Visa Requirements for Australian Citizens
Visa requirements for Australian citizens are regulatory conditions for Australians to follow upon crossing the border of various foreign destinations with a valid Australian passport. The requirements may vary according to which country Australians should choose as their final destination.
There are around 30 territories to which Australians do need a visa. These are the lesser-known destinations, such as Crimea, Tokelau, Yemen, Niger, Sudan, Nauru, and more.
Australian citizens can enter over 180 countries without a visa, making Australian passports rank at 9th place in the Henley Passport Index. The HPI is a worldwide ranking system, which evaluates which nationals have the most freedom when traveling abroad with ordinary (non-diplomatic) passports.
Australian citizens visiting the countries that offer a visa-waiver for them can take on short-term stays. The short-term is usually anywhere from a month to 6 months.
If Australian citizens decide to visit a place that requires a visa from them, the length of the permitted stay will vary and depend on the foreign country's government.
What type of visas can Australian citizens apply for?
Australian citizens can apply for most visa types out there, including those related to leisure, professional, and transit purposes. Moreover, Australians are eligible for using the electronic visa system of about 30 destinations and can enter hundreds of states visa-free.
Some places offer VoAs (Visas on Arrival) as well. However, this option is often connected with long waiting lines and stressful situations.
Any Australian citizen can use the ETIAS system that allows entering dozens of nationals in the Schengen Area, the Canadian eTA system, ESTA for the USA, and more!
Electronic visa for Australian passport holders
An e-Visa enables Australian passport holders to enter a selected foreign country without the need to visit an Embassy. Electronic visas can be issued in the form of single-entry, double-entry, and even multiple-entry travel authorization documents.
e-Visa usually serves as a tourist visa that allows Australians to take a short-term trip abroad for leisure, professional, or transit purposes.
List of countries Australians can visit with an e-Visa
- Angola
- Azerbaijan
- Bahamas
- Bahrain
- Benin
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- India
- Ivory Coast
- Jordan
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Madagascar
- Mexico
- Mongolia
- Myanmar
- Nigeria
- Oman
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Puerto Rico
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Turkey
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- USA
- United States Virgin Islands
- Vietnam
The electronic visa system is currently offered for Australians by around 30 foreign places. All Australian citizens with valid passports can use the Electronic Travel Authorization option provided by many different countries, including the US and Canada.
The length of the permitted stay in other countries for Australian citizens with e-Visas will differ depending on the selected destination. The visa waiver introduced by the different destinations allows Australians to stay anywhere from 2 weeks to even 6 months at a time.
Some e-Visas stay valid for an extensive amount of time, e.g., ESTA (US) stays effective for 2 years or eTA to Canada that remains valid for 5 years from issuing.
What can Australians do with an e-Visa?
Generally, e-Visa allows Australians to engage in leisure, professional, or transit purposes. This means that Australian citizens can apply for a visa online and use it to go on vacation, go sightseeing, explore the country they've selected as their destination.
Moreover, all Australian passport holders traveling with an e-Visa can use this electronic travel authorization for business purposes. You can attend a business meeting, conference, seminar, or negotiate future contracts or collaborations. Lastly, most e-Visas allow Australian citizens to take on a transit trip while reaching another final destination.
Visa on Arrival
Visa on arrival for Australian passport holders is a travel authorization document that is obtainable upon arrival in any selected foreign country.
Currently, over 50 countries offer a Visa on Arrival for Australian citizens. Some of the states provide both electronic visas obtainable prior to the planned travel and visas on arrival.
Australians who wish to receive a visa on arrival should go to a border checkpoint upon entering the chosen destination. Next, ask for a visa on arrival application form and complete it.
After completing the form, foreign authorities may require Australians to cover a VoA fee. Lastly, wait until your application is processed.
After completing the form, foreign authorities may require Australians to cover a VoA fee. Lastly, wait until your application is processed.
It's crucial to note a few more things regarding the visas on arrival issued for Australian citizens. First, remember that it's best to exchange your money when obtaining a visa on arrival and have local currency on hand. This is because some places require Australians to cover the costs of VoA issuing with cash in local currency.
