Visa requirements for Australian citizens

Visa requirements for Australian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Australia entering with an Australian passport.

As of 1 January 2017, Australian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 170 countries and territories, ranking the Australian passport 7th in terms of travel freedom (tied with South Korean passport) according to the Henley visa restrictions index.^[1]

Besides visa requirements, most countries specify other requirements which may 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

Visa requirements for Australian passport holders

  Australia

  Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement

  Visa free access

  Visa issued upon arrival

  Electronic authorization or online payment required / eVisa

  Both visa on arrival and eVisa available

  Visa required prior to arrival

Visa requirements

Each country has a multitude of visa types, each with its particular purpose and requirements. Rules for short visits by ordinary passport holders are as follows:

Country	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Afghanistan	Visa required[2]	Visa not required for Afghan-born citizens.
Albania	Visa not required[3]	90 days
Algeria	Visa required[4]
Andorra	Visa not required[5]
Angola	Visa required[6]
Antigua and Barbuda	Visa not required[7]	1 month
Argentina	Visa not required[8]	90 days
Armenia	Visa on arrival[9]	120 days. Obtainable on arrival at Zvartnots International Airport or prior to travel online.[10]
Austria	Visa not required[11]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Azerbaijan	eVisa[12]	30 days[13]
Bahamas	Visa not required[14]	3 months
Bahrain	Visa on arrival[15]	14 days
Bangladesh	Visa on arrival[16]	30 days. Not available at all entry points.[17]
Barbados	Visa not required[18]	6 months
Belarus	Visa not required[19]	5 days, must arrive via Minsk International Airport; Visas are issued on arrival at the Minsk International Airport if the support documents were submitted not later than 3 business days before expected date of arrival.[20]
Belgium	Visa not required[21]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Belize	Visa not required[22]	1 month[23]
Benin	Visa required[24]
Bhutan	Visa required[25]	Visa approved via tour operators only.
Bolivia	Visa not required[26]	90 days
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Visa not required[27]	90 days within any 6-month period
Botswana	Visa not required[28]	90 days per year
Brazil	Visa required[29]
Brunei	Visa on arrival[30]	30 days
Bulgaria	Visa not required[31]	90 days within any 180 day period
Burkina Faso	Visa on arrival[32]	1 month
Burundi	Visa required[33]
Cambodia	Visa on arrival[34]	30 days. Visa is also obtainable online.[35]
Cameroon	Visa required[36]
Canada	Visa not required[37]	6 months; eTA required if arriving by air.[38]
Cape Verde	Visa on arrival[39]	Not available at all entry points.[40]
Central African Republic	Visa required[41]	Visa can be issued at the Consulate General of France.
Chad	Visa required[42]	Letter of invitation required.
Chile	Visa not required[43]	90 days. Australian tourists entering Chile through Santiago International Airport are required to pay a "reciprocity fee" of US$117.
China	Visa required[44]	72-hours visa free visit when in transit at Beijing, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Harbin, Kunming, Qingdao, Shenyang, Tianjin, Wuhan, Xi'an and Xiamen. 144-hours visa free visit when in transit at Hangzhou, Nanjing and Shanghai's airports, Railway Station and port.
Colombia	Visa not required[45]	90 days - extendable up to 180-days stay within a one-year period
Comoros	Visa on arrival[46]
Republic of the Congo	Visa required[47]
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Visa required[48]	Visa not required for Congolese-born visitors
Costa Rica	Visa not required[49]	90 days
Cote d'Ivoire ! Côte d'Ivoire	eVisa[50]	3 months; eVisa holders must arrive via Port Bouet Airport.
Croatia	Visa not required[51]	90 days within any 180 day period
Cuba	Visa required !Tourist Card required[52]
Cyprus	Visa not required[53]	90 days within any 180 day period
Czech Republic	Visa not required[54]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Denmark	Visa not required[55]	90 days within any 180 day period regardless of previous time spent in other Schengen countries (except the other Nordic countries)
Djibouti	Visa on arrival[56]	Not available at all entry points.[57]
Dominica	Visa not required[58]	6 months
Dominican Republic	Visa not required[59]	90 days (10 USD Tourist Card valid for 30 days must be purchased upon arrival)
Ecuador	Visa not required[60]	90 days[23]
