Passed the Australian Citizenship Test? What Happens Next
You see your Australian citizenship test result on screen straight away, but approval comes later by letter, then a ceremony invitation about four weeks ahead.
Yes, you find out your citizenship test result on the day: Home Affairs says your result is shown on the screen as soon as you finish the test. But passing the test is not the same as being approved. Home Affairs keeps processing your application and tells you its decision later, in writing. If you are approved, you get an invitation to a citizenship ceremony, and you become a citizen only when you make the pledge there.
This post walks through each step after the test, in the order the Department of Home Affairs describes it, and shows which steps have published timing and which do not. Everything here comes from Home Affairs pages, starting with Learn about the citizenship test. The full list is at the end.
Do you get citizenship test results immediately in Australia?
Yes. You sit the test on a computer or tablet, and the citizenship test page says:
"Your result will be displayed on the screen after you complete the test."
To pass, you need at least 15 out of 20 overall and all 5 Australian values questions right. Our post on the Australian citizenship test pass mark and values questions explains that rule in detail.
Passed the citizenship test: what next?
Here is the sequence after a pass, with the timing Home Affairs publishes for each step. Where a cell says "Not published", no Home Affairs page we checked gives a timeframe.
| Step | What happens | Published timing |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Test result | Your result is shown on screen when you finish. | Same day |
| 2. Processing continues | Home Affairs keeps working on your application and writes to you if it needs more information. | Not published |
| 3. Decision letter | Home Affairs tells you in writing whether your application is approved or refused. | Not published from the test date. Measured from your application date (see below). |
| 4. Ceremony invitation | A letter from your local council or Home Affairs gives the date, time and place. | About four weeks before the ceremony |
| 5. Ceremony and pledge | You make the pledge of commitment and become an Australian citizen. | 90% of approved applicants have the chance to attend within 6 months of approval |
| 6. Certificate | You receive it after the pledge, or it is posted to you if it is not ready. | Not published |
The rest of this post explains each step.
Why you passed the citizenship test but have no approval yet
The test is one part of your application, not the end of it. Under "After the test", the citizenship test page says: "We will continue processing your citizenship application." It adds that Home Affairs will write to you "if we need more information or when we make a decision on your application."
Passing does meet two of the requirements. The Become a citizen page for permanent residents says that if you score 75% or more and answer all 5 values questions correctly, "then you meet the knowledge requirement". It says the same for the language requirement. Your other eligibility criteria are still assessed, and the same page lists circumstances in which Home Affairs cannot approve an application, such as when it is not satisfied of your identity.
The citizenship processing times page lists what can affect how long processing takes:
- whether you gave a complete application, with all supporting documents
- how quickly you respond when asked for more information or documents
- the time it takes to check the information you gave
- the time it takes to get information from other agencies, "usually for character and national security requirements"
How long after the citizenship test for approval?
Home Affairs does not publish a timeframe from the test to approval. Its published time to a decision is counted from the date you applied, not the date of your test.
When we checked in early October 2026, the citizenship processing times page (last updated 21 September 2026) showed these figures for citizenship by conferral (general eligibility and other situations):
| Period counted | 25% | 50% | 75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| From date of application to decision | 40 days | 47 days | 85 days | 5 months |
| From date of approval to ceremony | 75 days | 4 months | 5 months | 6 months |
| From date of application to ceremony | 6 months | 7 months | 10 months | 12 months |
A few things to know about these numbers:
- A "decision" on that page includes applications that were approved, refused, withdrawn or invalid, not only approvals.
- Home Affairs says the figures "are intended to provide a guide only."
- They are percentiles. For the 90% column, the page explains that for 89 applications out of every 100, the timeframe was less than the figure shown.
How to check your application while you wait
If you applied online, the Home Affairs popular questions page says you can check your status in the "My applications summary" section of ImmiAccount. The same page says: "We will notify you when we have made a decision on your application."
What the approval (or refusal) letter means
The decision comes by letter. The Become a citizen page says: "We will send you a letter if we approve your application."
Approval does not make you a citizen yet. For people who pass the test, the citizenship test page says that if your application is approved, "you must attend a citizenship ceremony to become an Australian citizen." The citizenship ceremony page is just as clear:
"You will not become an Australian citizen until you have made the pledge of commitment to Australia."
If your application is refused, Home Affairs sends a letter explaining the reasons. You can ask the Administrative Review Tribunal for a review, and the letter tells you where to lodge the request and the time limits.
When do you get the citizenship ceremony invitation?
About four weeks before the ceremony. Several Home Affairs pages say this, including the citizenship test page and the popular questions page.
The basics, from the ceremony page and the ceremony wait times page:
- The invitation comes from either your local council or Home Affairs.
