Visa Requirements and Information for Australians

Visa Requirements for Australian Citizens

Visa requirements for Australian citizens are administrative entry restrictions placed on Australian passport holders by the authorities of other countries across the world.

According to the Henley Passport Index, the Australian passport is considered the 9th most powerful passport in terms of travel freedom. That means that at the present time, Australian nationals can travel to around 100 countries visa-free and more than 30 countries with a visa on arrival.

Visa requirements for Australian citizens differ depending on the country the traveler wants to visit, the amount of time they wish to spend in the territory and the reason for their visit. It is important for Australians to check requirements before planning a trip so that they know which documents are needed to gain entry to their destination.

Most visa-exempt countries for Australian citizens allow Australian nationals to enter their borders for tourism, business or transit purposes, for short periods of time (normally between 30 to 180 days) depending on the country of destination.

Despite the fact that it is not necessary to obtain a visa for Australian citizens for short stays for visa-exempt countries, it may be necessary to register for an electronic travel authorization to obtain permission to travel to certain visa-free states.

It is necessary to obtain a visa if the Australian passport holder wishes to visit a country not on the visa-exempt list. This may be a visa on arrival at a border entry point, a consular visa from an embassy of their destination or an electronic visa through an online application.

List of Visa Countries for Australian Passport Holders

Although Australian citizens are able to travel to a number of countries without obtaining a visa, it is necessary to meet the visa requirements for Australian passport holders to visit other territories.

Travelers need to obtain the correct travel document type depending on the reason of their visit (whether for tourism, transit, business, to study or work, or for other purposes).

It is currently necessary to obtain a visa for Australian passport holders, before departure for around 110 countries around the world. This can be obtained in person from the nearest embassy or through an online electronic visa application.

Some countries for which Australian citizens need a visa have the option to obtain a visa on arrival at border entry points in addition to the online visa application. However, the eVisa option eliminates the need to wait in a queue at the border.

See below a map of the countries for which Australian passport holders require a visa.

Electronic Travel Visa Authorization

An Electronic Travel Visa Authorization system allows Australian passport holders to obtain either an electronic visa waiver or an online eVisa (electronic visa) for some countries around the world.

This procedure eliminates the need to obtain a visa in person at an embassy or consulate and also the need to wait in line at the border entry checkpoints to obtain a visa on arrival.

Some of the aforementioned visa-free countries require Australian citizens to pre-register for an electronic visa waiver before arrival, in order to pre-identify any potential security risks. Other countries have created an online eVisa application to expedite the process of obtaining a visa.

At the moment, there are around 30 countries that have an online application system available for Australian passport holders.

Most eVisa and Electronic Travel Authorizations are multiple entry travel documents. They allow the holder to spend between 14 to 180 days in the destination country, for tourism, transit or business purposes.

An approved electronic travel visa authorizations is usually linked electronically to the Australian visitor’s passport and a copy of the approved authorization is also sent to the applicant’s current email address.

Travelers are recommended to print a copy of the approved eVisa or Electronic Travel Authorization regardless of whether is linked to their passport, as some travel companies may ask to be shown a paper copy.

Find below a list of the main destinations that Australians can visit by applying for an Electronic Travel Visa Authorization.

ETIAS Visa Waiver for Australians

At the moment, Australians are able to stay visa-free in every European country who has signed the Schengen agreement for up to 3 months every 6 months. The Schengen Area is made up of 23 European Union Countries and 4 non-EU states.

However, the Schengen visa policy will change in 2025. From this date, all Australian citizens traveling to Europe will be required to obtain an ETIAS electronic visa waiver before traveling to any of the Schengen member countries.

Once implemented, it will be easy to obtain an approved ETIAS through a simple online application. Once approved, the Europe visa waiver is electronically attached to the traveler’s Australian passport.

An approved ETIAS visa waiver for Australian citizens is a multiple entry travel authorization that allows multiple short stays in the Schengen Area for tourist, business, medical treatment, or transit purposes. It is valid for 3 years from the date of issue, or until the associated passport expires, whichever comes first.

Australian citizens who wish to obtain a work visa or study visa for Schengen countries, or stay in the region for longer consecutive periods, are required to apply for a visa from an embassy or consulate of the individual country they wish to visit.

Visa on Arrival

A visa on arrival for Australian passport holders is a type of travel document that can be obtained upon arrival at border entry checkpoints in the country of destination.

