How to Apply for an Australian Visitor Visa Subclass 600 Tourist Stream from Overseas

Who should apply for the subclass 600 Tourist stream from overseas?

The Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream covered by this procedure is for people who are outside Australia when they apply and when Home Affairs decides the application. It can be used to visit Australia for a holiday, a cruise, or to spend time with family or friends.

You must intend to visit temporarily, have enough money for your stay and not work in Australia. The visa can also allow study or training for up to 3 months, although Home Affairs says a Student visa may be more appropriate when study is the main purpose of the trip.

What if you are already in Australia and want a Visitor visa?

An onshore Visitor visa application is a different Tourist stream route. Home Affairs has a separate subclass 600 Tourist stream for people applying in Australia. That stream requires you to be in Australia when you apply and when the Department decides the application.

Do not use the offshore Tourist stream simply because you searched for an onshore visitor visa. This procedure specifically covers the Tourist stream for applicants outside Australia. If you are already in Australia and want to remain longer, you must check whether you are eligible to apply for another visa and whether your current visa has a condition that prevents further stay, such as condition 8503.

Check whether you need a subclass 600 visa

Before starting a subclass 600 application, check whether your passport makes you eligible for another Australian visitor permission. Home Affairs notes that some travellers may instead qualify for an Electronic Travel Authority subclass 601 or an eVisitor subclass 651.

If those options are unavailable or the subclass 600 Tourist stream is the appropriate route for your circumstances, you can proceed with the offshore Tourist stream application.

Where is the Australian Tourist visa subclass 600 application form?

The standard application route is online through Home Affairs ImmiAccount. The subclass 600 Tourist stream is not normally a single downloadable tourist visa form that you complete independently of the immigration system. In ImmiAccount, you start the relevant Visitor visa application, answer the questions for your circumstances, attach supporting documents and pay the visa application charge.

Home Affairs will not process the application until the required visa application charge has been paid.

What does the genuine visitor requirement mean?

You must genuinely intend to stay in Australia temporarily and do only the activities permitted by the Visitor visa. Home Affairs assesses the individual circumstances of the application.

Evidence supporting the purpose of your trip can include your planned activities, itinerary and information about family or friends you intend to visit. Evidence showing reasons to return home can also help demonstrate that your visit is temporary.

Evidence of your reason for visiting

Explain clearly why you are travelling and how long you intend to stay. Depending on the trip, relevant supporting material can include travel plans and an invitation from a relative or friend.

If another person is helping to pay for the visit, provide evidence that explains the arrangement and supports their ability to provide that assistance.

Evidence that you intend to return home

Relevant evidence can include employment, study, close family connections, property or other commitments in your home country. The purpose is to give Home Affairs enough information to assess whether you genuinely intend a temporary visit.

How much money do you need for an Australian Tourist visa?

Home Affairs does not set one universal minimum bank balance for every subclass 600 Tourist stream applicant. You must have, or have access to, enough money to support yourself during your stay in Australia.

The appropriate evidence depends on your circumstances, the length and purpose of the visit, your accommodation and who will pay for the trip. Provide financial documents that accurately show how the visit will be funded.

What documents do you need for a subclass 600 Tourist visa?

The documents required depend on your circumstances and the information entered in ImmiAccount. Your application should contain enough evidence for Home Affairs to assess your identity, reason for visiting, financial capacity and genuine intention to visit temporarily.

Passport and identity evidence

Provide the identity and passport information requested in ImmiAccount. Make sure the information in your application matches your current travel document and disclose any relevant changes in personal details.

If your passport changes after you apply or while you hold an Australian visa, you may need to update your new passport details with Home Affairs.

Character documents

You must meet Australia's character requirements. Home Affairs may ask for a police certificate and asks applicants to provide applicable military service records or discharge papers. Do not obtain documents unnecessarily unless the application instructions or Home Affairs request them for your circumstances.

Do you need a medical examination?

You must meet Australia's health requirements, but this does not mean every Tourist stream applicant automatically needs the same medical examinations. Home Affairs will tell you if health examinations are required.

If you did not complete required health examinations before applying, complete them when Home Affairs instructs you to do so.

What documents are required for a child under 18?

Additional documents apply to applicants under 18. Home Affairs asks for a birth certificate showing both parents' names or specified alternative identity evidence if a birth certificate cannot be provided. Evidence of legal guardianship, such as adoption papers or court orders, must be provided where relevant.

If a person with the legal right to decide where the child lives is not travelling with the child, that person must generally complete Form 1229, Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years, or provide an appropriate statutory declaration. Include an identity document showing that person's photograph and signature.

If the child will not stay with a relative or legal guardian, Home Affairs also requires Form 1257, Undertaking declaration, signed by the person with whom the child will stay.