- It shows the date, time and place. You cannot choose where and when you attend.
- Your ceremony is based on your current residential address.
- Wait times depend on demand in your local government area. The wait times page has a search for each council.
What happens at the ceremony
The ceremony page says to allow at least two hours, and that the ceremony itself may take about one hour. Bring your invitation and one form of photo identification.
The key moment is the pledge. The presiding officer asks you to repeat the pledge out loud. You can choose between two versions of the pledge: one mentions God and the other does not. The ceremony page says: "You will become an Australian citizen after you make the pledge."
After the ceremony: your certificate and passport
You should receive your citizenship certificate after you make the pledge. If it is not ready at the ceremony, Home Affairs posts it to you. Either way, the ceremony page says: "You become a citizen when you make the pledge."
Check that your name and date of birth are correct on the certificate, and contact Home Affairs as soon as possible if they are wrong. You will need the certificate to apply for an Australian passport. Home Affairs says it may take time for your citizenship details to show in the system, so wait at least 10 days before you apply online with the Australian Passport Office.
While you wait: what Home Affairs asks you to do
- Tell Home Affairs about changes. This includes your name, contact details (including your residential or postal address) and information about children on your application. If you applied online, Home Affairs points you to its After you apply page.
- Send any extra documents they ask for. Home Affairs will contact you directly if it needs them.
- Plan travel carefully. The Become a citizen page says that in most cases Home Affairs cannot approve your application while you are outside Australia. If you get a ceremony invitation for a date when you are away, you may get a non-attendance letter and a later invitation.
- Make the pledge within 12 months of approval. If you do not attend a ceremony within 12 months of approval, Home Affairs may cancel your approval unless you have an acceptable reason, supported by evidence.
Still preparing for the test? How to practise
If you have not sat the test yet, start with the official resources. Home Affairs highly recommends reading Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, and you can also do its official practice test. Its Prepare for the test page also says: "The Department does not endorse or recommend any external courses that claim to help you prepare for the citizenship test, including paid external apps."
If you want extra practice on top of those, our free Australian citizenship mock exams are marked with both pass rules (15/20 overall and 5/5 values), and there is a second mock exam too. The AU Citizenship Test: Values app has 630+ questions written from Our Common Bond, a Values Drill for the values questions, and 40 timed mock exams.
Frequently asked questions
Do you get your citizenship test results immediately in Australia?
Yes. Home Affairs says your result is displayed on the screen after you complete the test.
I passed the citizenship test. Does that mean my citizenship is approved?
No. Home Affairs keeps processing your application after the test and tells you its decision later, in writing.
How long after the citizenship test do you get approval?
Home Affairs does not publish a test-to-approval timeframe. Its processing times count from the date you applied: in the figures last updated 21 September 2026, 90% of conferral applications reached a decision within 5 months of application.
I passed the citizenship test but have no approval yet. What should I do?
Check your status in ImmiAccount if you applied online, and reply quickly to any request for information. Home Affairs says that if your application is within the advertised processing times, it has no further information it can give you.
How long after approval is the citizenship ceremony?
Home Affairs says 90% of approved applicants have the opportunity to attend a ceremony within 6 months of approval. Wait times depend on demand in your local council area.
When do you get the citizenship ceremony invitation?
About four weeks before the ceremony. It comes from your local council or Home Affairs.
Can I choose my ceremony date or location?
No. Home Affairs says you cannot choose where and when to attend, and your ceremony is based on your current residential address.
When do you officially become an Australian citizen?
When you make the pledge of commitment at your ceremony. Approval alone does not make you a citizen.
Sources
- Department of Home Affairs, Learn about the citizenship test: result shown on screen, "After the test" steps, ceremony requirement after approval, invitation about four weeks before.
- Department of Home Affairs, Citizenship processing times: processing time figures, what counts as a decision, factors that affect processing, guide-only and no-further-information notes.
- Department of Home Affairs, Become a citizen: permanent resident: knowledge and language requirements, approval and refusal letters, review, changes in circumstances, travel and the 12-month pledge rule, certificate checks.
- Department of Home Affairs, Citizenship ceremony: invitation details, becoming a citizen at the pledge, what to bring, time on the day, certificate, 12-month rule, travel and passport timing.
- Department of Home Affairs, Ceremony wait times: council-run ceremonies, residential address, no choice of date, demand by local government area.
- Department of Home Affairs, What is the pledge: the two versions of the pledge.
- Department of Home Affairs, Popular questions: checking status in ImmiAccount, decision notification, invitation about 4 weeks before.
- Department of Home Affairs, Prepare for the test: official practice test and the statement on external courses and paid apps.
All quotations were checked against these pages in October 2026.
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