Visa policy of Australia
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| Entry and exit stamps - now issued only on request. | |
| Visa label - no longer issued. All visas are now issued electronically. |
The visa policy of Australia deals with the requirements that a foreign national wishing to enter Australia must meet to obtain a visa, which is a permit to travel, to enter and remain in the country. A visa may also entitle the visa holder to other privileges, such as a right to work, study, etc. and may be subject to conditions.
Since 1994, Australia has maintained a universal visa regime, meaning that every non-citizen in Australia must have a visa, either as a result of an application, or one granted automatically by law. Australia does not issue visas on arrival except for New Zealand citizens. As of 2015 there was no intention to provide visa free entry for any country.
Visitors holding passports from certain countries may apply for a visa using a truncated process:
- citizens of New Zealand using a New Zealand passport may apply for a Special Category Visa (subclass 444) on arrival pursuant to the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement. There is no application form or fee payable.
- nationals of 36 countries (the 27 EU member states, the four EFTA member states, the United Kingdom, and four European microstates) may apply for a eVisitor visa (subclass 651) online without fee
- nationals from 34 countries and territories (more globally distributed than eVisitor countries) may apply for Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) using a mobile app on payment of a nominal fee
Under the Migration Regulations 1994, certain persons are defined as holding a valid visa, without having pursued the standard Australian visa process, including certain visitors, mostly linked to foreign militaries and governments, eligible for entry under the special purpose visa, pursuant to a variety of Australian laws and international agreements.
Nationals of all other countries will need to apply for the Visitor visa online.
Since 1 September 2015, Australia ceased to issue visa labels on visa holders' passports, and all visas are issued and recorded on a central database. Visa records can only be accessed through Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO), a digital verification service provided by the Department of Home Affairs.