Egypt	Visa on arrival[61]	30 days
El Salvador	Visa not required[62]	3 months
Equatorial Guinea	Visa required[63]
Eritrea	Visa required[64]
Estonia	Visa not required[65]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Ethiopia	Visa on arrival[66]	Not available at all entry points.[67]
Fiji	Visa not required[68]	4 months
Finland	Visa not required[69]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
France	Visa not required[70]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area (in Regions of France)
Gabon	e-Visa[71]	Electronic visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport.
Gambia	Visa not required[72]	90 days
Georgia	Visa not required[73]	360 days[74]
Germany	Visa not required[75]	90 days within any 180 day period regardless of previous time spent in Schengen countries
Ghana	Visa required[76][77]
Greece	Visa not required[78]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Grenada	Visa not required[79]	3 months[23]
Guatemala	Visa not required[80]	90 days
Guinea	Visa required[81]
Guinea-Bissau	Visa on arrival[82]	90 days
Guyana	Visa not required[83]	3 months
Haiti	Visa not required[84]	3 months
Honduras	Visa not required[85]	3 months
Hungary	Visa not required[86]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Iceland	Visa not required[87]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
India	e-Visa[88]	60 days; e-Visa holders must arrive via 24 designated airports or 3 designated seaports.[89]
Indonesia	Visa not required[90][91]	30 days
Iran	Visa on arrival[92]	30 days[93]
Iraq	Visa required[94]
Ireland	Visa not required[95]	3 months
Israel	Visa not required[96]	3 months
Italy	Visa not required[97]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Jamaica	Visa not required[98]
Japan	Visa not required[99]	90 days
Jordan	Visa on arrival[100]	Conditions apply.[101] Not available at all entry points.[102]
Kazakhstan	Visa not required[103]	30 days
Kenya	eVisa[104]	3 months
Kiribati	Visa not required[105]	30 days
North Korea	Visa required[106]
South Korea	Visa not required[107]	90 days
Kuwait	eVisa[108]	3 months
Kyrgyzstan	Visa not required[109]	60 days
Laos	Visa on arrival[110]	30 days.[23] Not available at all entry points.[111]
Latvia	Visa not required[112]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Lebanon	Visa on arrival[113]	1 month extendible for 2 additional months; granted free of charge at Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry if there is no Israeli visa or seal, holding a telephone number, an address in Lebanon, and a non refundable return or circle trip ticket.
Lesotho	Visa not required[114]	14 days[23]
Liberia	Visa required[115]
Libya	Visa required[116]
Liechtenstein	Visa not required[117]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Lithuania	Visa not required[118]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Luxembourg	Visa not required[119]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Macedonia	Visa not required[120]	90 days within any 180 day period
Madagascar	Visa on arrival[121]	30 days free of charge
Malawi	Visa on arrival[122]
Malaysia	Visa not required[123]	3 months
Maldives	Visa on arrival[124]	30 days[23]
Mali	Visa required[125]
Malta	Visa not required[126]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Marshall Islands	Visa on arrival[127]	90 days
Mauritania	Visa on arrival[128]	Available at Nouakchott–Oumtounsy International Airport.
Mauritius	Visa not required[129]	90 days
Mexico	Visa not required[130]	180 days
Micronesia	Visa not required[131]	30 days
Moldova	Visa not required[132]	90 days within any 180 day period
Monaco	Visa not required[133]
Mongolia	Visa required[134]	Registration required after 30 days.
Montenegro	Visa not required[135]	90 days within any 180 day period
Morocco	Visa not required[136]	3 months
Mozambique	Visa on arrival[137]	30 days, conditions apply[138]
Myanmar	eVisa[139]	28 days. eVisa holders must arrive via Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw or Mandalay airports.
Namibia	Visa not required[140]	3 months
Nauru	Visa required[141]	Criminal record and medical fitness certificates are not required for Australian citizens.[142]
Nepal	Visa on arrival[143]	90 days
Netherlands	Visa not required[144]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen area (European Netherlands)
New Zealand	Freedom of movement[145]	Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement
Nicaragua	Visa not required[146]	90 days
Niger	Visa required[147]
Nigeria	Visa required[148]	Visa not required for Nigerian-born citizens
Norway	Visa not required[149]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Oman	Visa on arrival[150]	30 days[23]
