Indian passport holders cannot use the ETA (601) or eVisitor (651). Those are reserved for other nationalities, so the Subclass 600 is your only visitor visa for tourism, visiting family, or business meetings. You apply online through ImmiAccount, and approval comes down to one thing: convincing the case officer you are a genuine visitor who will leave when the visa expires.
No ETA or eVisitor for Indian passports. The Subclass 600 is your only route, with stays of 3, 6, or 12 months
Three streams matter: Tourist, Sponsored Family (may involve a security bond), and Business Visitor
The genuine visitor test decides it. It is the single most important criterion and the top reason Indian applications are refused
India sits in the medium-risk band. Expect a roughly 10-day median wait and about a 27% refusal rate on the Subclass 600 Tourist stream (Department of Home Affairs visitor visa report, five-quarter average to June 2025). A UK traveller uses the near-instant eVisitor instead, a different and easier visa (about 1% refusal) that Indian passports cannot use
You apply online via ImmiAccount. A VFS Global centre can help you complete the form, but the application itself is lodged online
Get a personalised view: use our Visa Time Checker and Country Risk Tool
If you hold an Indian passport and you want to visit Australia, the first thing to know is the most frustrating: the quick electronic visas everyone talks about are not open to you. You cannot use the ETA. You cannot use the eVisitor. Your route is the Subclass 600, a full application with supporting documents that a human case officer reads and decides.
That is not a punishment. It is simply how Australia sorts visitor applications by nationality, and India sits in the middle band. The upside is that the Subclass 600 is well understood, the rules are clear, and a strong application from India is still granted roughly three times in four. This guide walks through which stream fits you, how to pass the genuine visitor test, what evidence Indian applicants actually need, how to bring your parents over, and how long it all takes. The numbers come from official Department of Home Affairs sources and from FOI data covering millions of visa decisions.
Can Indian citizens use the ETA or eVisitor?
No. Indian passport holders cannot use the ETA (601) or the eVisitor (651), so the Subclass 600 visitor visa is your only route. Both electronic visas are restricted to fixed lists of passports, and India is on neither. There is no fee or paperwork shortcut that changes this, so for tourism, visiting family, or business meetings, the 600 is your route.
Here is why the electronic options are closed to you:
The ETA (601) is for 34 mostly high-income passports (the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and others). It costs AUD $20 and is granted in minutes via an app. Indian passports are not eligible.
The eVisitor (651) is free and for European passports (the UK, France, Germany, and most of the EU). Indian passports are not eligible.
The Subclass 600 covers everyone else, including India, China, the Philippines, Pakistan, and most of the world.
So the only real comparison for an Indian traveller is between the three 600 streams, not between the 600 and the ETA. For the full picture of how all the visitor visas relate to each other, see our complete visitor visa guide, and for the electronic options specifically, our ETA versus eVisitor versus Subclass 600 guide.
The Subclass 600 application charge is AUD $250 for the Tourist stream, and the full range across streams is AUD $250-AUD $1,845. You can ask for a stay of 3, 6, or 12 months, and the case officer decides what to grant.
Which Subclass 600 stream do Indian applicants need?
The Subclass 600 has five streams, but only three are realistic for most Indian applicants: Tourist, Sponsored Family, and Business Visitor. The Frequent Traveller stream is not open to Indian nationals, and the Approved Destination Status stream is for Chinese tour groups only. Choosing the right stream is your first decision, because each one is assessed differently.
Tourist stream. This is the default for holidays, sightseeing, and visiting family or friends. You apply yourself, you fund the trip yourself (or a relative helps), and you carry the evidence burden of showing you will return. Most Indian visitor applications are Tourist stream. Cost: AUD $250.
Sponsored Family stream. Here a settled Australian relative formally sponsors you. The sponsor takes on legal obligations, and the Department can require a security bond as a financial guarantee that you will leave on time. Cost: AUD $250. More on the bond below.
Business Visitor stream. For attending meetings, conferences, trade fairs, or negotiations. You cannot work, sell goods or services directly to the public, or be paid by an Australian source. This stream must be applied for from outside Australia. Cost: AUD $250.
