Australia Visa Policy

Visa Policy for Australia

The visa policy of Australia determines which visa or travel authorization a foreign national needs in order to visit the country.

The requirements for each individual depends on a number of factors, including nationality, length of stay, and purpose of traveling to Australia.

There are a number of different types of visa and travel authorizations for Australia.

Electronic visas and travel authorizations are available for holders of over 70 different passports for stays of short periods. These function as combined Australia tourist visas and business visas.

These digital options can be obtained online. This is the quickest and easiest way to get permission to enter Australia.

For long stays or if the foreign national plans to live and/or work in Australia, they must make an application for the relevant visas and permits at an Australian embassy.

Travelers from all other countries must obtain a consular visa for Australia from an embassy.

Australian visa policy dictates that almost all visitors must apply for a visa in advance of their journey to the country.

The only exceptions are citizens of New Zealand, who enjoy the right of abode and receive a Special Category Visa on arrival in Australia.

Australian immigration policy is generally consistent throughout the different states and territories that make up the mainland and many of the islands belonging to the country.

However, to visit certain islands belonging to Australia or the Australian Antarctic Territory, special authorization is required from the government.

Below you will find a comprehensive list of Australia’s rules and regulations regarding visas and travel to the country.

Tourist Visa Policy for Australia

There are several types of Australian tourist visas. Different visa options exist for travelers of different nationalities.

There are 2 different types of visa for Australia that can be obtained via a simple online application. These are the eVisitor Visa and the Australia ETA, which stands for Electronic Travel Authority. Both grant the right to visit Australia as a tourist.

The eVisitor and ETA are both easy to apply for. Simply complete a short online form using any device connected to the internet. There is no need to go all the way to a consular office.

The type of electronic visa that a visitor must apply for depends on their nationality.

The eVisitor is available for nationals of around 40 countries, while the ETA is available for citizens of around 10 states and territories. This means that there is a combined total of over 50 different nationalities who are able to apply for an Australia tourist visa online.

Online tourist visas for Australia grant the holder multiple entries to the country and allow them to spend a maximum of 3 months in the country within a period of a year.

Applicants will need a valid passport from an eligible country, a current email address, and a method of payment. They must also meet certain health requirements, such as being free of tuberculosis (TB).

Any foreign national who does not meet the requirements for an online visa may arrange an interview at an embassy to make their case for an Australia tourist embassy visa.

Tourists from all other countries must acquire their tourist visa for Australia from an Australian embassy.

Any tourist who wishes to stay longer than 3 months in Australia must also apply for a long-term visa at an embassy, regardless of their nationality.

For more information about which Australia tourist visas are available to each nationality, see below.

eVisitor for Australia

The Australia eVisitor Visa is exclusively available for citizens of around 40 European countries.

Passengers with passports issued by eligible countries can get this electronic visa quickly and easily via an online application. It is considered the most convenient way to get an Australian visa.

The eVisitor for Australia was introduced as part of a reciprocal short-stay travel agreement with the European Union (EU). Therefore, nationals of all 27 EU member states are eligible to apply for the eVisitor.

In addition, visitors from around 10 non-EU countries in Europe may obtain an eVisitor Visa for Australia. These include the 4 European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland; 4 European microstates affiliated with, but not members of the EU: Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City; and the United Kingdom (UK).

You cannot apply for the eVisitor visa if you are not a citizen of the eligible countries. Being a permanent resident of the countries above does not authorize you to apply for this visa category.

The eVisitor Visa permits the holder to visit Australia for the purposes of tourism and business.

It is valid for 12 months, in which the holder can make multiple visits and grants the right to stay in the country for a maximum of 3 months at a time.

The Australian eVisitor Visa is designated as visa subclass 651.

The eVisitor for Australia is obtained by completing an online application form, which is straightforward and typically takes just a few minutes to fill in.

Applicants are required to submit basic personal details, passport information, and an email address to which the approved Australia visa will be delivered. There are also a few questions regarding health and security matters.

In order to have their eVisitor application granted, travelers must be free of tuberculosis (TB) and must not have any serious criminal convictions.

See below the list of eligible nationalities.

Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Monaco
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Cyprus
Romania
San Marino
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Vatican City

Australia eVisitor Info

Apply Online

ETA for Australia

The Australia Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) is available to foreign nationals from 7 sovereign states and one special administrative region in addition to some other countries that are also eligible for the eVisitor visa.

It is quick and simple to apply for the Australia ETA. Enter your details in the brief online form and you will receive the ETA by email within just 2 business days.

The simple online application to acquire the ETA for Australia, which takes a matter of minutes to complete.

The digital application format means you can apply from your own home, office, or from any device connected to the internet. This means you do not have to waste time traveling to an embassy.

Required information includes the traveler’s name, nationality, passport details, and a current email address, to which the approved ETA will be delivered.

You must also answer some questions pertaining to travel, health, and security.

Like the eVisitor Visa, the Australian ETA can be used to enter Australia as a tourist or for business trips.

The ETA can be used multiple times over the course of 1 year. The visitor is allowed to spend up to 3 months per visit in Australia.

Visitors must not have TB or any serious criminal convictions in order for an ETA application to be granted.

Nationalities eligible for the ETA are listed below.

Brunei Darussalam
Canada
Hong Kong
Japan
Malaysia
Singapore
South Korea
United States

Australia ETA Info

Apply Online

Visa On Arrival for Australia

Australia has a visa on arrival called the Special Category Visa (SCV) (subclass 444), which is granted to citizens of New Zealand.

According to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, New Zealanders have the right to visit, study, live, and work in Australia. The SCV is granted upon arrival in the country as proof of this right, counting as a tourist visa, business visa, residence permit, and work visa for Australia.

Unlike most foreign nationals, New Zealanders do not need to apply for an Australian visa in advance. Their passports are not usually stamped when they arrive in Australia.

The SCV is valid until the date when the New Zealand national leaves the country. Upon their return to Australia, another Special Category Visa is issued on arrival.

New Zealanders must not have any serious health conditions (particularly infectious diseases) or any criminal convictions with prison time of more than 12 months to be eligible for the SCV.

In addition, if a New Zealand national already holds a different type of temporary or permanent Australian visa, they will not be granted an SCV.

New Zealanders who come to Australia for a specific purpose, such as military personnel on active duty and diplomats, are usually issued with a special purpose visa instead of an SCV.

New Zealand

Get Embassy Info

Protected SCV

All SCVs issued after February 26 2001 grant the holder limited access to Australian social security. New Zealanders who received their SCV after this date are not eligible for Australian citizenship unless they apply for and obtain permanent resident status.

New Zealanders who acquired a Special Category Visa before February 26 2001 are known as “protected SCV holders”. They are eligible for most social security benefits and hold the same rights as permanent residents, including the ability to apply for Australian citizenship.

Embassy or Consular Visa Required for Australia

The majority of foreign nationals who plan to visit Australia must obtain a consular visa from an Australian embassy, regardless of the purpose of their visit or how long they plan to stay in the country.

According to the Australian visa policy, citizens of around 200 different sovereign states must apply for a consular Australia tourism visa in advance.

In order to apply for a consular visa, nationals of these countries must make an appointment at an Australian diplomatic mission overseas.

All foreign travelers, apart from New Zealand nationals, must apply for a consular visa for Australia if the individual intends to work, live, or stay longer than 3 months in Australia.

In order to legally be able to work in Australia, foreign nationals must apply for an Australian work visa at an embassy.

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bonaire
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Cape Verde
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Cuba
Curacao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Isle of Man
Israel
Ivory Coast
Jamaica
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Macau
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
New Caledonia
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Reunion
Russian Federation
Rwanda
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Sint Maarten
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Swaziland
Syrian Arab Republic
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States Virgin Islands
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Get Embassy Info

Other Visa Information for Australia

Business visitors from a number of countries may visit Australia without a visa for up to 90 days if they are in possession of an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) with the “AUS” code on the reverse side.

Eligible nationalities include Brunei, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The majority of visitors from these countries must abide by the usual Australian visa policy. Only ABTC holders on business trips of less than 90 days may enter the country visa-free.