Australian visitor visa 2026: complete guide (600, 601, 651)

Planning a trip to Australia? Whether you're visiting the Great Barrier Reef, attending a business conference, or reuniting with family, you'll need a visitor visa. You might know it as a vacation visa, tourist visa, holiday visa, or business visitor visa, but they all fall under Australia's visitor visa program. The process can feel overwhelming: there are several subclasses, processing times swing wildly by nationality, and refusal rates pass 20% for some countries.

This guide covers everything from choosing the right subclass to whether you can work remotely. We've based it on official Department of Home Affairs policy, FOI data covering millions of visa decisions, and our experience helping thousands of applicants.

What are the types of Australian visitor visas?

Australia offers four visitor visa options. The right one depends on your passport and why you are travelling. The ETA (601) is for select non-European passports. The eVisitor (651) is for European passports. The Subclass 600 is for everyone else. The Transit visa (771) is for layovers under 72 hours.

What is the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA, subclass 601)?

The ETA is a quick, electronic visa for passport holders from the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and several others.

Key features:

Apply through the official "Australian ETA" mobile app, which uses NFC to read your passport chip. For a walkthrough of installing and using it, see our guide to the Australian ETA and Immi apps.

For a deeper walkthrough of eligibility, application steps, and common pitfalls, see our complete ETA (subclass 601) guide.

What is the eVisitor visa (subclass 651)?

The eVisitor is a free electronic visa for passport holders from European countries including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.

Key features:

Note: British National Overseas, British Dependent Territories, and British Overseas Citizen passport holders are not eligible and must apply for Subclass 600.

For a fuller breakdown of eligible passports and how to apply, see our complete eVisitor (subclass 651) guide for Europeans.

What is the Subclass 600 visitor visa?

The Subclass 600 is Australia's main visitor visa for travellers who don't qualify for the ETA or eVisitor, and it requires supporting evidence assessed by a case officer.

Five streams:

Key features:

What is the Transit visa (subclass 771)?

The Transit visa (771) is a free, short-stay visa for travellers passing through Australia to another destination, with a maximum stay of 72 hours.

Who needs it? If you hold an ETA or eVisitor-eligible passport, those visas cover transit. If you need a Subclass 600 for tourism, you'll also need a transit visa just to change planes.

Key features:

Can you leave the airport? Yes. Unlike some countries, Australia's Transit Visa lets you explore the city during your layover, just depart within 72 hours. If staying in the international transit area for under 8 hours, check if you qualify for Transit Without Visa (TWOV).

What if your flight is delayed past 72 hours?

Overstaying makes you technically unlawful, but the Department has discretion for genuine emergencies. Document everything, contact Immigration immediately, and consider applying for a Subclass 600 to regularise your status. Taking no action is always the wrong choice.

Which Australian visitor visa is right for you?

The right Australian visitor visa depends on three things: where you are now, which passport you hold, and how long (and how often) you plan to stay.

If you're not yet sure whether you need a visa at all, start with our guide to whether you need a visa for Australia.

Step 1: Where are you now?

Step 2: Check passport eligibility

Step 3: Do your needs exceed ETA/eVisitor limits?

For most travellers from ETA/eVisitor-eligible countries taking a standard holiday, the electronic options are ideal. But if you're onshore or need longer stays, Subclass 600 is where you'll end up.

Not sure? When you start an application with Tern, we'll recommend the right visa for your situation.

What do case officers look for in a visitor visa application?

Case officers judge every visitor visa application against one question: will you leave Australia when your visa expires? Everything else they check (your money, your travel history, your ties to home, whether your story is consistent) feeds back into that one judgement.

What is the Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement?

The Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement is the single most important visitor visa criterion: you must convince the Department your stay is temporary and that you will leave when your visa expires. Everything in your application supports this central question.

The Department examines:

When a refusal goes to the Tribunal, you can see exactly which ties carry weight. The Tribunal re-decides the case the same way a case officer would, so its reasons are a useful map of what genuine temporary intent actually looks like on paper. The two cases below were both refused at first and overturned on review.

What evidence do I need for a Subclass 600 visitor visa?

A strong Subclass 600 application covers four kinds of evidence: your money, your ties to home, a clear reason for the trip, and identity documents the Department can verify. Each one answers a specific worry the case officer has.

Financial evidence:

Ties to home country:

Travel purpose:

Identity:

Do I need flights and hotels before applying?

No confirmed bookings required, but a detailed itinerary strengthens your case. Many applicants book refundable travel to demonstrate plans. A vague "I plan to see Sydney" is weak; a dated itinerary showing specific activities is much stronger.

How much does travel history matter for a visitor visa?

Travel history matters but isn't decisive. Previous compliance with Australian, UK, US, or Schengen visas works in your favour, while no travel history is not disqualifying as long as you compensate with stronger evidence of home ties.

How does criminal history affect a visitor visa?

You must declare all criminal convictions on a visitor visa application, including spent convictions and juvenile offences. Having a record doesn't automatically mean refusal, but the Department cross-checks international databases, so honesty is essential.

