News/Important Information
COVID-19 – International travel information
From 6 July, the Australian Government no longer requires travellers to:
- Declare or prove their vaccination status when entering Australia.
- Passengers will no longer be required to submit a Digital Passenger Declaration or Maritime Travel Declaration
- Seek travel exemptions to enter Australia (for non-Australians).
- Travellers departing Australia will not be asked to provide evidence of their vaccination status.
From 9 September 2022, masks are no longer required on flights travelling to Australia.
We encourage all travellers to be vaccinated for their own protection.
For more information on travel requirements, please see: COVID-19 and the border (homeaffairs.gov.au).
If you do not hold a visa
Travellers of all nationalities, except citizens of Australia and New Zealand, must have a valid visa before they to travel to Australia. For further information on applying for a visa, see: Immigration and citizenship (homeaffairs.gov.au). If you do not know what type of visa you need, you can use our Visa Finder to Explore visa options (homeaffairs.gov.au).
Due to COVID-19, some visa processing times have been affected and applications may take longer to finalise. You should not confirm your travel arrangements until you have been granted a visa (unless you are a New Zealand citizen).
You should not book flights or make travel arrangements until you have a visa to travel to Australia.The department will not be liable for any financial loss incurred by clients whose visa application was finalised later than expected or where an application is unsuccessful.
We strongly recommend that applications for visitor visas are lodged at least 1-2 months in advance of travel, if not earlier.
You can submit your visa application online through ImmiAccount.
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)
Certain passport holders (including Singaporeans) may be able to apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) via the Australian ETA app. Further information can be found at: Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).
After you have applied for an ETA, you should wait for a written notification which will be sent to you by email.
Please do not call or approach the Australian High Commission in person regarding your ETA application. If you are experiencing technical problems with the Australian ETA app, you may request assistance through the ‘Contact us’ form. You can find this from the ‘. . . More’ menu in the app. This form should only be used for technical issues.
Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa
A 30% cap increase for the 2022-23 program year
On 1 July 2022 the Department of Home Affairs opened availability for 3,250 Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas.
For 2022-23 only, there is a 30 per cent cap increase to the number of places available to working holiday makers from Singapore.
Applications must be lodged online. For further information, please visit the Department of Home Affairs website.
After your application has been lodged, you may receive a letter asking you to provide Personal Identifiers (PIDS). You will need to make an appointment to enrol your biometrics at VFS. See: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/sgp/en/aus
Beware of Visa Scams
To avoid being scammed, you can check the Register of Migration Agents on the OMARA website, to receive the protections of an OMARA registered Migration Agent.
There are Australian registered migration agents working all around the world. These agents are subject to the same Code of Conduct, professional development and regulations as registered migration agents based in Australia. More information about Australia’s efforts to ensure the integrity of the migration advice profession is available at: www.mara.gov.au
Lodging a Visa Application
Applications for most visas can be lodged online through ImmiAccount, a self-service web portal that allows users to create, submit, pay for and manage all online applications in one online system.
To create an account or to log into an existing account, see: ImmiAccount
IMPORTANT NOTE
Information about visas can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website. Applications that do not include all the required documents may be delayed or, in some cases, refused. It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure the application is complete at the time of lodgement.
Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC)
135 Cecil Street
#08-01 Philippine Airlines Building
Singapore 069536
Website: https://visa.vfsglobal.com/sgp/en/aus
Note that all applications are assessed by the Department of Home Affairs. AVAC staff have no involvement in assessments or decisions.
Method of Payment
The Visa Application Charge (VAC) may be paid by credit card online through the 'My Payments' option in ImmiAccount.
See: How to Pay
Visas for Diplomatic Passport Holders
Diplomatic passport holders travelling to Australia on official business should contact the Immigration section of the Australian High Commission directly. Diplomatic passport holders travelling for tourism or personal travel should apply for a visa online through ImmiAccount. The Visa Application Charge (VAC) and biometric requirement may be waived for diplomatic passport holders and applicants should answer 'yes' that they are travelling as a representative of a foreign government when applying. Applicants should also upload a copy of their diplomatic passport, Diplomatic Pass, and a Note Verbale.
Australian Citizenship Applications
All citizenship applications are now processed in Australia.
For Australian Citizenship by Descent, see: Become an Australian citizen (by descent) Your parent was an Australian citizen when you were born overseas (homeaffairs.gov.au)
For other types of citizenship applications, see: Become a citizen (homeaffairs.gov.au)
To request evidence of citizenship or a replacement citizenship certificate, see: Evidence of citizenship (homeaffairs.gov.au)
For information on giving up (renouncing) Australian citizenship, see: Australian citizenship Give up Australian citizenship (renounce) (homeaffairs.gov.au)
Australians Adopting in Singapore
Australians considering adopting a non-Singapore citizen child whilst living in Singapore are advised to refer to the information on immigration and citizenship requirements in relation to expatriate adoption and inter-country adoption on the Department of Home Affairs website. Australian migration requirements for adopted children are quite specific, and an adoption that does not meet these legal criteria may result in the child not being able to migrate to Australia or acquire Australian citizenship. To meet migration visa requirements, amongst other criteria, Australians would be expected to have adopted a non-Singapore citizen child through the formal and legal adoption process in the child’s home country – a Singapore court adoption order for a non-Singapore citizen child is unlikely to meet Australia’s migration requirements.
Domestic Helpers
Domestic helpers accompanying their employer/employer’s household members travelling to Australia for tourism should apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) (Tourist stream)—not a subclass 400 Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa.
Domestic helpers must accompany their employer when travelling to Australia, and should have the same travel itinerary as their employer.
Updating Passport Details
Australian visa holders must notify the Department of Home Affairs of their new passport details to ensure that their record is up-to-date. Failure to update passport details will result in delays when travelling to Australia. Visa holders or registered Australian organisations will be unable to check visa details online.
Visa holders (other than ETA holders) can update their passport details online through ImmiAccount. If you do not have an ImmiAccount, you may update your passport details by completing a Change in Situation online form and uploading a copy of your new passport. Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) holders with a new passport will need to apply for a new ETA.
Australia’s Visa Label Policy
The Australian Government does not require holders of Australian visas to have a visa label in their passport.
Australian visas are granted electronically and stored in a central database, enabling visa holders, registered Australian organisations and airline staff to check visa details online. Australian visa holders can provide evidence that they have the authority to travel to, enter and/or remain in Australia by showing the passport or ImmiCard that is linked to their electronic visa record.
Check Your Visa Status Online (VEVO)
The Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system is a free online service that allows holders of Australian visas, employers and other registered organisations to check current visa details and conditions. You can also use VEVO to obtain proof of your visa conditions to send to others.
See: VEVO
Health Requirements and Medical Examinations
Detailed information about health requirements for visa applicants can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website.
See: Health Requirements
Overseas medical examinations are only acceptable if conducted by approved panel physicians or clinics. A panel physician is a doctor or a radiologist who has been appointed by the Australian Government to perform medical examinations on visa applicants who have applied from outside Australia. For a list of Australian approved Panel Doctors
See: Panel Doctors
Not all applications require a medical examination. You should not have a visa medical examination until you have been formally requested to do so by the Australian High Commission or other office processing your application.
Character Requirement
In some cases, to meet our character requirement you may be required to provide penal clearances from countries in which you have resided for 12 months or more during the last ten years. For further information on how and where to obtain these clearances
Requesting Travel Records and Visa Cancellations
See: Requesting travel records.
For visa cancellations, see the Frequently Asked Questions link below
Frequently Asked Questions
For a comprehensive list of Frequently Asked Questions, click here.