The Frequent Traveller stream (up to 10 years validity) is NOT available to Indian passport holders. It is offered to a small set of nationalities, and India is not one of them. Do not start that application; it will not be valid for you.
For most people reading this, the choice is simple: a holiday or a visit to family is the Tourist stream, and a work trip with no paid work is the Business Visitor stream. The Sponsored Family stream is worth considering when an applicant has weak independent ties and a willing Australian relative, because the sponsor and the bond can reassure a doubtful case officer. We cover that trade-off in the family section below.
What is the genuine visitor test, and why does it decide Indian applications?
The genuine visitor test asks one question: does the case officer believe you genuinely intend a temporary stay and will leave when your visa ends? It is set out in the visitor visa criteria (clause 600.211), and for Indian applicants it is the single most important thing in the file. It is also the most common reason Indian visitor visas are refused.
Think of it like this. The case officer is not trying to catch you out. They are weighing the pull of home against the pull of Australia. Strong reasons to go back (a steady job, a business, property, a spouse and children, ageing parents who depend on you) make a temporary stay believable. Thin reasons to go back, combined with strong reasons to stay (close family already settled in Australia, a modest income at home), make the officer pause.
The Department looks at:
Your ties to India: employment, a business, property, and dependent family who stay behind
Your financial position: enough lawful, explainable money to fund the trip without working
Your purpose and plan: a clear, dated reason for the visit that matches your circumstances
Consistency: whether every document and answer tells the same story
A genuine relationship to your home country is not enough on its own; it has to be proven on paper. A real job means little to a case officer who cannot see a leave-approval letter and salary credits. The work is in the evidence, not the truth of your life.
When an Indian refusal goes to the Tribunal, you can see exactly which ties carry weight. The case below was refused first and overturned on review, and it is a useful map of what a genuine temporary intent looks like for an Indian applicant.
An Indian farmer with a modest income was refused for weak economic ties but overturned on review: a prior compliant visit, his wife and children, and an elderly father he cares for anchored his return. Refusal overturned.
The lesson for Indian applicants is that a modest income is not fatal, but you have to build the rest of the picture. Document the family who stay behind, the property you own, the business you run, and any earlier travel where you came home on time.
What evidence do Indian applicants need?
A strong Indian Subclass 600 application covers four kinds of evidence: your money, your ties to India, a clear reason for the trip, and identity documents the Department can verify. Each one answers a specific worry the case officer has, and Indian applications get more scrutiny than UK or German ones, so meeting the minimum is not enough.
Financial evidence:
Bank statements for the last 3 to 6 months showing a steady, explainable balance
Income tax returns (ITRs) for the last 2 to 3 years
Salary slips, or business income and registration if you are self-employed
Property documents and any fixed deposits or investments
If a relative is funding the trip, their bank statements plus a letter confirming support
Avoid one common mistake: a large, unexplained lump sum that lands in your account just before you apply. Case officers see this pattern constantly, and it reads as money borrowed to pass a balance check rather than money you actually have. A balance that has been there for months is far stronger than a bigger balance that appeared last week.
Ties to India:
An employment letter confirming your role, salary, approved leave, and expected return date
Business registration and recent filings if you are self-employed
Property ownership documents
Evidence of dependent family staying behind (spouse, children, parents you care for)
Purpose of the trip:
A dated itinerary showing what you will do and when
An invitation letter from the family or friend you are visiting, with their status in Australia
Conference or meeting confirmations for a Business Visitor application
Flight and accommodation bookings are optional: a dated itinerary you write yourself is enough, and you can add confirmed bookings if you already have them (refundable bookings are fine; you do not need paid tickets)
Identity:
A passport valid for at least 6 months beyond your trip
Any previous Australian or other visa grants, especially trips where you returned on time
There is no officially published minimum bank balance for the Subclass 600. The Department does not name a number. What it wants is funds that are adequate for your itinerary, lawfully obtained, and consistent with your stated income. A modest, well-documented balance that matches your salary beats an impressive balance you cannot explain.
