Iranian visa holders temporarily barred from travelling to Australia from 26 March

Is there a border entry ban for Iranians coming to Australia with a valid visa?

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has announced a six-month ban on Iranians who hold visitor visas from travelling to Australia. The rule will only apply to people outside Australia who have a Visitor (Subclass 600) visa linked to an Iranian passport.  An “arrival control determination” will be enacted tomorrow (26 March 2026) for visitors from Iran, with the Albanese government concerned that some temporary visa holders will be “unable or unlikely” to leave Australia when their visas expire.

Iranians already travelling to Australia, or those who are spouses or dependent children of Australian citizens and permanent visa holders, will be exempt from the restrictions. 

Arrival Control Determination – Offshore Iranian visitor (Sc 600) visa holders 

The Migration (Arrival Control) Determination 2026 (LIN 26/040) commenced on 26 March 2026 and remains in effect for six months.

Under this Determination, any person who is:

• outside Australia when the arrival control determination began on 26 March 2026
• holding a Visitor (Subclass 600) visa, and
• recorded by the Department as having used a passport issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran when applying for that visa

will have their Visitor visa temporarily cease to be in effect, unless an exemption applies. No refunds will be provided for Sc 600 visitor visa holders that are affected by the travel restrictions unless they can meet any of the refund criteria under reg 2.12F.

Exemptions

* Please note that at this stage the determination only affects offshore Iranian visitor visa holders it does not affect all Iranian temporary visa holders or Iranian visitor visa holders that were onshore on 26 March 2026.
The Determination does not apply to the following Visitor visa holders with Iranian passports:

• the spouse, de facto partner or dependent child of an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent visa holder, or an Australian resident who is not subject to a time limitation (such as a New Zealand citizen)
• the parent of a child who is under 18 and in Australia
• a person who was in Australia when the Arrival Control Determination commenced
• a person who has been issued a Permitted Travel Certificate (PTC) that is in force.

Permitted Travel Certificate (PTC)

A request for a PTC can be made on the Department’s Arrival Control determination portal here.

Applications for PTC are considered on a case-by-case basis and will only be issued in very limited circumstances, which may include individuals who:

• are the parent of an Australian citizen, or
• can show they genuinely intend to stay in Australia temporarily.

A PTC request should include a very strong submission and evidence that supports the request, more information on what is required can be found on the Department’s website. Requests should be made at least 2 weeks before the intended travel and no more than 2 months before the intended travel date.

Those who hold a PTC may continue to travel to Australia if they hold a valid visa. However, they will need to provide evidence that the restrictions do not apply to them before they travel to Australia.

 Arrival Control Determination check 

Before travelling, individuals should check whether their Visitor visa has been affected by requesting an Arrival Control Determination check through the Department of Home Affairs’ Arrival Control Determination Portal.