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Travel to Australia

Everyone coming to Australia needs a visa. For ASCILITE 2003 participants, the appropriate visa is a Business (Short Stay) visa, even if some tourism activities are planned for part of the stay in Australia. It is called a 456 visa if it is issued as a label into a passport (fee of AUD$65 payable). The 456 visa can be applied for at an Australian diplomatic office overseas. It can also be issued as a 977 visa if it is issued electronically as an ETA, that is, no label (no fee payable). At post discretion, one or more visits each of up to 3 months can be made on the 456 visa within 12 months of its grant. The 977 visa allows a single visit only for up to 3 months within 12 months of grant.

Further detail on the:
Electronic Travel Authority
List of ETA countries

For non-ETA country nationals, the 456 visa can be applied for at an Australian diplomatic office overseas.

These applications are subject to greater scrutiny and it is up to decision-makers at each post to assess each visa application.

Your status as ASCILITE 2003 delegate alone is not a guarantee that you will get a visa.

It is important that you apply for your visas well in advance of anticipated travel.

All business 456 visa applicants are also required to complete the health declaration on Form 456.
To be eligible for a business 977 (or 956) ETA, the applicant must be free from tuberculosis, and free from any disease or condition that may result in being a threat to public health, or a danger to the Australian community or needing health care or community services while in Australia. ETA holders must make a declaration to that effect on arrival in Australia.

Further detail on Health Requirements

The DIMIA World Index provides a list of all Australian diplomatic offices overseas by country and by city.

The Department highly recommends that all intending visitors to Australia access the visitors section of the Department's internet site.

This site contains comprehensive information about:

  • issues impacting on all visitors to Australia
  • Customs clearance
  • Quarantine
  • health issues,
  • visas.

The text is available in English, Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Pidgin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.