Tern Tip
Translate the documents that carry your case (ITRs, property papers, family certificates), not just the obvious ones. A case officer who cannot read a document gives it no weight. For an offshore application from India, NAATI certification is not required: a qualified translator who lists their full name, address, phone number, and qualifications is enough. NAATI is only needed for translations done inside Australia.
Subclass 600 document checklist for Indian applicants
Use this as an overview, not a personalised or exhaustive list. It is a strong starting point for a final check before you submit, but the exact documents that help your case depend on your circumstances. Not every applicant needs every item, and a medium-risk file is stronger when it is comprehensive.
Passport valid 6+ months, plus any previous visa grants
Bank statements for the last 3 to 6 months
Income tax returns (ITRs) for the last 2 to 3 years
Salary slips and employment letter with approved leave and return date (or business registration and filings if self-employed)
Property documents and any fixed deposits or investments
Evidence of family staying in India (spouse, children, dependent parents)
Dated itinerary of your trip
Invitation letter from your Australian host, with their status
Sponsor's financials and support letter if a relative is funding or sponsoring the trip
Conference or meeting confirmations for a Business Visitor application
Certified English translations of any non-English documents (for an offshore application, a qualified translator's certification is sufficient; NAATI is only required for translations done inside Australia)
A cover letter that ties the evidence together and addresses the genuine visitor test head on
This checklist is a general overview, not an exhaustive list. The real difference with Tern is not a nicer list. It is that every document you upload is read and checked in real time against what a case officer actually looks for, so nothing reaches the Department unchecked. We read your bank statement to confirm the balance covers your trip, that the account type is one a case officer accepts, and that no sudden large deposit reads as borrowed show money. We check that your income shows up as regular pay credits, because a file that claims a salary but shows no regular deposits is a classic refusal signal. You can start your Subclass 600 with Tern and have every document checked against what a case officer looks for before it is lodged.
Visiting family in Australia from India
Most family visits from India go through the ordinary Tourist stream, with the relative in Australia providing an invitation letter and (often) financial support. Bringing parents over is the most common version of this, and it is worth being precise about how it works. If a parent's independent ties to India are weak, the Sponsored Family stream is worth considering, because your formal sponsorship and a possible security bond can reassure a doubtful case officer.
To bring your parents from India to visit, they apply for their own Subclass 600 visitor visa, usually in the Tourist stream. This is one of the most common reasons Indian families come to Tern, so here is how each route works.
The Tourist stream route (most common). Your parents apply as visitors. You, the settled child in Australia, write an invitation letter explaining who you are, your visa or citizenship status, why you are inviting them, how long they will stay, and that you will support them. You can include your own financial documents to show you can host them. Your parents still need to show their own reasons to return to India, which is where retired parents can struggle: if both of you and your siblings are in Australia, the case officer wonders who is left at home.
The Sponsored Family stream route. If your parents' ties to India are thin, formal sponsorship can be the stronger play. You become their sponsor and take on legal obligations, and the Department may ask for a security bond (refunded if your parents comply with their visa). The trade-off is real: more obligation and possibly a bond, in exchange for a more credible application when independent ties are weak.
The thing that trips families up. The genuine visitor test gets harder, not easier, when the inviting relative is a permanent resident or citizen. The more settled you are in Australia, the more the case officer wonders whether your parents really intend to go home. You counter this with your parents' ties to India: property in their name, other children or family at home, community and religious involvement, pensions or income, and any earlier travel where they returned on time.
Tern Tip
A short, specific, dated visit beats an open-ended one. "Visiting for our daughter's wedding from 2 to 30 November, returning to care for my elderly mother" is far more credible than "visiting family for as long as possible." Give the case officer a clear beginning, middle, and end.
For the full parents-and-grandparents playbook, including invitation-letter wording and the Sponsored Family bond mechanics, see our guide to bringing parents to Australia on a visitor visa. For how settled-family ties affect the genuine visitor test more broadly, our visitor visa refusal reasons guide covers the patterns case officers flag.
Do Indian applicants need biometrics?
