.ng
