JAJ

In order to evidence Australian citizenship, in general the following documents are the only ones acceptable:

- valid Australian passport; or
- Australian citizenship certificate; or
- Australian birth certificate (only where the person is born before 20 Aug 1986)

It is advisable not to rely solely on a passport as a delay will be caused if the passport is lost or stolen and you have no other supporting documents.

Those who are Australians by descent or who are naturalised Australians will usually have a citizenship certificate. Those born in Australia before 20.08.1986 can use their birth certificates as supporting evidence.

In other cases it's advisable to obtain a Certificate of Evidence of Australian citizenship. The groups who should consider obtaining one include:

- anyone who has lost their original citizenship certificate
- those born in Australia from 20 Aug 1986 with a citizen/PR parent (birth cert is not enough to prove citizenship)
- children naturalised alongside parents before 2002 who did not get their own citizenship certificates at the time
- children born in Australia from 20 Aug 1986 who have acquired Australian citizenship under the '10 year rule'
- Australians born in Papua prior to independence in 1975
- those who acquired Australian citizenship automatically in 1949 as British subjects (ie, citizens of Commonwealth countries) with five years residence in Australia
- those born before outside Australia before 26.01.1949 with an Australian father who entered Australia on permanent visas before 1 May 1987 (thereby automatically acquiring Australian citizenship on that date)

The fee for this certificate is AUD55. Application may be made at any DIMIA office.
http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/119.pdf

Jeremy