General Requirements

Age Requirement

Officer

Applicants must be aged between 17 and 49 years of age inclusive on entry.

Applicants will not normally be allowed to enter the ADF until they achieve a minimum of 17 years of age, however they may be able to initiate the application process from 16 years and six months of age, depending upon the capacity of their local recruiting centre.

Australian Defence Force Academy

Applicants must be a minimum of 17 years of age on day of entry.

Applicants will not normally be allowed to enter the ADF until they achieve a minimum of 17 years of age, however they may be able to initiate the application process from 16 years of age, depending upon the capacity of their local recruiting centre.

Maximum age on entry is 46 years of age.

Citizenship Requirement

Only Australian citizens are permitted to serve in the ADF.

If you are a Permanent Resident of Australia, the ADF may consider a temporary waiver of the citizenship requirement if the position for which you are applying cannot be filled by an applicant who meets all the citizenship requirements, and then only in exceptional circumstances. You will be required to obtain Australian citizenship as early as possible following enlistment or appointment.

More information on citizenship requirements and the citizenship waiver process is available from the Recruitment Centre and your local Defence Force Recruiting Centre.

Security Requirement

Australian Defence Force Academy, Officer

The Department of Defence requires ADF entrants to obtain a security clearance appropriate to their avenue of entry.

A process of background checks, collection of relevant information and, as required, interviews enables the Regional Security Office to make an informed assessment of an applicant's suitability for a security clearance.

Current policy requires applicants for this particular avenue of entry to have lived in Australia for the preceding 10 years, or have a checkable background for this period.