There are currently more than 30 visa on arrival countries for Australian citizens across the world, including many African and Southeast Asian territories.

Those who are planning to visit a country where a visa on arrival is available are usually required to go directly to a border checkpoint upon arrival and wait in a queue until an immigration officer provides them with the visa on arrival application they will need to complete.

After completing this application, some countries will require payment of the visa on arrival fee before the visa can be approved. Many of these destinations will only accept payment in cash in the local currency.

Australian citizens who apply for a visa on arrival may be issued with a permit to stay between 8 and 180 days depending on the country of destination.

A number of countries who offer visa on arrival also allow visitors to obtain an eVisa before departure from Australia. This greatly expedites the application process and removes the need to wait in queues at a border checkpoint.

Below you will find a complete list of the countries you can visit with a visa on arrival.

Bangladesh
Brunei Darussalam
Burkina Faso
Comoros
Gabon
Guinea-Bissau
Lebanon
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mozambique
Palau
Paraguay
Samoa
Senegal
Solomon Islands
Somalia
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tuvalu
United Arab Emirates
Zambia
Zimbabwe

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Embassy Visa Required

An embassy visa for Australian citizens is a type of visa which Australians must obtain in person and in advance from an embassy or consulate before traveling to their country of destination.

There are currently around 80 countries which require Australian passport holders to obtain an embassy visa before travel, no matter the period of stay in the destination or the purpose of the visit.

The applicant is usually required to make a visa appointment at the nearest embassy or consulate of the destination territory. It is usually necessary to bring a completed visa application form to the consular interview, alongside additional supporting documentation which differs depending on the type of visa required.

Embassy visa requirements for Australian citizens usually state that travelers should apply well in advance of the expected arrival date in the destination country, in order to allow for sufficient processing time. It can sometimes take up to 2 weeks or more for an embassy visa to be approved after the interview.

Below you can find a list of the countries for which Australian passport holders can travel to by first applying for an embassy visa.

Afghanistan
Aland Islands
Algeria
American Samoa
Anguilla
Antarctica
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bonaire
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Burundi
Cameroon
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos Islands
Congo
Cook Islands
Cuba
Curacao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
French Guiana
French Polynesia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Guadeloupe
Guernsey
Iraq
Isle of Man
Jersey
Liberia
Libya
Mali
Martinique
Mayotte
Montserrat
Nauru
New Caledonia
Niger
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
Northern Mariana Islands
Pitcairn Islands
Reunion
Russian Federation
Saint Barthelemy
Saint Helena
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Sao Tome and Principe
Seychelles
Sint Maarten
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Syrian Arab Republic
Tokelau
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Wallis and Futuna
Yemen

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Visa Not Required

At the moment there are over 100 visa-free countries for Australian passport holders. Australians can visit these states without applying for a visa or travel authorization, for a stay between 14 days and 6 months depending on the country of destination.

This list of visa-free countries currently includes almost all North and South American countries, as well as all of the European countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement.

Travelers are simply able to present a non-expired Australian passport to gain entry to these visa-exempt countries. Australian citizens are normally permitted to visit these countries for purposes of tourism, business, or transit.

If a traveler wishes to stay longer, or visit for purposes other than those permitted visa-free, they will be required to apply for an embassy visa for the chosen destination before departing from Australia.

Browse the list below and discover the main countries for which a visa is not required for Australian citizens.

Albania
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Austria
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Colombia
Costa Rica
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominica
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Federated States of Micronesia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Grenada
Guam
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Kazakhstan
Kiribati
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia
Lesotho
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macau
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malta
Mauritius
Moldova
Monaco
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Norway
Palestinian Territory
Panama
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Cyprus
Romania
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Serbia
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Swaziland
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Thailand
Tunisia
United Kingdom
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela

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Visa Exemption for New Zealand

Australian passport holders are exempt to hold a travel authorization before traveling to New Zealand under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement.

To gain visa-free entry to New Zealand it is only necessary to present either a valid Australian passport, a foreign passport showing an Australian Citizen Endorsement, or an Australian Citizen Declaratory Visa as evidence of citizenship.

In order to qualify for visa exemption for New Zealand, Australian nationals must not have any criminal convictions, suffer from untreated tuberculosis, or been deported, removed, or banned from any country around the world.

Australian citizens who do not meet these character and health requirements for New Zealand will not be granted visa on arrival, and will be required to apply for a visa for New Zealand in advance of departure from Australia.