Citizenship by conferral
Australian citizenship residence calculator
Work out whether you meet the general residence requirement for Australian citizenship. Enter your dates and trips abroad and see, rule by rule, where you stand against the 4-year residence test set by the Australian Citizenship Act 2007.
This is a guide to the general residence requirement, and it is not the Department’s own residence calculator. It does not check the character, identity or citizenship-test requirements, and concessions apply in some cases. Confirm your position with the Department of Home Affairs residence calculator or a registered migration agent.
The four residence rules
Citizenship by conferral has a general residence requirement with four parts, all measured against the day you apply. You must meet every one.
Rule 1
4 years lawful residence
You must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for the 4 years immediately before you apply, and never have been in Australia unlawfully during that time. Time on a temporary or provisional visa counts.
Rule 2
12 months as a permanent resident
For at least the final 12 months you must have held a permanent visa — or, for New Zealanders, an eligible Special Category visa. Earlier temporary time does not count toward this part.
Rule 3
365 days total absence
Across the whole 4-year period you must not have spent more than 365 days (12 months) outside Australia in total.
Rule 4
90 days recent absence
In the 12 months immediately before you apply you must not have spent more than 90 days outside Australia. This is a separate limit from the 365-day total.
How the residence requirement works
Two clocks run independently. The residence clock starts the day you first began living in Australia lawfully — often years before you became a permanent resident — and needs to reach 4 years. The permanent-residence clock starts the day your permanent visa was granted and only needs to cover the final 12 months. Your earliest possible application date is whichever of those two clocks finishes later.
The two absence limits are then checked over their own windows: the 365-day limit across the full 4 years, and the 90-day limit over the last 12 months. Because the day you leave and the day you return both count as days in Australia, a two-week holiday costs you roughly twelve days, not fourteen. If a long trip is pushing you over a limit, moving your application date later can bring the absences back inside the window.
Meeting the residence requirement is only part of a citizenship application. You must also satisfy the good-character requirement, prove your identity, and — for most applicants aged 18 to 59 — pass the citizenship test. Read more on our Australian citizenship guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the general residence requirement for Australian citizenship?
To apply for citizenship by conferral you must have been lawfully present in Australia for the 4 years immediately before you apply, have held a permanent visa (or an eligible New Zealand Special Category visa) for at least the final 12 months, not have been absent from Australia for more than 12 months in total across the 4 years, and not have been absent for more than 90 days in the 12 months immediately before you apply. All four rules must be met.
Does time on a temporary visa count?
Yes — lawful time in Australia on a temporary or provisional visa counts toward the 4-year residence requirement, provided you were never in Australia unlawfully. It does not count toward the separate 12-month permanent-resident requirement: only the final 12 months before you apply must be held as a permanent resident.
How are days outside Australia counted?
The day you leave Australia and the day you return are both counted as days present in Australia. So a trip contributes only the whole days strictly between departure and return. Both absence limits are separate gates — staying within the 365-day total does not excuse going over the 90-day final-year limit, and vice versa.
Can New Zealand citizens use this calculator?
New Zealand citizens holding a Special Category visa (subclass 444) have had a direct citizenship pathway since 1 July 2023 and are treated as permanent residents for the residence requirement. Enter your eligible SCV start date as your permanent-residence date. Special backdating rules can apply, so confirm your position with the Department or a registered migration agent.
Are there any exceptions to the residence rule?
Yes. Concessions can apply to partners of Australian citizens, people in occupations requiring regular overseas travel, and cases of administrative delay or hardship, among others. Time spent confined in a prison or psychiatric institution generally does not count. This calculator covers only the standard general residence requirement.
Is this calculator official?
No. It is a guide based on section 22 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 and the Department of Home Affairs guidance. It is not the Department’s own residence calculator and it is not migration advice. Character, identity and the citizenship test are separate requirements it does not check.
Official resources
Source: Department of Home Affairs and the Australian Citizenship Act 2007 (s 22). Retrieved 20 July 2026.