The good news: Having a record doesn't automatically mean refusal. What matters is the type of offence, the sentence you got, and how you present your circumstances.

The 12-month threshold: Under section 501 of the Migration Act, you have a "substantial criminal record" if convictions total 12 months or more (including suspended sentences). Under this threshold, minor offences typically don't result in refusal.

If you exceed the threshold: You'll need to demonstrate good character through Form 80, police certificates, statutory declarations, and character references. Processing takes at least 3 months, potentially up to 12.

Key advice:

If you have a more serious criminal history or exceed the 12-month threshold, we've written a comprehensive guide to criminal records and Australia's character test that covers exactly what gets assessed, how to present your case, and what to expect at each stage.

How does country risk affect visitor visa applications?

The Department sorts countries by risk, based on how often past travellers from each one followed the rules. Your country's risk level shapes your processing time, your refusal rate, and how much evidence you need to provide. You cannot change a high-risk passport, but you can build an application strong enough that a sceptical case officer has no grounds to refuse it.

Check your profile using our Country Risk Tool.

What are the common reasons for visitor visa refusal?

The most common visitor visa refusal reasons are failing the GTE test, insufficient financial evidence, inconsistent information across documents, previous visa violations, implausible travel plans, and poor-quality scans. Most are preventable with careful preparation.

At Tern, our platform cross-references and flags issues before submission. We also write a personalised cover letter that frames your application narrative for the case officer.

For a deeper look at each refusal reason and the unwritten patterns case officers flag, see our guide to visitor visa refusal reasons.

Do I need biometrics for an Australian visitor visa?

Applicants from certain countries (China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and others) must provide fingerprints and a facial photograph at an Australian Visa Application Centre. Biometrics are a mandatory gate for these nationalities, not a speed-up.

New in late 2025: The Australian Immi App allows eligible applicants who've previously provided biometrics to submit facial biometrics via smartphone.

Biometrics don't speed up processing. They're just a mandatory gate. Book your appointment promptly after receiving the request.

Can I apply for a visitor visa while another visa is processing?

Yes, in most cases. You can hold a pending offshore partner (309/300) or skilled (189/190) application and still apply for a Subclass 600 to visit Australia, as long as you can show why you'll still leave when the visitor visa expires.

If you have a permanent visa pending, be prepared to explain why you'll still leave when your visitor visa expires.

How likely is an Australian visitor visa to be approved?

Australian visitor visa grant rates sit around 80 to 85% overall. That headline number hides huge variation by nationality: low-risk passports are approved 98 to 99% of the time, while high-risk passports are approved 60 to 75% of the time. About 70% of the outcome is within your control, through the quality and consistency of your evidence.

How do visitor visa grant rates vary by nationality?

Visitor visa grant rates sit around 80 to 85% overall, but this masks huge variation:

How much of a visitor visa outcome is luck versus preparation?

About 70% of the outcome is within your control: evidence quality, consistency, and addressing case-officer concerns proactively. The remaining 30% (nationality, processing centre, seasonal workload, manual review triggers) is outside your control.

About 70% is within your control: Evidence quality, consistency, addressing concerns proactively.

About 30% is outside your control: Nationality, processing centre, seasonal workload, whether you trigger manual review.

You can't change your passport, but you can submit an application so strong that even a sceptical case officer has no grounds for refusal.

What happens if my visitor visa is refused?

If your visitor visa is refused, your appeal rights depend on where you applied. If you applied from outside Australia, you generally have no right of review, unless an Australian citizen or permanent resident relative appeals for you. If you applied onshore, you can appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) within 21 to 28 days.

Offshore applicants: Generally no right of review, unless an Australian citizen or permanent resident relative files the appeal.

Onshore applicants: May appeal to the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) within 21-28 days. Fee: ~AUD 3,374. Success rate: ~34%.

Honestly, re-applying with stronger evidence is often more practical than appealing.

How long do Australian visitor visas take to process?

Australian visitor visa processing times range from instant (for the ETA and eVisitor) to over two months for some Subclass 600 streams. For the Tourist stream, the median is 12 days, and 9 in 10 applicants get a decision within 29 days.

What are the standard visitor visa processing times?

For a personalised estimate, use our Visa Time Checker.

Why do visitor visa delays happen?

Visitor visa delays come down to five things. The first three are within your control.

How can I avoid visitor visa delays?

To avoid visitor visa delays, submit a complete and consistent application from day one with NAATI-certified translations, and respond immediately to any Department information requests. Spamming ImmiAccount with messages does not move you up the queue.

Do: Submit complete applications; ensure documents are clear, certified, and NAATI-translated; respond immediately to information requests.

Don't: Spam ImmiAccount with messages; submit unnecessary documents; expect calling the Department to help.

Can I pay for priority visitor visa processing?

Applicants from India, the UAE, or China can pay AUD 1,000 for the Priority Consideration Service. It aims for a decision in 2 business days, and you must request it from your country of citizenship. If you have a genuine medical emergency, you can also ask for priority, with evidence to back it up.