The length of the permitted stay will vary among different foreign destinations. Australians can stay from 8 to 180 days using a Visa on Arrival.
Please note! Some of the VoA territories also issue an electronic visa for all Australian citizens. Obtaining an e-Visa before departure can help you avoid long waiting lines and all of the stress connected with handling your travel permit after arriving. Travel prepared!
List of countries Australians can obtain a Visa on Arrival in
- Angola
- Artsakh
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Benin
- Brunei Darussalam
- Burkina Faso
- Cambodia
- Cape Verde
- Comoros
- Egypt
- Ethiopia
- Gabon
- Guinea-Bissau
- Hainan (China)
- Iran
- Iraq
- Iraqi Kurdistan
- Jordan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Kenya
- Kuwait
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- Maldives
- Marshall Islands
- Mauritania
- Mozambique
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Palau
- Papua New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Rwanda
- Samoa
- Saudi Arabia
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Solomon Islands
- Somalia
- Somaliland
- Sri Lanka
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Timor-Leste
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- United Arab Emirates
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Regular Visa
A regular visa is obtainable at any Embassy of the selected foreign country. This visa type is usually connected with a more extended list of required documents and a longer processing time as well.
About 80 states offer an Embassy visa for Australian citizens. Since this type of travel authorization document is handled in person, it's necessary to visit an Embassy and often go through visa interviews as well.
To obtain an Embassy visa from Australia, it's crucial to collect the required documents. Once you have the complete paperwork along with a visa application form, submit all of the documents to the selected official institution. Now you may be required to cover the costs of visa issuing or simply wait for the approval.
More information about an Embassy visa
If you need to apply for an Embassy visa from Australia, it's crucial to start preparing for the application process well ahead of time.
It's best to start collecting the required documents at least a few weeks before submitting them to the Embassy. You must make sure to allow the foreign country's government to take time to process your application.
Another essential step to take when applying for an Embassy visa from Australia is to check the current visa requirements. It's best to contact the Embassy you plan on applying to and ask for the latest requirements to meet and the documents to prepare. In the case of Embassy visas, first-hand information can get you the best results in application approval.
List of countries that issue Embassy visas for Australian citizens
- Afghanistan
- Aland Islands
- Algeria
- American Samoa
- Anguilla
- Antarctica
- Aruba
- Bermuda
- Bhutan
- Bonaire
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- The British Virgin Islands
- Burundi
- Cameroon
- Cayman Islands
- The central African Republic
- Chad
- China
- Christmas Island
- Cocos Islands
- Congo
- Cook Islands
- Cuba
- Curacao
- The Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Equatorial Guinea
- Eritrea
- Falkland Islands
- Faroe Islands
- French Guiana
- French Polynesia
- Ghana
- Gibraltar
- Greenland
- Guadeloupe
- Guernsey
- Guinea
- 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
- Sierra Leone
- Sint Maarten
- South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
- Sudan
- Suriname
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- The Syrian Arab Republic
- Tokelau
- Turkmenistan
- Turks and Caicos Islands
- Wallis and Futuna
- Yemen
Visa-free countries
Currently, more than a hundred places do not require a visa from Australian citizens. Therefore, if you have a valid Australian passport, you can travel visa-free to numerous different destinations. Australians may stay in visa-free countries anywhere from 14 days to 180 days, depending on the selected destination.
The process of traveling visa-free for Australians is effortless. All you need is your valid Australian passport. Present the document upon crossing the border with a selected foreign country, and you will be able to enter.
All Australian citizens with valid passports can travel visa-free for leisure, professional, and transit purposes. However, each country may have its own rules and entry regulations; thus, it's best to check what you can do in the selected destination.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Austria
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bolivia
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Botswana
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- The Gambia
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jamaica
- 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
- South Korea
- Spain
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Tunisia
- United Kingdom
- Uruguay
- Uzbekistan
- Vanuatu
- Vatican City
- Venezuela