Travel Guide

Tourist Visas

Visa’s are required for some international destinations for tourism. This can be incredibly important on your around the world trip. The most common countries for Australian passport holders that require a prearranged visa are, but not limited to,

• China
• India
• Russia
• Vietnam
• Cambodia
• Romania
• Brazil
• Ukraine

A lot of countries require visas on arrival for a local payment, often in US dollars. Now, all travellers are required to preregister for an ESTA visa waiver for travel to the USA. This must be done at least 3 days before travel.

The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is an automated system used by The US Department of Homeland Security to determine eligibility to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program. Upon completion of an ESTA application, a VWP traveller will be notified of their eligibility to travel to the USA under the VWP by email. Conditions apply to be eligible for the VWP. See the US Department of Homeland and Security website for more information.

In relation to visas generally, the department of foreign affairs and trade’s website states that…

“A visa is a form of permission for a non-citizen to enter, transit or remain in a particular country. 

• A visa does not guarantee entry, that decision remains the right of the immigration officials of the country concerned. 
• The immigration laws of most countries do not have provision for appeal.  Some countries ask visitors to present return tickets and evidence of funds sufficient to cover the intended stay.  Others have compulsory currency exchange regulations on entry. 
• Some refuse entry to visitors who do not comply with requirements regarding general appearance and clothing, or visitors who are HIV positive.”

Please note that a lot of countries that have visa waiver programs or visa on arrival free of charge, do have a maximum stay in their country as a tourist. This range from 30 days for a lot of Asian countries and some Eastern Europe countries to 90 days for most EU countries and most South American countries [Brazil the most common country in South America which required a visa]. In the UK Australians are allowed 6 months as a tourist. It is important to check that you meet all of the necessary criteria for a visa waiver and that you confirm the exact amount of time you are allowed to stay in any one country. We do not guarantee the accuracy of this information as there are continual updates from consulates and we suggest contacting them directly with any enquires.

 A list of foreign embassies can be found at…

http://www.info.dfat.gov.au/Info/WebProtocol/WebProtocol.nsf/homeforma?openform&D

We recommend seeing visalink.com.au for more information.

Tourist Visas

A snapshot of what you need to know about tourist visas for Australian passport holders.

Read more

Passport Information

What you need to know to ensure you have a valid passport for your round the world journey.

Read more