Visas and citizenship applications for Australia are managed by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
For information on entering and leaving Australia, please visit entering and leaving Australia.
Australian citizens are expected to travel to Australia using an Australian passport.
If you require additional information, you may telephone the Global Service Centre on +61 2 6196 0196, Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm your local time.
International calls may be subject to charges imposed by your local carrier. You may wish to consider using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider to avoid potentially high charges.
Tips for potential travellers wishing to visit Australia during December and January.
Before you lodge your visa application - Check Twice, Submit Once
Use this link to ensure you:
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have chosen the correct subclass,
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have uploaded all the required documentation,
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have double checked that all information is correct,
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are aware of your obligations regarding biometrics, health or to update the department of any change of circumstance,
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know how to check the progress of your application.
To help us make a timely decision on your visa application, please follow the advice on the department’s website and if required, ensure you complete your biometrics enrolment within the 14-day time-period. Please ensure you submit a complete application. We may make a decision on your visa application without requesting further information.
Due to the significant increase in applications received from October onwards we would advise applicants to lodge their applications as early as possible, and no later than 30 November 2025.
All non-citizens need to obtain a visa prior to travelling to Australia.
Before you begin the visa process you are encouraged to Check Twice, Submit once. This link will assist with lodging a complete and valid application.
Use ImmiAccount to lodge your application, make a payment, update your details or circumstances, upload documents, and track the progress of your application. If you have provided documents by email to the Department, you will receive an automated acknowledgement. Please remember to check your junk folder and add us as a safe sender.
If you are experiencing technical issues with ImmiAccount, please visit help and support.
The Australian Department of Home Affairs recommends that you do not make non-refundable financial commitments in relation to travel prior to receiving a visa to Australia.
The Department is committed to building more efficient and effective ways of delivering accessible services through the use of digital channels as our default form of delivery.
You can complete a number of services online without needing to contact the Department directly. This includes:
Check status of your Australian visa online
We are unable to provide any updates on the progress of your application if it is within standard global processing times.
For current global visa processing times, please visit visa processing times.
Foreign government employees travelling to Australia on a Diplomatic or Official/Service passport for official business to represent their Federal/National/Central government may be eligible for a visa application fee waiver and biometrics waiver.
All subclass 600 Business Visitor visa applications must be submitted online and documents uploaded as detailed under ‘Gather your documents’ see: Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business Visitor stream (homeaffairs.gov.au)
To be considered for a visa application fee waiver and biometrics waiver, applicants should upload the following documents to their application in ImmiAccount:
- Diplomatic or Official/Service passport
- Official Note Verbale/ Third Party Note issued by the applicant’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Note Verbale must include all travelling members, passport numbers and reason for travel.
If you cannot provide both of the above you may not be eligible for a visa application fee waiver and biometrics waiver: you should pay the relevant visa application charge and submit biometrics if you have received a biometrics submission request letter.
Please Note: a valid application requires a complete residential address or a description leading to the residential address. We understand that some applicants reside in areas where there is no official complete address. In the absence of an official complete address the Department will accept other information which details the location of your residential address. The following are some examples of acceptable residential address information:
- Complete official residential address, Example: The number of the house, flat, or apartment and the name of the street and the town where you live; or
- Title Deed which details plot, property location
- Detailed description of the residential address location, Example: From the corner of ABC Street and DEF Street in ABC Town, walk north, turn the second street on the right, the house is the tenth house on the right ; or
- GPS co-ordinates plus a description of the property/residence/house/apartment. To obtain GPS coordinates please see the below help guide
- Apple - https://support.google.com/maps/answer/7359202?hl=en
- Android - https://support.google.com/maps/answer/7047426?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid
A P.O. Box address is not acceptable. Your application may be deemed invalid if you do not provide a complete residential address.
Please ensure that any supporting documents required with your application are attached at lodgement of your application. A decision may be made at any time after the application is submitted.
Any document in a language other than English must be accompanied by an English Translation.
The Australian Department of Home Affairs is moving towards a global visa processing model. This means that any application may be processed in an office other than where it is lodged. As such it is important that all supporting documents attached to the application which are not in English, be accompanied by an English translation.
The English translations must be appropriately endorsed translations. In Australia, translators must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters. Their accreditation details must be recorded on the translation.
Translations provided by non-accredited translators outside Australia should be endorsed by the translator with their full name, address, telephone number, and details of their qualifications and experience in the language being translated.
Please ensure that when providing an English translation, that a copy of the original document is also provided. Failure to provide an English translation of supporting documentation may delay processing and result in the document not being considered as part of the visa application.
For Departmental policy relating to supporting documentation, please visit who can help with your application.
Applying for Australian citizenship by Descent
You may be eligible for Australian citizenship by descent if you were born outside Australia and one (or both) of your parents was also an Australian citizen at the time of your birth. Check your eligibility before you apply.
Apply online through ImmiAccount. For more information on how to apply, please visit applying online.
For information on citizenship processing times, please visit citizenship processing times.
Applying for Evidence of Australian citizenship
An Australian citizenship certificate is an official document that shows that a person is an Australian citizen. If you meet requirements, you can get a certificate, or replace one that has been lost, destroyed or damaged. Check your eligibility before you apply.
Apply online through ImmiAccount. For more information on how to apply, please visit applying online.
For information on citizenship processing times, please visit citizenship processing times.
- From Monday 10 March 2025, VFS Global will collect biometrics on behalf of the Australian Government in South Africa. The new Australian Biometric Collection Centres will operate from 09:00 to 16:00, Monday to Friday, and will be located at the following addresses:
- Cape Town: 7th Floor, 2 Long Street, Cape town, South Africa
- Durban: Medstone Medical Centre, 1 Umhlanga Ridge Blvd, Umhlanga, Durban
- Johannesburg: 1st Floor, Rivonia Village, cnr Rivonia Boulevard and Mutual Road, Sandton
- Port Elizabeth: 3rd Floor Greyville House, 2 Greyville Road, Newton Park, Port Elizabeth
- Pretoria: Pavilion Building, 316 Tram Street, Brooklyn, Pretoria
- From Monday 24 February 2025, visa applicants who have been requested to provide their biometrics can book an appointment for biometrics collection via the VFS Global website. The website also provides information on fees and payment options.
- VFS Global provides a contact centre should clients require assistance to access services delivered by VFS Global (including making an appointment). The website has details on how you can contact them.
- The current Australian Biometric Collection Centre delivered by TLSContact will continue to provide services to Australian visa applicants until close of business Friday 7 March 2025. You can book an appointment for biometrics collection via the TLSContact website.
- For more information on biometrics please refer to the Home Affairs website.