Are you going on a holiday or business trip to Australia? Then you can make use of the eVisitor visa. This visa for Australia is valid for twelve months and can be used an unlimited number of times within this validity period. Each stay in Australia may last up to three months.

The Sydney skyline, with the famous Sydney Opera House in the foreground

The validity period of the visa

From the moment you submit your Australia visa application, it usually takes no longer than 5 days for it to be approved. If you make use of an urgent application, this will usually take place within 60 minutes. The validity period starts as soon as you receive the visa.

The Australia visa is valid for twelve months. It must be valid at the moment you check in, as well as when you pass through passport control after arriving in Australia. The visa shows the expiry date. This is the last day you can enter Australia.

The maximum length of stay per trip

The fact that the Australia visa is valid for 12 months does not mean that you can stay in the country for a year at a time. The maximum period of stay in Australia is three months. This duration applies to any stay in Australia. Are you travelling to Australia several times during the validity period of the visa? If so, you can stay in Australia for up to three months each time. Only your date of arrival must fall within the period of validity stated on the visa. Will you arrive on the last day the visa is valid? Then you may still stay in Australia for three months.

Important point of attention for cruise travellers

Take note if you leave Australia by cruise ship. Will you be returning to Australia at a later date during your cruise? Then you will probably not be allowed to stay in the country for another three months. In most cases, cruise journeys with a departure and arrival point in Australia do not involve leaving the country in the interim, according to Australian rules. In that case, the final departure date remains unchanged. This is not three months after your most recent arrival, but three months after your initial arrival in Australia.

Are you taking a cruise that departs from Australia and returns there at a later date? Ask your cruise line or travel agency if you officially leave Australia during this time. To be on the safe side, you can also assume that you will not be leaving the country later than three months after your first arrival.

Also check the validity of your passport
The validity of your Australia visa expires immediately when the validity of your passport expires, even if the validity period stated on the visa has not yet expired. You may only arrive in Australia with the passport with which your visa was applied for. The passport number of this passport is also shown on the visa.

Your passport must still be valid for a minimum of 6 months from the day you arrive in Australia. Does your passport expire within this time period? Apply for a new passport before you start applying for your Australia visa.

In certain situations, the validity may expire earlier

Applying for an Australia visa is only permitted if you meet a number of requirements. These requirements also apply throughout your stay in Australia, so not just during the visa application. Has anything changed in your situation so that this is no longer the case? Then your visa is no longer valid, and you cannot use it to travel to Australia. This is the case, for example, in these situations:

• The passport with which your visa was applied for is no longer valid
• You have contracted tuberculosis
• You have been convicted of a prison sentence
• You want to perform work for which a work visa is needed
• You, or a family member, are in debt to the Australian government

Is your visa not valid for long enough?

Does your planned date of arrival in Australia fall outside the period of validity stated on the visa? Apply for a new visa. You can do this even before your current visa has expired. The new application will replace the previous visa, allowing you to travel to Australia for another year once it has been approved. Only submit this application if you are not currently in Australia.

Apply for a new visa

Are you already in Australia and want to stay longer than three months? It is not possible to extend your visa or re-apply for the same type of visa. Check with the immigration service to see if you qualify for another type of visa that you can apply for during your stay.