How to Get an Australian Travel Visa

In order to visit, work in or study in Australia, you must obtain an Australian travel visa. You can either get your own visa or have a travel agent do it for you.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Passport
• Visa application form
• Passport-sized photo

1. Determine which type of visa you need. If you are traveling as a tourist, you can choose between an electronic travel authority (ETA) visa, good for up to 3 months, or a tourist visa, good for up to 12 months. If you plan to work in Australia, another visa is required.

2. Apply online for ETA visas. If you are only planning on visiting Australia for a vacation of up to 3 months and you are from an eligible country such as the United States, you can get your visa online. Otherwise, you have to go to a Australian visa center or apply by mail.

3. Provide all of the information for your visa application. Have your passport handy, because your ETA visa must be linked to the passport number on the passport with which you will be traveling. If you plan on renewing your passport, wait to apply for your visa.

4. Pay the service fee. The ETA visas don't have visa fees, but they do charge for the processing service. Visas by mail and in person require visa fees.

5. Get your visa immediately. If your visa is approved, it will most likely be done almost instantly. Print visa documents and include them with your travel papers.

Tips & Warnings

• Visit an Australian visa center to get a same-day tourist visa. There are two visa centers in the US, in the embassy in Washington, D.C. and the consulate general in Los Angeles, CA.
• Get a multiple-entry visa if you plan on coming and going from Australia. Multiple-entry visas allow you to cross the Australian border more than once.
• Students who don't plan to study longer than 3 months can use tourist visas but must get student visas for longer periods of study.
• Apply early for your visa or have your travel agent do it for you. Visa from the U.S. are rarely denied, but you want time to appeal if yours is rejected.
• Check the expiration date of your passport and make sure it will be valid for your entire stay in Australia.
• It's recommended that tourists take out health insurance to cover their time in Australia, as visitors are not covered under Australia's universal health care program and medical care costs are high.