World Country Guide

Note
Australian visa regulations (including visa application charges) change from time to time. The information provided below is valid at the time of publication, but visitors should check that this information is still current by visiting the Department of Immigration online (website: www.immi.gov.au) or by calling the Australian Immigration and Citizenship 24-hour Information Service (tel: (09065) 508 900; calls cost 1 per minute).

Passports
Valid passport required by all.

Visas
Required by all except the following:
(a) nationals of New Zealand;
(b) nationals of the following countries do not need to obtain a transit visa before travel if they are continuing their journey to a third country within eight hours of arriving in Australia: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (SAR or BNO passport holders), Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, The Philippines, Portugal, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (if issued by the authorities in Taiwan), Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, UK (and its colonies), USA, Vanuatu, Vatican City and Zimbabwe.
All other nationals must obtain a transit visa before travel, irrespective of the period of transit in Australia. Transit visas are free of charge.
Note: Not all airports remain open all night; travellers should check with the airline.

Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) visas
The ETA is an electronically stored authority for travel to Australia that allows people from certain countries (see below) to visit Australia for up to three months for tourism, short-term business or elective study purposes. An ETA is invisible and therefore will not show up in your passport.
ETAs (Visitor and Business – Short Validity ETAs only) may, for some nationals, be obtained online from the main Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA; website: www.eta.immi.gov.au) or from over 10,000 travel agents and airline offices throughout the UK.
Please note, the Australian High Commission in London does not offer an automatic ETA service.
Only nationals of the following countries are eligible for an ETA: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, British Overseas Territories*, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (SAR), Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep), Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan*, UK, USA and Vatican City.
* Holders of these passports can only be processed for an ETA by external service providers if resident in, and applying in, their passport country.

Types of ETA and cost
Tourist Visit/Business Visit (short-term): Free of charge; Business Visit (long-term): 25.
Note: A service fee of A$20 is charged when applying for an ETA online through the DIMIA ETA website. Some travel agents and airlines issuing ETAs also charge a processing fee.

Validity of ETAs
Tourist Visit ETAs are valid for 12 months from date of issue (or until the passport expires, whichever comes first) and permit multiple entries into Australia for a stay of up to three months on each visit. Short-term Business Visit ETAs are valid for 12 months from date of issue (or until the passport expires, whichever comes first) for a single entry of up to three months. Long-term Business Visit ETAs are valid for 10 years (or the life of the passport) and permit multiple entries for a stay of up to three months for each visit.

Other types of visa and cost
Visitors not eligible for an ETA, or seeking a longer stay than an ETA offers, may apply for Tourist Visit (Non ETA) and Temporary Business Short-stay and Temporary Business Long-stay (Non ETA) visas. Tourist Visit and Business Short-stay visas cost 25; Business Long-stay visas cost 70.

Validity of non-ETA visas
For non-ETA visas, the validity varies according to the type of visa, the purpose of the trip and the validity of the passport. The validity will be stated on the visa label in your passport.

Application to
ETA: Authorised travel agents or airlines, by telephone or, in some cases, online through Australian Visas Ltd (see above). Non-ETA: Australian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates; see Contact Addresses section. There is a new Tourist Short-Stay visa available online for passport holders of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and the United Arab Emirates.

Application requirements
ETA: (a) Valid passport. (b) Fee (if applicable). (c) Completed application form giving details of passport number and expiry date, airline, names of travellers etc (if applying by post). Tourist Visitor (Non ETA): (a) Completed application form. Application forms for tourist and business visitor visas can be downloaded from the Department of Immigration (website: www.immi.gov.au). (b) An A4 stamped, self-addressed, registered envelope for return of passport. (c) Valid passport with two unused visa pages. (d) Fee (payable by credit card, cheque or postal order and made out to the Australian High Commission). (e) One or more recent passport photos as required. (f) Tourists over the age of 70 require a medical certificate. Business Visitor (Non ETA): (a)-(e) and, (f) Applicant must provide proof of sponsorship and business interest. Business visa forms are also available from Australian Outlook, 3 Buckhurst Road, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex TN40 1QF, UK.
Note: (a) Prior to lodging an application, visitors should confirm the current visa fees at www.immi.gov.au. (b) All travellers to Australia, except Australian citizens and permanent residents, must satisfy health and character requirements. (c) All travellers, including minors travelling on a parent’s passport, require their own visa or ETA.

Working days required
ETA: When issued through DIMIA’s ETA website (website: www.eta.immi.gov.au), or through travel agents or airline offices, ETAs are usually processed and valid immediately or within three working days. Non-ETA: 24 hours to three weeks. Processing may take even longer in busy periods.

Temporary residence
Applicants for temporary residence, working holidays and long-stay business visits to Australia should contact DIMIA online (website: www.immi.gov.au) or the High Commission online (website: www.australia.org.uk).