Pakistan	Visa required[151]	Visa on arrival when travelling on business valid for 30 days. Conditions apply.[152]
Palau	Visa on arrival[153]	30 days
Panama	Visa not required[154]	180 days
Papua New Guinea	Free Visa on arrival[155]	30 days, available at Gurney Airport (Alotau), Mount Hagen Airport, Port Moresby Airport and Tokua Airport (Rabaul).
Paraguay	Visa on arrival[156]	90 days, only available at Silvio Pettirossi International Airport in Luque. Reciprocity fee applies.
Peru	Visa not required[157]	183 days
Philippines	Visa not required[158]	30 days
Poland	Visa not required[159]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Portugal	Visa not required[160]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Qatar	Visa on arrival !Free visa on arrival[161]	30 days, available at Hamad International Airport. eVisa is also available.
Romania	Visa not required[162]	90 days within any 180 day period
Russia	Visa required[163]
Rwanda	Visa on arrival[164]	30 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Visa not required[165]	3 months
Saint Lucia	Visa not required[166]	6 weeks
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Visa not required[167]	1 month
Samoa	Visa on arrival !Entry Permit on arrival[168]	60 days
San Marino	Visa not required[169]
São Tomé and Príncipe	eVisa[170]
Saudi Arabia	Visa required[171]
Senegal	Visa not required[172]
Serbia	Visa not required[173]	90 days within any 180 day period
Seychelles	Visa on arrival !Visitor's Permit on arrival[174]	3 months[23]
Sierra Leone	Visa required[175]
Singapore	Visa not required[176]	90 days
Slovakia	Visa not required[177]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Slovenia	Visa not required[178]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Solomon Islands	Visa on arrival !Visitor's permit on arrival[179]	3 months
Somalia	Visa required[180]	Visa may be obtained on arrival, provided an invitation letter by the sponsor had been submitted to the authorities before arrival.
South Africa	Visa not required[181]	90 days
South Sudan	Visa required[182]
Spain	Visa not required[183]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Sri Lanka	Electronic Travel Authorization[184]	30 days
Sudan	Visa required[185]	Visa not required for Sudanese-born citizens
Suriname	Visa required[186]
Swaziland	Visa not required[187]	30 days[23]
Sweden	Visa not required[188]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Switzerland	Visa not required[189]	90 days within any 180 day period in the Schengen Area
Syria	Visa required[190]
Tajikistan	Visa on arrival[191]	45 days at Dushanbe International Airport. Visa also available online. E-visa holders can enter through all border points.[192]
Tanzania	Visa on arrival[193]
Thailand	Visa not required[194]	30 days (maximum two visits annually if not arriving by air)
Timor-Leste	Visa on arrival[195]	30 days. Not available at all entry points.[196]
Togo	Visa on arrival[197]	7 days
Tonga	Visa on arrival[198]	31 days
Trinidad and Tobago	Visa on arrival[199]	30 days
Tunisia	Visa not required[200][201]	3 months
Turkey	eVisa[202]	3 months.[203] Cruise ship passengers do not require a visa for up to 72 hours.[204] eVisa can be obtained on arrival for a higher fee.
Turkmenistan	Visa required[205]	Transit visa is required.
Tuvalu	Visa on arrival[206]	1 month[23]
Uganda	Visa on arrival[207]	Determined at the port of entry. May apply online.[208]
Ukraine	Visa on arrival[209]	15 days for business or tourism purposes, available at Kyiv Boryspil Airport, Kyiv International Airport (Zhuliany) and Odessa International Airport.[210]
United Arab Emirates	Visa on arrival[211]	30 days
United Kingdom	Visa not required[212]	6 months
United States	Visa not required !Visa Waiver Program[213]	90 days on arrival from overseas; ESTA (valid for 2 years when issued) required if arriving by air or cruise ship.[214] ESTA is not required for Guam and Northern Mariana Islands.
Uruguay	Visa not required[215]	3 months
Uzbekistan	Visa required[216]	Pre-arranged visa can be obtained on arrival for a maximum of 7 days.
Vanuatu	Visa not required[217]	30 days[23]
Vatican City	Visa not required[218]
Venezuela	Visa not required[219]	90 days
Vietnam	Visa required[220]	Pre-arranged visa obtained online through travel agencies available at Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang airports. Phú Quốc without a visa for up to 30 days.[221]
Yemen	Visa required[222]
Zambia	Visa on arrival[223]	90 days; also eligible for a universal visa allowing access to Zimbabwe. eVisa available.
Zimbabwe	Visa on arrival[224]	3 months. Strictly tourism purposes only. Also eligible for a universal visa allowing access to Zambia. eVisa available.

