Sydney Passport and Visa

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 3rd country within 8 hours of arriving in Australia: EU countries, Andorra, Argentina, Brunei, Canada, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, Kiribati, Korea (Rep of), Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Micronesia (Federated States of), Monaco, Nauru, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vatican City, USA 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 to visit Australia temporarily for tourism or business purposes. An ETA is invisible and therefore will not show up in your passport.

ETAs (Visitor and Business - Short Validity ETAs only) can be obtained online from the main Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA) website at www.eta.immi.gov.au or from over 10,000 travel agents and airline offices throughout the UK. Please note, the Australian High Commission, London, no longer offers an automatic ETA service.

Note:

Only nationals of the following countries are eligible for an ETA: EU countries, Andorra, Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan*, British Overseas Territories**, USA and Vatican City

* Nationals of Taiwan are only eligible for an ETA if resident in and applying in Taiwan.

** Holders of UK passports which indicate their nationality to be British National (Overseas) passports can only be processed for an ETA by external service providers if resident in and applying in Hong Kong.

Types of ETA and cost

Tourist Visit: Free of charge. Business Visit (long-term): A$60; Business Visit (short-term): free of charge.

Note: A service fee is charged when applying for an ETA online through the DIMA 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 3 months on each visit.

Long-term Business Visit ETAs are valid for the life of the passport, and permit multiple entries for a stay of up to 3 months for 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 3 months.

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 Visitor (Non ETA) and Business Visitor (Non ETA) visas. The visa application charge for both types is £25.

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 online through Australian Visas Ltd (see above). Australian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates issue ETAs to personal callers only.

Non-ETA

Australian Embassies, High Commissions and Consulates.

Application requirements

ETA:

(a) Fee (if applicable).

(b) Completed application form giving details of passport number and expiry date, airline, names of travellers etc (if applying by post).
Tourist and Business Visitor (Non ETA):

(a) Completed application form. Application forms for tourist (Form 48) and business (Form 456) visitor visas can be downloaded from the High Commission's website at www.australia.org.uk/visas.
Form 456 is also available from Australian Outlook, 3 Buckhurst Road, Bexhill on Sea, East Sussex, TN40 1QF. An A4 stamped, self-addressed envelope with a 66p stamp must be enclosed to cover postage.

(b) Valid passport with two unused visa pages.

(c) Fee (payable by cheque or postal order and made out to the Australian High Commission).

(d) One or more recent passport photographs as required.

Note:

(a) Prior to lodging an application, visitors should confirm the current visa fees by calling the High Commission.

(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 DIMA's ETA website at www.eta.immi.gov.au, or through travel agents or airline offices, ETAs are usually processed and valid immediately.Non-ETA visas: 21 days or longer in peak periods.

Temporary residence: Applicants for temporary residence, working holidays and long-stay business visits to Australia should contact DIMA's main website at www.immi.gov.au or the High Commission's website at www.australia.org.uk

Any queries should be made to the Embassy or High Commission (see address section).