Enrol to vote after becoming an Australian citizen

Australia has compulsory enrolment and compulsory voting. If you are an Australian citizen aged 18 or over and have lived at your current address for 1 month, the law requires you to enrol with the AEC and to vote in federal, state or territory and local elections. After your citizenship ceremony, enrol once online at aec.gov.au/enrol; this covers all three levels of elections. You can use your citizenship certificate number, Australian driver licence, Australian passport or Medicare card. If you do not vote in a federal election you receive a notice: you either give a valid reason or pay a A$20 administrative penalty. Permanent residents and temporary visa holders cannot enrol.

Key facts

Who must enrol

Australian citizens aged 18 or over who have lived at their current address for at least 1 month. By law, all eligible Australian citizens must enrol and vote.¹

How soon you must enrol

Within 21 days of becoming eligible (according to the Victorian Electoral Commission, VEC). Australia has one electoral roll for federal, state and local elections, so you enrol once.⁵

Provisional enrolment at 16 or 17

You can fill in the enrolment form at 16 or 17. It takes effect automatically when you turn 18, so you can vote straight away.¹

ID for online enrolment

One of: an Australian driver licence number, an Australian passport number, Medicare card details or an Australian citizenship certificate number. If you have none of these, someone who is already enrolled can confirm your identity. 18+ cards and Proof of Age cards are not accepted.¹

One enrolment covers all three levels

Completing the AEC enrolment form lets you vote in federal elections, by-elections and referendums, and in the related state or territory and local government elections. The AEC runs federal elections only; state and local elections are run by each state's electoral commission.¹

Penalty for not voting in a federal election

After you receive a non-voter notice from the AEC, you can pay a A$20 administrative penalty. The matter is closed if you show that you voted, give a valid and sufficient reason, or pay within the time allowed. You can pay online (Government EasyPay), at an AEC office or Australia Post, or by calling 1300 844 596 with a Visa or Mastercard.³

Updating your address after you move

You can update your enrolment only after you have lived at the new address for 1 month; the VEC says within 21 days of living there for 30 days. You must also update your enrolment if your name or postal address changes.⁵

If you are overseas

Voting in federal elections is not compulsory for Australians overseas, but if you neither vote nor apply for a postal vote, your enrolment may be cancelled. You keep the right to enrol and vote for 1 month after leaving Australia. Two options: submit an overseas notification form (within 3 months before you leave) to stay on the roll without being required to vote; or register as an overseas elector, which means you must vote (by post) and is valid for 6 years, extendable by 12 months. If you have been away for more than 3 years you cannot enrol.⁴

AEC language phone lines

Mandarin 1300 720 142, Cantonese 1300 720 135, other languages 1300 720 153.²

No penalty for not having enrolled before

VEC: if you were eligible but never enrolled, you are not fined for past elections you did not vote in.⁵

British subjects: the special case

British subjects who were on the Australian electoral roll on 25 January 1984 can enrol and vote even if they are not Australian citizens. This is the only exception for non-citizens.⁶

Enrolment deadline for the 2026 Victorian state election

You must enrol or update your details by 8pm (AEDT) on Tuesday 3 November 2026.¹

Who is this for, and what are the requirements?

• Must enrol: Australian citizens aged 18 or over who have lived at their current address for 1 month.
• Permanent residents (PR) and temporary visa holders cannot enrol; the AEC's condition is 'Australian citizen'. The same applies to New Zealand citizens who have not become Australian citizens (the AEC page does not list New Zealand citizens separately).
• British subjects who were on the roll before 25 January 1984 are the only non-citizen exception.
• 16- and 17-year-olds can enrol early; the enrolment takes effect when they turn 18.
• Overseas: if you have been away for less than 3 years you can enrol from overseas; after 3 years you cannot.

How do I do it? Steps and process

1. Enrol online as soon as possible after your citizenship ceremony

   Go to aec.gov.au/enrol and fill in the online form. Have one of these ready: your citizenship certificate number, Australian driver licence number, Australian passport number or Medicare card. The VEC says to enrol within 21 days of becoming eligible. You get a receipt number when you submit.

2. Prefer paper? Use the paper form

   Print the PDF enrolment form from the AEC website or collect one from an AEC office, fill it in, sign it and return it to the AEC. If you need help in your language, call the AEC on 1300 720 153 (Mandarin 1300 720 142, Cantonese 1300 720 135).

3. Check your enrolment

   If you enrolled online, use your receipt number to check the status on the AEC website. After that you can check at any time on the AEC website whether you are enrolled, and which federal electorate, state electorate and local government area you belong to.

4. Update after moving or changing your name

   Once you have lived at your new address for 1 month, update at aec.gov.au/update; the ID requirements are the same as for enrolling. If you are away temporarily (renovating, studying) and plan to move back, you do not need to change it.

5. Vote on election day

   You must vote in federal, state or territory and local elections. If you do not vote in a federal election, the AEC sends you a notice; you can give a valid reason or pay the A$20 administrative penalty to close the matter.

6. Sort out your enrolment before you go overseas

   For a short trip, enrol before you leave. For a long stay: submit an overseas notification form within 3 months before you leave (you stay on the roll and are not required to vote), or register as an overseas elector (you must vote by post).

What documents do I need?

• Online enrolment: one of an Australian driver licence number, Australian passport number, Medicare card or Australian citizenship certificate number; if you have none, ask someone who is already enrolled to confirm your identity
• Paper enrolment: the AEC's PDF enrolment form, signed and returned

What should I watch out for?

• You can enrol with your citizenship certificate number straight away; you do not need to wait for a driver licence or passport. A Medicare card also works.
• 18+ cards and Proof of Age cards cannot be used to enrol.
• One federal enrolment covers all three levels of elections. State electoral commissions such as the VEC and the NSW Electoral Commission do not enrol you separately, but each state has its own election dates and enrolment deadlines, for example 8pm on 3 November 2026 for the Victorian state election.
• If your citizenship ceremony is held after a federal election has been announced, ask the AEC (13 23 26) whether provisional enrolment is available.
• The penalty for not voting in a federal election is A$20. Penalties for state and local elections are set by each state and differ; check with your state's electoral commission.
• You are not fined for not voting while overseas, but if you neither vote nor apply for a postal vote you may be removed from the roll. When you return to live in Australia, re-enrol after 1 month at your address.
• Your name and address on the electoral roll are made available to political parties and MPs. If you feel that showing your address is unsafe, you can apply to be a silent elector.
• This page is a plain-English summary of public information. Check the AEC and your state's electoral commission for the official rules. This is not immigration or legal advice.

Common questions

Where can I check the official information?

1. Enrol to voteAustralian Electoral Commission · aec.gov.au
2. New citizensAustralian Electoral Commission · aec.gov.au
3. Non-votersAustralian Electoral Commission · aec.gov.au
4. Australians overseasAustralian Electoral Commission · aec.gov.au
5. Enrol to voteVictorian Electoral Commission · vec.vic.gov.au
6. EnrolmentNSW Electoral Commission · elections.nsw.gov.au

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