Territories

Visa requirements for Australian citizens for visits to various territories, disputed areas, partially recognised countries and restricted zones:

Europe
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Abkhazia	Visa required[225]
Mount Athos	Special permit required	Special permit required (4 days: 25 euro for Orthodox visitors, 35 euro for non-Orthodox visitors, 18 euro for students). There is a visitors' quota: maximum 100 Orthodox and 10 non-Orthodox per day and women are not allowed.[226][227]
Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park	Visa not required	3 days;[228] must first obtain an electronic pass[229]
Crimea	Visa required	Visa issued by Russia is required.[230]
Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus	Visa not required	3 months[231][232]
UN Buffer Zone in Cyprus	Access Permit required[233]	Access Permit is required for travelling inside the zone, except Civil Use Areas.
Faroe Islands	Visa not required[234]
Gibraltar	Visa not required[235]
Guernsey	Visa not required[236]
Isle of Man	Visa not required[237]
Jan Mayen	Permit required	Permit issued by the local police required for staying for less than 24 hours[238] and permit issued by the Norwegian police for staying for more than 24 hours.[239]
Jersey	Visa not required[240]
Kosovo	Visa not required	90 days[241]
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic	Visa required[242][243]	Travellers with Nagorno-Karabakh visa (expired or valid) or evidence of travel to Nagorno-Karabakh (stamps) will be permanently denied entry to Azerbaijan.[244]
Novorossiya	Restricted area	Crossing from Ukraine requires visit purpose to be explained to Ukrainian passport control on exit and those who entered from Russia are not allowed to proceed further into Ukraine.[245][246]
Russia	Special authorization required	Several closed cities and regions in Russia require special authorization.[247]
South Ossetia	Visa not required	Multiple entry visa to Russia and three-day prior notification are required to enter South Ossetia.[248][249]
Transnistria	Visa not required	Registration required after 24h.[250][251]
Africa
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
British Indian Ocean Territory	Special permit required	Special permit required.[252]
Eritrea outside Asmara	Travel permit required	To travel in the rest of the country, a Travel Permit for Foreigners is required (20 Eritrean nakfa).[253]
Ascension Island	Entry Permit required	Entry Permit must be obtained minimum 28 days in advance (3 months for 20/30 pounds sterling, single/double entry).[254]
Saint Helena	Visitor's Pass required	Visitor's Pass granted on arrival valid for 4/10/21/60/90 days for 12/14/16/20/25 pound sterling.[255]
Tristan da Cunha	Permission required	Permission to land required for 15/30 pounds sterling (yacht/ship passenger) for Tristan da Cunha Island or 20 pounds sterling for Gough Island, Inaccessible Island or Nightingale Islands.[256]
Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic		Undefined visa regime in the Western Sahara controlled territory.
Somaliland	Visa on arrival	30 days for 30 US dollars, payable on arrival.[257][258]
Sudan	Travel permit required	All foreigners traveling more than 25 kilometers outside of Khartoum must obtain a travel permit.
Darfur	Travel permit required	Separate travel permit is required.[259]
Asia
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Hainan	Visa on arrival[260]	15 days. Available at Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport. Visa not required for 15 days for traveling as part of a tourist group (5 or more people)[261]
Hong Kong	Visa not required	3 months[262]
North Korea outside Pyongyang	Special permit required	People are not allowed to leave the capital city, tourists can only leave the capital with a governmental tourist guide (no independent moving)
India PAP/RAP	PAP/RAP required	Protected Area Permit (PAP) required for whole states of Nagaland and Sikkim and parts of states Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh. Restricted Area Permit (RAP) required for all of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Sikkim. Some of these requirements are occasionally lifted for a year.[263][264][265][266][267][268]
Iraqi Kurdistan	Visa on arrival	Visa on arrival for 15 days is available at Erbil and Sulaymaniyah airports.[269]