Priority Consideration Service: For AUD 1,000, applicants from India, UAE, or China can request priority processing (aimed at 2 business days). You must apply from your country of citizenship.

Medical urgency: For genuine emergencies, request priority with supporting evidence.

What conditions apply to an Australian visitor visa?

Every Australian visitor visa comes with conditions. They set how long you can stay, whether you can enter more than once, and what you can and cannot do while in Australia, including a near-total ban on working for Australian pay.

How long can I stay in Australia on a visitor visa?

How long you can stay depends on the subclass. The ETA and eVisitor allow up to 3 months per visit. The Subclass 600 grants 3, 6, or 12 months, based on what you ask for and what the case officer decides.

The period is cumulative: a 12-month visa with 3-month stay condition means multiple visits, but no single stay over 3 months.

If you're already in Australia and want more time, see our guide to extending a visitor visa onshore.

Can I enter Australia multiple times on the same visitor visa?

Most visitor visas let you enter more than once while the visa is valid, so you can leave and return as long as each visit stays within the per-visit limit. But if you keep staying close to the maximum on back-to-back visits, that raises red flags for case officers.

Can I work remotely for my overseas employer on a visitor visa?

You can generally work remotely for an overseas employer on an Australian visitor visa as long as the work is incidental to a genuine holiday. Department policy treats checking emails and occasional calls as compatible with Condition 8101, but full-time remote work for months at a time sits in a grey area.

Short answer: generally yes, if it's incidental to your visit.

Visitor visas include Condition 8101 prohibiting work, but Department policy clarifies that "online work" for an overseas employer, incidental to a holiday, isn't a breach.

Permitted:

Grey area:

Not permitted:

Consequences include visa cancellation, deportation, fines up to AUD 31,000, and a three-year ban. If remote work is your primary purpose, consult an immigration professional.

What's the difference between a business visit and work?

A business visit covers meetings, conferences, trade fairs, negotiations, and scouting for opportunities. "Work" means providing paid services, taking ongoing employment, or filling a role an Australian could otherwise do. The line matters: cross it, and your visa can be cancelled.

Allowed: Meetings, conferences, trade fairs, negotiations, exploring opportunities.

Not allowed: Providing paid services, ongoing employment, work an Australian could do.

How do family, group, and onshore visitor visa applications work?

You can apply for a visitor visa as a family on a single application. Groups of friends can apply together too, though each person is assessed on their own. And if you are already in Australia, you can sometimes switch from another visa, as long as "No Further Stay" rules don't block you.

How do family visitor visa applications work?

Families can apply together on a single Subclass 600 application, with one primary applicant. The Department processes the family as one unit. Each adult still needs their own evidence of home ties, and the processing time follows the slowest member.

Friends can apply together for convenience, but each is assessed independently. A weak application won't sink the group, but won't be strengthened by association either.

Do I need a medical exam for a visitor visa?

Most visitor visa applicants do not need a medical exam. You may need one if any of these apply to you:

Wait for the request before booking with a panel doctor.

Will I have a visitor visa interview?

Visitor visa interviews are rare, and when they happen they are usually done by phone or video. They are most common for first-time applicants from high-risk countries, applications that contradict themselves, and the Sponsored Family stream.

Can I switch from a visitor visa to another visa onshore?

You can switch from a visitor visa to a small number of onshore visas, mainly the partner 820 and certain regional skilled visas. Most other routes, like the student 500 or a first Working Holiday visa, mean leaving Australia and applying from outside. And the 8503 "No Further Stay" condition blocks almost all onshore switches anyway. That's exactly why bringing an overseas partner here on a tourist visa to switch to a partner visa onshore usually doesn't work.

What you CAN apply for onshore:

What you CANNOT apply for onshore:

The 8503 condition: If your visa has "No Further Stay," you generally cannot apply for any other visa while in Australia. A waiver exists in limited circumstances only. Check your grant letter carefully.

Where does the visitor visa data in this guide come from?

The numbers in this guide come from official Australian government data. That includes FOI-released datasets on processing times and refusal rates, covering millions of decisions, plus published Administrative Review Tribunal appeal statistics.

For personalised assessment, use our Visa Time Checker and Country Risk Tool.

Frequently asked questions

Final thoughts

Australian visitor visas range from nearly automatic (ETA and eVisitor) to genuinely challenging (Subclass 600 for high-risk nationalities). Understanding what the Department looks for (genuine temporary intent supported by consistent, comprehensive evidence) puts you ahead of most applicants.

Your nationality sets your baseline scrutiny level, but doesn't determine your outcome. A well-prepared application from a high-risk country beats a sloppy one from a low-risk country.

Before you apply:

Ready to apply: Start your application with Tern. Our practitioner-configured eligibility checks select the right visa, our system cross-checks your documents to catch inconsistencies, and we write a personalised cover letter to frame your application for the case officer. Applications are reviewed before submission, and complex cases are escalated for lawyer review.