Australian Travel Visa or Australian Tourist Visa

For all holiday travel to Australia you will require an Australian Travel Visa, also known as the Australian Tourist Visa. This is the most popular form of visa issued by the Department of Immigration for visitors to Australia.

There are two main types of Australian Tourist Visa. Which one is right for you will generally depend on the length of time you plan to stay in Australia?

Short Stay Australian Tourist Visa

If you are looking to stay for only a short period, of up to three months then you will want the Short-Stay ETA Tourist Visa. (Australian Travel Visa). This visa is referred to by the Department of Immigration as an ‘ETA (Visitor) (Subclass 976)’. The ETA stands for Electronic Travel Authority and this means that you can apply and be issued with your visa electronically (no visa stamp or sticker required). Note however that because your Australian Travel visa is electronically connected to your passport, you must travel to Australia on the passport that you register.

Applying for an ETA Visa

In order to be eligible to apply for an ETA Tourist Visa you must hold a passport from one of the following countries and be outside of Australia at the time of your application:

* If you are from one of these countries you may apply online for your Short-Stay Tourist ETA through the Department of Immigration in Australia. There is no fee for the visa, however a small service fee is applicable.

If your passport is from one of the other countries above, you may apply through visa issuing travel agent or visa bureau, such as the British Based Australian Visa Bureau. Short-Stay ETA visas are also available to British National (Overseas) holders of UK passports if you reside and are applying from Hong Kong. A service fee is applicable.

One country absent from the above list is Taiwan. If you are a Taiwanese passport holder you are also eligible but will need to seek your visa through a local visa issuing travel agent.

Conditions of a Short-Stay Australian Visa (ETA Visa)

There are a number of conditions associated with a Short-Stay ETA Visa, these include:

• An ETA is not transferrable, so ensure you apply using the correct passport and that it will not expire before or during your travel.
• An ETA cannot be extended so if you are not sure, get a Long-Stay Visa. If you do find yourself in Australia on an expiring ETA Visa then you will need to apply for a new non-ETA visa at least 2-3 weeks prior to the expiry of your Short-Stay Visa.
• You do not work at all other than limited volunteer work.
• You do not have tuberculosis.
• You have never been convicted of a crime, to which sentences issued exceed 12 months duration.

If for any reason you are not eligible for a Short-Stay ETA Visa then you will need to apply for an Australian Tourist Visa (Subclass 676).

Long Stay Australian Travel Visa

This visa is the Australian Tourist Visa (Subclass 676) and is required for all passport holders who want to visit Australia for purposes other than working for a period of up to 12 months. This includes:

• Long term stay up to either 6 months or 12 months;
• Visitors who wish to extend their stay (currently on a Short-Stay ETA Visa);
• Visitors who wish to engage in short-term study up to 12 months; and
• If you have criminal convictions.

If you wish to apply for this type of visa you will need to pay an Australian Visa Application charge.

Conditions of a Long-Stay Australian Travel Visa or Tourist Visa

There are a number of requirements that may need to be satisfied in order to apply for a long-stay Australian Travel Visa. The main requirement is that your primary purpose to visit is for sightseeing or visiting friends and family.
Other requirements include:

• Health – You may be required to undergo a medical examination depending on your circumstances, such as if you are unwell, are likely to enter a classroom environment, have a medical condition, are 75 years old or there is an indication that you may not meet the health requirements.
• Character – You may be required to provide police certificates for countries from which you have lived in.
• Financial – You must be able to prove that you can cover all expenses you are likely to incur for the full duration of your stay and you must not have any outstanding debts to the Commonwealth of Australia.
• Children – If you are travelling with a child you may have to show consent from any absent parent in the prescribed format.

More information about the conditions for travel can be found here.

Applying for a Long-Stay Australian Tourist Visa

You can do this either online or by filling out an Australian Visa Application. There are a number of details you may have to supply so it is worth considering your application at least a month prior to travel.
More Australian Visa Application information can be found at this link.

All prices and links have been confirmed as correct at the time of this article’s publication (Dec 2010). We value accuracy, so if you notice a broken link or a fee change, we’d really appreciate you letting us know.

More Pages on Australian Visa Application;

Australian Work Visa

Australian Student Visa

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