Kazakhstan	Special permission required	Special permission required for the town of Baikonur and surrounding areas in Kyzylorda Oblast, and the town of Gvardeyskiy near Almaty.[270]
Kish Island	Visa not required	Visitors to Kish Island do not require a visa.[271]
Macao	Visa not required	30 days[272]
Sabah and Sarawak	Visa not required	These states have their own immigration authorities and passport is required to travel to them, however the same visa applies.[273]
Maldives	Permission required	With the exception of the capital Malé, tourists are generally prohibited from visiting non-resort islands without the express permission of the Government of Maldives.[274]
Palestine	Visa not required[275]	Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed.[276]
Taiwan	Visa not required	90 days[277]
Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Province	OIVR permit required	OIVR permit required (15+5 Tajikistani Somoni) and another special permit (free of charge) is required for Lake Sarez.[278][279][280]
Tibet Autonomous Region	TTP required	Tibet Travel Permit required (10 US Dollars).[281][282][283]
Korean Demilitarized Zone	Restricted zone.
UNDOF Zone and Ghajar	Restricted zone.
Phú Quốc	Visa not required	30 days[284]
Yemen	Special permission required	Special permission needed for travel outside Sana’a or Aden.[285]
Caribbean and North Atlantic
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Anguilla	Visa not required	3 months[286]
Aruba	Visa not required	30 days, extendable to 180 days[287][288]
Bermuda	Visa not required	Up to 6 months, decided on arrival.[289]
Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba	Visa not required	3 months[290][291]
British Virgin Islands	Visa not required	30 days, extensions possible[292]
Cayman Islands	Visa not required	6 months[293]
Curacao	Visa not required	3 months[294]
French Guiana	Visa not required	3 months[295]
French West Indies	Visa not required	3 months (French West Indies refers to Martinique, Guadeloupe, Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy)[296]
Greenland	Visa not required[234]
Margarita Island	Visa not required	All visitors are fingerprinted.[297]
Montserrat	Visa not required	6 months[298][299]
Sint Maarten	Visa not required	3 months[300][301]
Turks and Caicos Islands	Visa not required	90 days[302]
U.S. Virgin Islands	Visa not required	Under the Visa Waiver Program, for 90 days on arrival from overseas for 2 years. ESTA required.[303]
Oceania
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
American Samoa	Entry permit required	Entry permit is required.[304]
Ashmore and Cartier Islands	Special authorisation required	Special authorisation required.[305]
Clipperton Island	Special permit required	Special permit required.[306]
Cook Islands	Visa not required	31 days[307]
Guam	Visa not required	45 days
Lau Province	Special permission required	Special permission required.[308]
French Polynesia	Visa not required	90 days within 180 days[309]
Niue	Visa on arrival	30 days[310]
Northern Mariana Islands	Visa not required[311]	45 days
Pitcairn Islands	Visa not required	14 days visa free and landing fee 35 USD or tax of 5 USD if not going ashore.[312][313][314]
Puerto Rico	Visa not required	Under the Visa Waiver Program, for 90 days on arrival from overseas for 2 years. ESTA required.[315]
United States Minor Outlying Islands	Special permits required	Special permits required for Baker Island, Howland Island, Jarvis Island, Johnston Atoll, Kingman Reef, Midway Atoll, Palmyra Atoll and Wake Island.[316][317][318][319][320][321][322]
South America
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Galápagos	Pre-registration required	Online pre-registration is required. Transit Control Card must also be obtained at the airport prior to departure.[323]
South Atlantic and Antarctica
Visitor to	Visa requirement	Notes (excluding departure fees)
Falkland Islands	Visa not required	Visa is not required.[324]
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands	Permit required	Pre-arrival permit from the Commissioner required (72 hours/1 month for 110/160 pounds sterling).[325][326]
Antarctica		Special permits required for Bouvet Island,  British Antarctic Territory,  French Southern and Antarctic Lands,  Argentine Antarctica, Australian Antarctic Territory, Chilean Antarctic Territory, Heard Island and McDonald Islands, Peter I Island, Queen Maud Land, Ross Dependency.[327][328][329][330][331][332][333][334][335][336][337][338]

