Australian citizens may choose to renounce their Australian citizenship under section 32 of the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, for example when acquiring another nationality that does not permit dual citizenship. A person who has previously renounced or otherwise lost Australian citizenship may apply to resume it under section 33. Both renunciation and resumption are formal processes that require an application to the Department of Home Affairs — citizenship does not lapse automatically from non-use, nor does it automatically resume. Renunciation can be refused in limited circumstances (statelessness, removal proceedings, security concerns), and resumption requires the applicant to meet character requirements and obtain Ministerial approval.

For current fees, processing times, and the application process, refer to the DHA renunciation page and the DHA resumption page.

• Australian Citizenship Act 2007, s 32 — renunciation of Australian citizenship by eligible persons
• Australian Citizenship Act 2007, s 33 — resumption of Australian citizenship by former citizens
• Australian Citizenship Act 2007, s 34 — citizenship by resumption in special circumstances (war service)
• Australian Citizenship Regulations 2016 — procedural requirements for renunciation and resumption applications
• DHA: Give up Australian citizenship (renounce) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/renunciation
• DHA: Become an Australian citizen again (resumption) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/resumption

Renunciation of Australian citizenship — section 32

An Australian citizen may apply to renounce their Australian citizenship. The renunciation pathway exists primarily for persons who need to give up Australian citizenship in order to acquire (or retain) another nationality — for example, where the other country does not permit dual citizenship.

Eligibility to renounce

To be eligible to renounce Australian citizenship under s32, the person must:

• Be an Australian citizen
• Hold another citizenship, or be acquiring another citizenship and taking reasonable steps to do so — renunciation is only permitted if the person will not become stateless as a result
• Not be subject to circumstances in which renunciation is refused (see below)

When renunciation can be refused

The Minister may refuse a renunciation application in the following circumstances:

• The renunciation would render the applicant stateless — a person cannot renounce Australian citizenship if it is their only citizenship and they will not acquire another
• The applicant is subject to removal from Australia — persons who are the subject of a removal order or are in the process of being removed cannot renounce citizenship to circumvent removal
• National security concerns — the Minister may refuse on character or security grounds
• During a period of war — renunciation applications made during times of war may be refused on national security and public interest grounds

Most renunciation applications are straightforward — the typical case is an Australian citizen who is also a national of a country requiring exclusive nationality and wishes to maintain or acquire that country's citizenship.

Effect of renunciation

Once renunciation is approved and takes effect:

• The person is no longer an Australian citizen — they cannot hold an Australian passport, vote in Australian elections, or exercise citizenship rights
• If the renounced citizen is in Australia or enters Australia, they must hold a valid visa (as they are no longer a citizen, they cannot enter as a citizen)
• Renunciation does not affect the citizenship of the person's children — dependent children who are already Australian citizens by birth or registration retain their citizenship

Application — Form 128

Renunciation is lodged using Form 128 (Application for renunciation of Australian citizenship). For current fees and processing times, refer to the DHA renunciation page.

Resumption of Australian citizenship — section 33

Resumption is the pathway back to Australian citizenship for a person who has previously been an Australian citizen and lost or renounced that citizenship. Resumption is not a right — it is a discretionary decision by the Minister.

Who can apply for resumption

To be eligible to apply for resumption under s33, the person must:

• Have previously been an Australian citizen (by birth, descent, conferral, or otherwise)
• Not currently hold Australian citizenship — persons who have not actually lost their citizenship cannot "resume" it (they are still citizens)
• Meet the character requirement applicable to citizenship applicants
• Have the Ministerial approval granted — the Minister (or a delegate) has the discretion to approve or refuse a resumption application

How Australian citizenship can be lost

Prior to recent reforms, there were ways Australian citizenship could be lost:

• Voluntary renunciation under s32 (described above)
• Prior to 2002: Australian citizens who voluntarily acquired a foreign citizenship could lose Australian citizenship automatically under the pre-2002 Australian Citizenship Act 1948 — many Australians who naturalised in another country before 2002 were unaware they lost their Australian citizenship at that time. The Australian Citizenship (Transitionals and Consequentials) Act 2007 addressed some of these situations; persons who lost citizenship in this way may be eligible to resume
• Deprivation by Minister: Australian citizenship can be revoked for certain fraud or security offences — these individuals may have different resumption eligibility

Character requirement for resumption

The character requirement applies to resumption applicants. Where an applicant for resumption has been convicted of an offence punishable by imprisonment for life, the Minister's personal approval (not delegated) is required. This reflects the serious character consideration involved — the same character principles applicable to citizenship by conferral apply.

Application — Form 132

Resumption is lodged using Form 132 (Application to resume Australian citizenship). For current fees and processing times, refer to the DHA resumption page.

Australia and dual citizenship

Australia has permitted dual citizenship since the Australian Citizenship Legislation Amendment Act 2002 came into effect in April 2002. Australians who acquire a foreign citizenship after April 2002 do not lose their Australian citizenship — renunciation is entirely voluntary. Before 2002, acquiring a foreign citizenship could mean automatic loss of Australian citizenship — which is why many former Australians who naturalised elsewhere before 2002 find themselves needing to use the resumption pathway.

The renunciation and resumption framework reflects two distinct practical situations: persons who need to give up Australian citizenship (usually to satisfy another country's exclusivity requirement) and persons who lost Australian citizenship — often unknowingly under the pre-2002 laws — and wish to recover it. The pre-2002 automatic loss on foreign naturalisation affected a significant number of Australians living abroad, many of whom may not realise their Australian citizenship lapsed decades ago. For these individuals, resumption under s33 (not a new application by conferral) is the appropriate pathway, provided they meet the character requirements. For the current application forms, fee schedule, and processing times, refer to the DHA renunciation page and the DHA resumption page.