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This new option is being introduced to make it easy to access the Census online through a familiar and secure digital channel.
People who subscribe through myGov will get helpful updates and a one-click link sent to their myGov Inbox in late July when it’s time to complete the Census. This link will then take them to the Census website to complete the online form for their household.
myGov is just one way to access the 2026 Census.
People who don’t subscribe will get instructions in the mail on completing their Census online or with a paper form.
Who can subscribe
Anyone with a myGov account can subscribe to get 2026 Census updates through myGov.
Only one person per household needs to subscribe to access and complete the Census online form.
When can people subscribe
To get 2026 Census updates through myGov, people will need to sign in to their account and subscribe between Monday 18 May and Saturday 6 June 2026.
How to subscribe
To subscribe, people need to sign in to their myGov account.
Once signed in they will see links to ‘Subscribe to 2026 Census updates’ in the banner at the top of the page, under alerts and in the useful information section. They can also subscribe through their myGov account settings.
- Select the My account or Menu option, Account settings and then Subscriptions.
- Under Notifications from other services, 2026 Census updates select Subscribe.
They’ll then need to follow the prompts to finish their subscription. Once complete, they’ll get a myGov Inbox message confirming their subscription.
Accessing the 2026 Census through myGov
When it’s time to complete the Census from July, those people who have subscribed will get a message in their myGov Inbox with a link to complete the Census.
The link in this message will take them directly to the online form on the Census website, where they access and complete the Census for their household.
When completing the form, people will need to include the details for everyone staying at their address on Census night, Tuesday 11 August 2026. This includes any visitors and babies.
Data collection
The Census is completed through the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The information people provide as part of the Census won’t be shared with myGov or their linked government services.
When subscribing through myGov, people need to agree to share the address where they will be staying on Census Night with the ABS. The address provided won’t be saved in, or used by, myGov or any of its services.
Peoples’ personal information will not be pre-filled when they access the online form through myGov, as there’s no connection with other government agencies.
For more information about how myGov collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information, go to myGov privacy notice | myGov.
For more information about privacy and security for the Census, go to Privacy at the ABS | Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Scam awareness
It is important for people to be wary of scammers who may try to trick them into sharing their myGov sign in details through fake myGov websites.
Neither myGov nor the ABS will send an email or SMS with a link to sign in to myGov.
People should always sign in to myGov using the official myGov app or enter my.gov.au into their browser.
For more information about how to spot a myGov scam, go to my.gov.au/scams.
Unsubscribing from Census updates
People can choose to unsubscribe from Census updates in myGov at any time. If people unsubscribe, they won’t get any more messages about the Census sent to their myGov Inbox.
They will need to complete the 2026 Census, even if they unsubscribe.
There’s more information on how to unsubscribe at my.gov.au/census.
myGov will automatically end all Census update subscriptions in October 2026.
More information
For more information about accessing 2026 Census updates through myGov, go to my.gov.au/census.
Information about the 2026 Census and why it’s important is available on the Census website at census.abs.gov.au.