Reciprocity issues

In 2014 Bulgaria, Cyprus and Romania notified the European Commission that they consider Australia requires a visa for their citizens.^[339] 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.^[340]

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,^[341] 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".^[342] 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.^[343] Other ETA eligible countries and territories Canada,^[344] Hong Kong,^[345] Malaysia,^[346] Singapore,^[347] South Korea (90 days)^[348] and Taiwan (90 days)^[349] also grant visa-free access to Australians while Brunei grants Australians a 30-day visa on arrival.^[350]

Additional rules

Visa exemptions for Schengen states

A stay in the Schengen Area as a whole of more than three months (but no more than three months in any individual member state)

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.^[351] However, amendments are under consideration to restrict exit from the Schengen area only through the territory of the Member State which is a Contracting Party to the bilateral agreement and the authorities of which have extended the stay. ^[352]

Australia has individual bilateral visa waiver agreements with the following Schengen signatories:

•  Belgium ^[353]
•  Denmark^[354][355]
•  Germany^[356][357]
•  Italy^[358]
•  Netherlands^[359][360]
•  Norway^[361]

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 (e.g. being accused of having overstayed upon leaving a Schengen country which is not in the list above).

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.^[362] 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'.^[363]

A stay in the Schengen Area as a whole of more than 3 months (and more than 3 months in an individual member state)

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 (or 18-35 in some cases) 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 (see below). 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 (e.g. skilled workers, students, au pair).

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' (issued to permanent immigrants) after arrival, rather than in advance through an Austrian embassy/consulate.^[364][365]

The  Czech Republic allows Australian citizens to apply for a work visa under a special scheme known as a 'Green Card' (rather than a 'Blue Card' or work permit which is required by most non-EU citizens). The application for a Green Card can be lodged at any Czech embassy/consulate (or, in some circumstances, within the Czech Republic if the applicant is already resident there) and is usually processed within 60 days.^[366] Note that 'Green Cards' are no longer issued after 24 June 2014.^[367]

 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 (whilst for many other non-EEA and Swiss citizens, a residence permit and visa for a stay over 3 months must be applied for in advance at a German foreign mission).^[368][369]

 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'.^[370] 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.^[371]

 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 (unlike most other non-EEA and Swiss foreign nationals).^[372]

 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 (whilst for many non-EEA and Swiss citizens, an application for a residence permit must be lodged in advance at a Latvian foreign mission).^[373]

 Netherlands exempts Australian citizens from the requirement to obtain a Schengen category "D" visa (the visa issued for long term stays in The Netherlands of over 90 days, known in Dutch as the "MVV" 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.^[374]

 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 (except as a religious leader/teacher or an ethnic cook), as long as they register with the police within 3 months of arriving in Norway.^[375]

Visa exemptions and requirements for the United Kingdom

Australian citizens are able to visit the United Kingdom for up to 6 months (or 3 months if they enter from the Republic of Ireland) 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 (if requested by the border inspection officer)
• 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^[376]
• if under the age of 18, they can demonstrate evidence of suitable care arrangements and parental (or guardian's) consent for their stay in the UK^[377]

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 has been strongly advised by the UK Border Agency (replaced by UK Visas and Immigration) 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:^[378]

• they present a valid Australian passport OR hold a foreign passport showing their Australian Citizen Endorsement or Australian Citizen Declaratory Visa (either with a label or a confirmation letter) 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

Travel ban

It is an offence for Australians to travel or remain in Declared Areas. Those are currently parts of northern Iraq and parts of northern Syria.

APEC Business Travel Card

Holders of an APEC Business Travel Card (ABTC) travelling on business do not require a visa to the following countries:^[379]

Brunei1  Chile1  China2  Hong Kong2  Indonesia2  Japan1  South Korea1  Malaysia2  Mexico1

New Zealand1  Papua New Guinea2  Peru1  Philippines3  Russia1  Singapore2  Taiwan1  Thailand1  Vietnam2

_{1 – up to 90 days
2 – up to 60 days
3 – up to 59 days}

The card must be used in conjunction with a passport and has the following advantages:^[380]

• no need to apply for a visa or entry permit to APEC countries, as the card is treated as such (except by  Canada and  United States)
• undertake legitimate business in participating economies
• expedited border crossing in all member economies, including transitional members
• expedited scheduling of visa interview (USA)

Non-visa restrictions

Passport validity length

Many countries require passports to be valid for at least 6 months upon arrival and to have at least one or two blank pages for stamping.^[381]

Countries requiring passports to be valid at least 6 months on arrival include Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Côte d'Ivoire, Curaçao, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq (except when arriving at Basra and Erbil or Sulaimaniyah), Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Somaliland, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen and Zimbabwe.^[382]

Countries requiring passports valid for at least 4 months on arrival include Micronesia and Zambia.