Indian visitor visa applicants generally do NOT need to provide biometrics as of 2026. India is not in the Department's biometrics collection program for this visa, so most Indian applicants apply, supply documents, and get a decision without ever being asked for fingerprints or a facial photo. This is a real difference from higher-scrutiny countries like Vietnam and the Philippines, where biometrics are mandatory for everyone.
The honest, careful version of this is important, because a lot of online guides get it wrong. The Department can still request biometrics from any applicant case by case, even where the nationality is not in the standard program. If you are asked, you must provide them within the deadline (typically 14 days), or your application can be refused for non-compliance. Children under 5 usually give a photo only.
So the practical answer is: do not book a biometrics appointment by default, because you almost certainly will not need one. But watch your ImmiAccount and your email, and if a request comes, act on it quickly at the nearest collection point.
Biometrics never speed up a decision. They are a check, not a fast lane. If you are asked, the only goal is to comply before the deadline so your file keeps moving.
How long does an Indian visitor visa take, and what are the approval odds?
The median offshore Tourist stream processing time for Indian applicants is about 10 days, based on Tern's analysis of FOI data covering millions of visa decisions. India's refusal rate on the Subclass 600 Tourist stream is about 27% (Department of Home Affairs visitor visa report, five-quarter average to June 2025), against an all-country Tourist-stream average of about 22%. That puts India in the Department's medium-risk band: above the all-country average and more scrutinised than a UK traveller, but well below the highest-risk countries.
For comparison, a UK traveller rarely touches the Subclass 600 at all. They use the near-instant eVisitor, a different and easier visa (about 1% refusal) that is closed to Indian passports. Even on the 600 itself, the gap is driven by nationality, not by anything you did. You cannot change your passport, but you can build an application strong enough that the medium-risk scrutiny finds nothing to object to.
A few things shape where you land in that range:
Completeness. For a Subclass 600 the Department rarely asks for missing documents. It usually refuses a weak file rather than pausing to request more, so completeness affects whether you are approved, not how long you wait.
Verification. The Department may check your employment or finances directly, or verify your identity if you do not provide a national ID. Both take time.
Seasonal peaks. December and January, and the run-up to big festivals, create backlogs.
Priority service. A Priority Consideration Service exists for some applicants (an extra charge of around AUD 1,000 for a decision in roughly 2 business days). Availability and the exact fee change, so confirm current eligibility for India before relying on it.
For a personalised estimate based on your nationality and stream, use our Visa Time Checker. To see how the Department views Indian applicants in detail, including what medium-risk means for your evidence burden, see our country risk guide and our Country Risk Tool.
Why are Indian visitor visas refused, and how do I pre-empt it?
The most common reason Indian visitor visas are refused is failing the genuine visitor test: the case officer is not convinced you will leave when the visa ends. Close behind are insufficient or unexplained finances, inconsistent information across documents, and a vague travel purpose. Almost all of these are preventable with careful preparation. That preparation matters more than usual here: with a Subclass 600 the Department often refuses a weak file outright rather than asking you to fix it, so there is frequently no chance to add a missing document after you apply.
The recurring patterns we see in refused Indian applications:
Weak ties to India on paper. A real job and family exist, but the file does not prove them. Fix: leave letters, salary credits, property papers, and evidence of dependents who stay behind.
Unexplained money. A balance that jumped right before applying, or deposits with no source. Fix: show a steady history and explain any large credit.
Inconsistency. Dates, names, or amounts that do not match across documents. Fix: read the whole file end to end as a sceptical officer would.
A purpose that does not add up. A long, open-ended trip with no clear plan, or a budget that does not match the itinerary. Fix: a specific, dated reason with realistic costs.
Settled family in Australia, thin ties at home. Common when adult children have all migrated. Fix: emphasise whatever genuinely pulls the applicant home, and consider the Sponsored Family stream.
For a deeper look at each refusal reason and the unwritten signals case officers act on, see our guide to visitor visa refusal reasons. If anyone on the application has a criminal record, read our guide to criminal records and the character test before you apply, because honesty and disclosure matter enormously.
