Visa requirements for Australian citizens are visa requirements imposed by other states
on entry by Australian citizens who wish to enter into their country using an Australian
passport.
In 2014 holders of an Australian passport can visit 168 countries and territories visa-free
or with visa on arrival, and Australia is currently ranked 7th in terms of travel freedom,
ranked behind Greece but above Malaysia and Malta.
Besides visa requirements, most countries specify other requirements which preclude
the entry of Australian and other citizens into their country, for example a prospective
entrant has a criminal history, or health issues, evidence of sufficient funds, evidence
of ticket for exit, etc.
Visa requirements map
Reciprocity issues In 2014 Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania notified
the European Commission that they consider Australia requires a visa for their citizens.
Implications are that if the notification is accepted the EU may suspend the visa exemption
for certain categories of Australian nationals and at the latest six months after publication
of the regulation, the Commission may decide to suspend the visa-free access to all Australian
citizens.
Some countries regard the ETA as being equivalent to visa-free travel when deciding whether
to grant the same to Australians wishing to enter their territory.
The United States, for example, offers their Visa Waiver Program to Australian passport-holders,
and one of the conditions for joining this scheme is that "Governments provide reciprocal
visa-free travel for U.S. citizens for 90 days for tourism or business purposes".
However, United States require from January 2009 similar ETA from citizens of Australia
and some more countries.
This system is not called visa, but Electronic System for Travel Authorization, therefore
the USA still allows visa-free travel for Australians.
As of December 1998, Japan has also granted visa-free access to Australians.
Other ETA eligible countries and territories Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and
South Korea and Taiwan also grant visa-free access to Australians while Brunei grants
Australians a 30 day visa on arrival.
Visa requirements Each country has a multitude of visa types,
each with its particular purpose and requirements.
The basic tourist or visitor visas are as follows:
Africa Americas
Asia Europe
Oceania Territories
Visa requirements for Australian citizens for visits to various territories, disputed
areas, partially recognized countries and restricted zones:
Additional rules Visa exemptions for Schengen states
A stay in the Schengen Area as a whole of more than three months
The Australian Government has signed bilateral visa waiver agreements with a number of the
individual countries who are Schengen signatories, which allow Australian citizens to spend up
to three months in the relevant country, without reference to time spent in other Schengen
signatory states.
Since these agreements continue to remain valid despite the implementation of the Schengen
agreement, the European Commission has confirmed that in practice if Australians visit Schengen
countries which have signed these types of bilateral agreements with Australia, then
the terms of these agreements override the conditions normally imposed as a result of
the Schengen visa exemption agreement.
Australia has individual bilateral visa waiver agreements with the following Schengen signatories:
Denmark Germany
Consequently, Australian citizens can visit the above Schengen member states visa-free
for periods of up to three months in each country.
If, however, an Australian citizen then visits another Schengen state not included in the
list above, the restriction of no more than three months out of a six-month period in
the Schengen area as a whole applies.
Therefore, if an Australian citizen has already spent three months in one or more of the above
Schengen countries, any visits to another Schengen country without a bilateral visa
waiver agreement with Australia may lead to difficulties with local law enforcement agencies.
A stay in the Schengen Area as a whole of up to three months
Australian citizens are classified as 'Annex II' foreign nationals, and so are permitted
to stay visa-free in the 26 member states of the Schengen Area as a whole — rather
than each country individually — for a period not exceeding 3 months every 6 months.
During the visa exemption period, Australian citizens are permitted to work in Belgium,
Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Slovenia and Sweden.
In addition, Australian citizens intending to stay and work in Estonia for up to 90 days
can do so without a visa as long as the employer has completed a 'registration of short-term
employment'.
A stay in the Schengen Area as a whole of more than 3 months
In general, any person who is not a European Union, European Economic Area or Swiss citizen
and who wishes to stay in a Schengen member state for more than 3 months is required to
obtain a national long-stay 'D' visa and/or a residence permit.
Australian citizens aged 18–30 are able to obtain a national long-stay 'D' visa and/or
a residence permit from some Schengen member states on the basis of a working holiday.
Schengen member states also issue national long-stay 'D' visas and residence permits
for other reasons to those fulfilling criteria laid out in their national immigration policies.
In general, the national long-stay 'D' visa/residence permit needs to be obtained in advance through
the member state's embassy/consulate.
However, some Schengen member states offer exceptions for Australian citizens.
Austria allows Australian citizens to enter the country without a visa and to apply for
a temporary residence permit or a 'Red-White-Red Card' after arrival, rather than in advance
through an Austrian embassy/consulate.
The Czech Republic allows Australian citizens to apply for a work visa under a special scheme
known as a 'Green Card'.
The application for a Green Card can be lodged at any Czech embassy/consulate and is usually
processed within 60 days.
Germany permits Australian citizens intending to stay in the country for over 3 months to
enter without a visa and to apply for a residence permit after arrival.
