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Tourist stream Visitor visa (subclass 600)

The Visitor visa (subclass 600) lets people travel to Australia temporarily for tourism or business purposes, or to visit family. The minimum requirements for the Tourist stream are set out below:

Tourist stream

For people travelling to Australia for a holiday or to visit family or friends.

As the visa applicant, you must:

  • genuinely intend to visit Australia for a holiday, to see family and/or friends, or for other purposes that are not related to business/work or medical treatment
  • have access to sufficient funds to cover your costs whilst you are in Australia
  • meet the relevant health and character criteria (this could include a requirement to obtain health insurance for the period of your stay in Australia)

Related: Other streams of Visitor visa (subclass 600)

Permissible activities on Visitor visas Visitor visa assessment
Invitation letter for tourist visa

Book a video consultation with our registered migration agents to find out more about your visa options.


Tourist stream at a glance

Purpose Holidays, sightseeing, visiting family or friends, and other non business, non medical purposes
Where to apply In or outside Australia (there are two versions of the stream)
Length of stay Usually up to 3, 6 or 12 months, as stated in your grant letter
Work Not permitted
Study Up to 3 months of study or training in total
Government charge $250 applying outside Australia, or $630 applying in Australia (a subsequent temporary application charge of $700 may also apply), from 1 July 2026. See our visa fees page.

How Home Affairs assesses a tourist visa application

The key question is whether you genuinely intend to stay in Australia temporarily for a visit. The decision maker looks at your whole situation, including:

  • your reasons for visiting and how long you plan to stay
  • your ties to your home country, such as employment, study, business, property and family
  • your immigration history, including previous visits to Australia and other countries and whether you complied with visa conditions
  • conditions in your home country that may affect whether you are likely to return
  • whether you have enough money to support yourself during the trip

There is no fixed amount of money you must show, but the funds should be realistic for the length of your stay. See our page on reasons for visitor visa refusal.

Documents to prepare

  • a valid passport
  • bank statements or other evidence of funds (and, if someone is supporting you, evidence of their funds and relationship to you)
  • a letter from your employer confirming approved leave, or evidence of your study or business
  • a travel itinerary or outline of your plans
  • if visiting family or friends, an invitation letter and evidence of their status in Australia
  • evidence of property, family or other ties to your home country
  • copies of previous visas and travel history

Applying in Australia

If you are already in Australia, you may be able to apply for a further Tourist stream visa to extend your visit, unless your current visa has a “No further stay” condition such as 8503. You will usually be granted a bridging visa while your application is processed. Since 1 July 2024, visitor visa holders can no longer apply for a student visa while in Australia. See how to extend your stay on a visitor visa.

No. The Tourist stream does not allow work in Australia, including unpaid work that would normally be paid. If you want to work while travelling, look at a working holiday visa if you are eligible.

You can study or train for up to 3 months in total, for example a short English course. For longer study you need a student visa, which you must apply for from outside Australia if you hold a visitor visa.

Your grant letter states your period of stay, commonly up to 3, 6 or 12 months. Some visas also carry a condition limiting how long you can stay in Australia within a set period.

Many applications made outside Australia are decided within weeks, but times vary by country, time of year and the complexity of your circumstances. Apply well ahead of your travel date and see our visa processing times page.

Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents may be granted a Tourist stream visa with longer validity (for example 3 or 5 years) allowing repeat visits, generally limited to 12 months in Australia in any 18 month period. Sponsored Family stream visas are granted for a single defined visit. See our comparison of the Tourist and Sponsored Family streams.

A refusal made outside Australia usually has no review rights, but you can apply again with stronger evidence that addresses the reasons for refusal. Refusals made in Australia may be reviewable by the Administrative Review Tribunal (ART), which replaced the AAT on 14 October 2024.

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