One hard truth: if you applied from outside Australia and you are refused, you generally have no right to appeal to the Tribunal unless an Australian citizen or permanent resident relative appeals for you. For most Indian applicants offshore, the practical path after a refusal is to fix what went wrong and reapply with a stronger file. A refusal also stays on your record and must be declared on every future application, so disclosing it (and explaining what changed) matters.
How do I apply for the Subclass 600 from India, step by step?
You apply for the Subclass 600 online through ImmiAccount. Since 30 September 2021, all offshore visitor applications from India are lodged online; there is no paper form. A VFS Global visa application centre can help you complete the online application, but it does not replace ImmiAccount, and you do not have to use it.
Here is the path:
Create an ImmiAccount. This is the Department's free online portal. You set it up with an email and multi-factor authentication. The forms are in English only.
Start a Visitor visa (600) application and select your stream (usually Tourist).
Complete the form with your personal details, travel plans, employment, and family information. Be consistent with your documents.
Upload your evidence: financial documents, ties to India, your itinerary and invitation, and your passport. Include certified translations of any non-English documents (a qualified translator's certification is sufficient for an offshore application).
Pay the AUD $250 application charge by card. It is per applicant and non-refundable, even if you are refused.
Submit and wait. Watch ImmiAccount and your email, mainly for a biometrics request, and respond before any deadline. A request for further information is the less common case on a Subclass 600.
Where does VFS fit? You have three ways to apply. First, you can lodge yourself through ImmiAccount for free. The portal is English-only and gives you no help or feedback. Second, you can pay VFS Global, the Department's contracted visa application centre in India, to type your answers into the form and submit your documents for a separate service fee. This is useful if you are not comfortable with the portal, but be clear on what it is: VFS is a purely clerical service. It helps you lodge, it does not advise you, assess your case, or make your application stronger. Third, a guided service like Tern (which also charges a fee) gives you lawyer-designed guidance specific to your situation, checks each document in real time as you upload it, and lodges the application for you. The difference is not the fee, it is what you get for it.
For a detailed walkthrough of the ImmiAccount portal itself, see our DIY ImmiAccount application guide.
How Tern helps Indian applicants
Tern prepares and lodges the Subclass 600 end to end for Indian applicants, so you are not left guessing at an English-only government portal. We ask clear questions in plain language, support 37 languages, and turn your answers and documents into a complete, consistent application.
Specifically, for an Indian visitor application we:
Guide your evidence collection with examples and inline prompts, so you know what counts as proof of ties to India, not just what to upload
Cross-check your documents in real time as you upload, flagging mismatches between your form answers and your evidence before a case officer finds them
Draft a genuine-visitor statement that frames your temporary-stay case for the officer, addressing the test that decides Indian applications
Give you a visa grant date promise: a committed date your visa will be granted by, so you can book flights and time off with confidence, informed by FOI data covering millions of decisions
Prepare and lodge the application through ImmiAccount and handle any follow-up from the Department
Back it with a money-back guarantee
Tern's lower price is a consequence of a modern, automated workflow rather than a cut-rate service. Visitor applications are reviewed for errors before submission, and complex cases are escalated for lawyer review. We will not over-promise: if your situation needs a lawyer, we will tell you.
Frequently asked questions
Final thoughts
If you hold an Indian passport, the Subclass 600 is your only visitor visa, and the genuine visitor test is what decides it. India's medium-risk status means more scrutiny and a longer wait than a UK or German traveller, who use the near-instant eVisitor that is closed to Indian passports, but that is not a verdict on you. It is a baseline you can overcome with a complete, consistent, well-evidenced application.
Prove your ties to India. Explain your money. Give the case officer a clear, dated reason for the trip. Do those three things well, and a medium-risk passport stops being a barrier.
Before you apply:
Use our Visa Time Checker for a realistic timeline
Check your Country Risk Profile to understand your evidence burden
Ready to apply? Start your Subclass 600 application with Tern. We recommend the right stream, cross-check your documents for consistency, prepare a personalised genuine-visitor statement, and lodge the application for you. Applications are reviewed before submission, and complex cases are escalated for lawyer review.