Estonia permits Australian citizens to stay and work in Estonia for more than 90 days
but less than 6 months as long as they obtain a category 'D' long-stay visa at a cost of
€80 in advance at an Estonian foreign mission after the employer has completed a 'registration
of short-term employment'.
Australian citizens intending to stay and work in Estonia for more than 6 months can
apply for a temporary residence permit for employment after arrival in the country.
Hungary allows Australian citizens who wish to stay for more than 90 days in the country
to apply for a residence card from the regional directorate of the Office of Immigration and
Nationality within 90 days of arrival and do not need to obtain a residence permit prior
to arrival in Hungary.
Latvia permits Australian citizens intending to stay in the country for over 3 months as
self-employed persons or as businesspersons to enter Latvia without a visa and to apply
for a residence permit after arrival.
Netherlands exempts Australian citizens from the requirement to obtain a Schengen
category "D" visa - an exemption which goes beyond the visa waiver afforded to most other
non-EEA and non-Swiss foreign nationals who are usually only given a visa waiver of up
to 90 days in a 180 day period.
Norway permits Australian citizens who have qualifications as a skilled worker to stay
in the country without a visa for up to 6 months to seek employment as a skilled worker
or a specialist, as long as they register with the police within 3 months of arriving
in Norway.
Visa exemptions and requirements for the United Kingdom
Australian citizens are able to visit the United Kingdom for up to 6 months without
the need to apply for a visa as long as they fulfil all of the following criteria:
they do not work during their stay in the UK
they must not register a marriage or register a civil partnership during their stay in the
UK they can present evidence of sufficient money
to fund their stay in the UK they intend to leave the UK at the end of
their visit and can meet the cost of the return/onward journey
they have completed a landing card and submitted it at passport control unless in direct transit
to a destination outside the Common Travel Area
if under the age of 18, they can demonstrate evidence of suitable care arrangements and
parental consent for their stay in the UK However, even though, strictly speaking, he
or she is not required to apply for a visa if he or she satisfies all of the above criteria,
an Australian citizen who falls into any of the following categories is strongly advised
by the UK Border Agency to apply for a visa prior to travelling to the UK:
he/she has any unspent criminal convictions in any country
he/she has previously been refused or breached the terms of any entry to the UK, or been
deported or otherwise removed from the UK he/she has previously applied for a visa and
been refused one he/she has been warned by a UK official that
he/she should obtain a visa before travelling to the UK
Australian citizens who were born before 1983 and qualify for the right of abode are able
to live and work in the United Kingdom indefinitely.
Australian citizens with a grandparent born either in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands
or Isle of Man at any time or in the Republic of Ireland on or before 31 March 1922 can
apply for UK Ancestry Entry Clearance, which enables them to work in the UK for five years,
after which they can apply to settle indefinitely.
Australian citizens aged 18 to 30 can apply for a Youth Mobility Scheme visa which allows
them to pursue a working holiday in the UK for two years.
Visa exemption for New Zealand By virtue of the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement,
Australian citizens are exempt from the requirement to hold a permit on arrival in New Zealand
and may reside or work for an indefinite period as long as:
they present a valid Australian passport OR hold a foreign passport showing ther Australian
Citizen Endorsement or Australian Citizen Declaratory Visa as evidence of their Australian
citizenship they have no criminal convictions
they have no untreated tuberculosis they have not been deported, excluded or removed
from any country Vaccination
Many African countries, including Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African
Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire,
Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Rwanda, São Tomé
and Príncipe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia require all incoming passengers to
have a current International Certificate of Vaccination.
Some other countries require vaccination only if the passenger is coming from an infected
area.
Passport validity Many countries require passport validity of
no less than 6 months and one or two blank pages.
Countries requiring passport validity of at least 6 months on arrival include Afghanistan,
Algeria, Bhutan, Botswana, Brunei, Cambodia, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Ecuador, Egypt, El
Salvador, Fiji, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kenya, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia,
Marshall Islands, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines,
Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Suriname,
Taiwan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, countries
requiring passport validity of at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia, Zambia,
countries requiring passport validity of at least 3 months on arrival include European
Union countries, Georgia, Honduras, Iceland, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Moldova,
Nauru, Panama, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and countries requiring passport validity
of at least 1 month on arrival include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Macao, South Africa.
Other countries require either a passport valid on arrival or passport valid throughout
the period of intended stay.
Israeli stamps Visitors with passport stamp of Israel are
not allowed to enter a number of countries because of the Arab League boycott of Israel.
Israel have since stopped the usage of stamps on passports in general and is now using electronic
ticketing system.
Fingerprinting Several countries including Argentina, Cambodia,
Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, United States, South Korea demand all passengers to be fingerprinted
on arrival.
Furthermore, the UAE conducts retina scanning on visitors, however, that is normally for
those who have to apply for a visa.
See also Visa policy of Australia
References