Countries requiring passports valid for at least 3 months on arrival include European Union countries (except Denmark, Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom, and except for EU/EEA/Swiss citizens), Albania, Belarus, Georgia, Honduras, Iceland, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Monaco, Nauru, Panama, Saint Barthélemy, San Marino, Switzerland and the United Arab Emirates.

Bermuda requires passports to be valid for at least 45 days upon entry.

Countries that require a passport validity of at least 1 month on arrival include Eritrea, Hong Kong, Macao, New Zealand and South Africa.^[383]

Other countries require either a passport valid on arrival or a passport valid throughout the period of the intended stay.

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.^[384]

Israeli stamps

Iran,^[385] Kuwait,^[386] Lebanon,^[387] Libya,^[388] Saudi Arabia,^[389] Sudan,^[390] Syria^[391] and Yemen^[392] do not allow entry to people with passport stamps from Israel or whose passports have either a used or an unused Israeli visa, or where there is evidence of previous travel to Israel such as entry or exit stamps from neighbouring border posts in transit countries such as Jordan and Egypt.

To circumvent this Arab League boycott of Israel, the Israeli immigration services have now mostly ceased to stamp foreign nationals' passports on either entry to or exit from Israel. Since 15 January 2013, Israel no longer stamps foreign passports at Ben Gurion Airport, giving passengers a card instead: "Since January 2013 a pilot scheme has been introduced whereby visitors are given an entry card instead of an entry stamp on arrival. You should keep this card with your passport until you leave. This is evidence of your legal entry into Israel and may be required, particularly at any crossing points into the Occupied Palestinian Territories." ^[393] Passports are still (as of 22 June 2017) stamped at Erez when travelling into and out of Gaza. Also, passports are still stamped (as of 22 June 2017) at the Jordan Valley/Sheikh Hussein and Yitzhak Rabin/Arava land borders with Jordan.

Armenian ethnicity

Due to a state of war existing between the Republic of Armenia and Azerbaijan, the government of Azerbaijan not only bans entry of citizens from Armenia, but also all citizens and nationals of any other country who are of Armenian descent, to the Republic of Azerbaijan^[394][395] (although there have been exceptions, notably for Armenia's participation at the 2015 European Games held in Azerbaijan).

Azerbaijan also strictly bans any visit by foreign citizens to the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh^[396] (the de facto independent Republic of Artsakh), its surrounding territories and the Azerbaijani exclaves of Karki, Yuxarı Əskipara, Barxudarlı and Sofulu which are de jure part of Azerbaijan but under control of Armenia, without the prior consent of the government of Azerbaijan. Foreign citizens who enter these occupied territories, will be permanently banned from entering the Republic of Azerbaijan and will be included in their "list of personae non gratae".^[397]

Upon request, the Republic of Artsakh authorities may attach their visa and/or stamps to a separate piece of paper in order to avoid detection of travel to their country.

Persona non grata

The government of a country can declare a diplomat persona non grata, banning their entry into that country. In non-diplomatic use, the authorities of a country may also declare a foreigner persona non grata permanently or temporarily, usually because of unlawful activity. Attempts to enter the Gaza strip by sea may attract a 10-year ban on entering Israel.^[398]

Fingerprinting

Several countries including Argentina, Cambodia, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, United States, South Korea demand all passengers to be fingerprinted on arrival.^{[399][400][401][402][403][404][405]}

Furthermore, the UAE conducts retina scanning on visitors, however, that is normally for those who have to apply for a visa.^[406]

Consular protection of Australian citizens abroad

There are currently over 100 Australian missions overseas.
See also List of diplomatic missions of Australia.

