Citizenship Requirements

Australian Citizenship or Permanent Residency

Applicants seeking to join the NSW Police Force must be either Australian citizens (by birth, naturalisation or citizenship) or have a current Australian permanent resident visa.

This includes providing information and supporting documentation about an applicant’s citizenship or permanent residency status at the time the on-line police application is submitted.

If you were born in Australia, whether you are an Australian citizen by birth depends on the date of your birth. Most police applicants born in Australia before 20 August 1986 are Australian citizen by birth.   Applicants born after this date are only Australian citizens if at least one parent was an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of their birth.

The table below is a guide for the requirements for applicants to evidence their Australian citizenship or permanent residency status.

Applicant born in AustraliaApplicant born overseas
Born before
20 August 1986		Born on or after
20 August 1986		Granted Australian CitizenshipHold a current Australian Permanent residency visa
  • your full Australian birth certificate
  • your full Australian birth certificate

and one (1) of the following:

  • Your current Australian Passport

or

  • Evidence demonstrating at least one of your parents was an Australian citizen or permanent resident at the time of your birth
  • your overseas birth certificate

and

  • Australian Citizenship certificate
  • your overseas birth certificate

and

  • Foreign Passport

and

  • Australian permanent residency visa documentation.
For information on locating a Justice of the Peace:

NSW Justice of the Peace Information

National Justice of the Peace Information

For information on applying for an overseas penal clearance certificate:

Obtaining overseas penal clearance certificates

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