Foreign travel statistics

According to the statistics these are the numbers of Australian visitors to various countries per annum in 2015 (unless otherwise noted):

Foreign travel statistics
Destination	Number of Australian visitors
American Samoa[407]	860
Angola[note 1][408]	766
Antarctica[note 2][409]	4,237
Antigua and Barbuda[note 2][410]	708
Austria[note 3][note 2][411]	143,000
Azerbaijan[412]	2,233
Bahamas[note 4][413]	3,858
Belgium[note 2][414]	43,276
Bhutan[note 2][415]	1,818
Bolivia[note 1][416]	12,564
Bosnia and Herzegovina[note 2][417]	7,418
Botswana[418]	15,607
Brazil[419]	44,896
Brunei[note 5][420]	18,845
Cambodia[note 2][421]	146,806
Canada[note 2][422]	352,345
Cayman Islands[note 2][note 6][423]	1,653
Chile[note 2][424]	50,968
China[425]	637,300
Colombia[426]	13,356
Congo[note 7][427]	69
Cook Islands[note 2][428]	23,796
Costa Rica[note 2][429]	13,555
Croatia[note 2][430]	149,829
Cyprus[note 2][431]	10,930
Dominica[432]	437
Dominican Republic[note 2][433]	2,207
Ecuador[note 1][434]	13,686
Estonia[note 3][note 2][435]	6,888
Fiji[note 2][436]	360,370
Finland[437]	26,959
France[438]	1,266,509
French Polynesia[439]	9,167
Georgia[note 2][440]	2,732
Germany[note 2][441]	314,014
Greece[442]	183,165
Guatemala[note 1][443]	17,206
Guam[note 2][note 6][444]	2,197
Hong Kong[note 2][445]	575,812
Hungary[note 3][note 2][446]	41,231
Indonesia[note 2][447]	1,198,033
India[note 2][448]	293,625
Israel[note 2][449]	32,000
Italy[note 2][450]	884,000
Jamaica[note 2][451]	2,692
Japan[note 2][452]	445,200
Jordan[453]	20,461
Kazakhstan[454]	3,461
Kiribati[note 1][455]	625
Kyrgyzstan[456]	2,200
Laos[note 2][457]	33,077
Latvia[note 3][note 2][458]	6,440
Lebanon[note 4][459]	43,560
Luxembourg[460]	3,788
Macau[note 2][461]	93,286
Macedonia[note 2][note 3][462]	5,557
Madagascar[463]	1,098
Malaysia[note 2][464]	377,727
Malawi[note 8][465]	10,250
Maldives[note 2][466]	23,584
Mali[note 1][467]	860
Mauritius[note 2][468]	18,559
Mexico[note 2][note 6][469]	84,550
Micronesia[470]	1,075
Mongolia[471]	4,804
Montenegro[note 3][472]	5,287
Myanmar[473]	30,820
Namibia[474]	7,888
Nepal[475]	18,619
Netherlands[note 1][476]	188,000
New Caledonia[477]	20,926
New Zealand[note 2][478]	1,409,200
Niue[note 8][479]	461
Oman[note 4][480]	15,616
Pakistan[note 8][481]	13,200
Palau[482]	1,135
Panama[483]	4,349
Papua New Guinea[note 2][484]	88,092
Peru[485]	41,568
Philippines[486]	241,187
Romania[note 2][487]	12,223
Russia[note 2][488][489]	49,026
Samoa[490]	30,302
Serbia[note 2][note 3][491]	11,902
Seychelles[492]	1,661
Singapore[note 2][493]	1,027,309
Slovakia[note 2][note 3][494]	7,888
Slovenia[note 2][note 3][495]	29,766
Solomon Islands[496]	9,509
South Africa[497]	99,205
South Korea[note 2][498]	151,979
Sri Lanka[note 2][499]	74,496
Suriname[500]	188
Swaziland[note 2][501]	3,132
Taiwan[note 2][502]	82,361
Tanzania[note 4][503]	17,001
Tonga[504]	11,930
Thailand[note 2][505]	791,631
Timor-Leste[note 1][note 9][506]	13,429
Turkey[note 2][507]	97,626
Tuvalu[note 5][508]	116
Uganda[note 4][509]	7,842
Ukraine[note 2][510]	4,156
United Arab Emirates[note 2][511][512][513]	335,454
United Kingdom[note 2][514]	798,000
United States[note 10][515][516]	1,499,354
Vanuatu[517]	46,098
Vietnam[note 2][518]	320,678
Zambia[519]	12,363
Zimbabwe[520]	22,016

See also

• Visa policy of Australia
• Australian passport

References