How much does the subclass 600 Tourist stream cost?

The offshore Tourist stream costs from AUD 250 per applicant. Limited concessions apply. Other expenses can include health examinations, police certificates and biometrics.

You cannot include family members as secondary applicants in one Tourist stream application. Each family member, including a child listed on a parent's passport, must submit a separate application and pay the applicable charge. Related applications can be submitted together through ImmiAccount.

Lower charge for eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens

From 1 July 2026, a lower Visitor visa application charge applies to eligible citizens using a valid passport issued by the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu or Vanuatu.

Home Affairs identifies eligible applicants from the valid passport used in the application and applies the lower charge during the ImmiAccount application process.

How do you apply for the Tourist stream through ImmiAccount?

1. Create or sign in to ImmiAccount.
2. Start the Visitor visa subclass 600 Tourist stream application for an applicant outside Australia.
3. Complete the application questions accurately.
4. Attach the requested identity and passport information.
5. Attach evidence supporting the purpose of your visit, your financial capacity and your genuine temporary stay.
6. Add any child-related, health, character or other documents required for your circumstances.
7. If family members are also travelling, complete a separate application for each person and submit related applications together where appropriate.
8. Pay the applicable visa application charge.
9. Submit the application and continue monitoring ImmiAccount for messages or requests from Home Affairs.

How long can you stay with a subclass 600 Tourist visa?

The offshore Tourist stream can allow a stay of up to 12 months, but Home Affairs decides the actual period case by case. It considers matters such as how long you want to stay and why you want to be in Australia.

Home Affairs says it generally grants a 3-month stay and may grant up to 12 months in certain circumstances. It can grant a shorter period than you request.

The visa can be granted for single or multiple entry. Your visa grant letter states the period you can stay and your travel rights.

Can parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents get a longer visa?

Parents and step-parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents who meet all visa criteria may be considered for a visa valid for more than 12 months. Home Affairs considers these applications individually.

If such a longer-validity visa is granted, it can provide multiple-entry travel, but the holder cannot stay in Australia for more than 12 months in total during any 18-month period. Adequate health insurance arrangements are also required.

Can you work or study on a subclass 600 Tourist visa?

You cannot work in Australia on this Visitor visa. Home Affairs notes that some genuine volunteer activities may be possible, but they must not amount to prohibited work.

You can generally study or train for up to 3 months. If study is the main reason for travelling to Australia, Home Affairs says a Student visa may be more appropriate.

Do you need health insurance?

Visitors are generally responsible for their own healthcare costs in Australia. Home Affairs recommends adequate health insurance to cover unexpected medical treatment.

Some countries have reciprocal healthcare agreements with Australia. In some circumstances, a Visitor visa can also be granted with condition 8501, which requires the holder to maintain adequate health insurance.

How long does a subclass 600 Tourist visa take?

There is no guaranteed processing period for every subclass 600 Tourist stream application. Home Affairs directs applicants to its Visa Processing Time Guide for figures based on recently decided applications.

The Department's August 2026 published median for the broader Visitor category was less than 1 day, but this combines subclasses 600, 601 and 651. Home Affairs specifically warns that subclass 600 applications can take significantly longer than subclasses 601 and 651, and individual applications can take longer when further information is required or processing locations experience delays.

Apply well before your intended travel date and submit all necessary supporting documents with the application.

What happens after you submit the application?

Home Affairs will confirm receipt of the application and documents. Monitor ImmiAccount because you may be asked to provide biometrics, complete health examinations or submit additional information.

If documents are missing, attach them through ImmiAccount as soon as possible. Home Affairs may decide an application using the information already provided without first requesting further information.

If your contact details change while the application is being processed, follow the process to update your address, email or phone details.

Should you book travel before the visa is approved?

Home Affairs advises applicants not to make arrangements to travel to Australia until they have received written confirmation that the visa has been granted.

For this offshore Tourist stream, you must also remain outside Australia when Home Affairs decides the application.

How will you receive the visa decision?

Home Affairs gives the decision in writing. If the visa is granted, the notification includes the visa grant number, the date the visa starts and its conditions.

The visa is digitally linked to your passport; Australia does not place a physical visa label in your passport. You can later use VEVO to check your visa details and conditions. See how to check your visa expiry, travel and other conditions in VEVO.

If Home Affairs refuses the application, it will notify you in writing, explain the refusal and state whether review rights are available.

Is the subclass 600 Tourist visa single entry or multiple entry?

Home Affairs can grant either single or multiple entry. With single entry, you cannot re-enter Australia on that visa after leaving. With multiple entry, you can leave and return while the visa remains valid, subject to its conditions.

Check the visa grant letter or VEVO rather than assuming that a subclass 600 visa automatically permits multiple trips.

Can you extend a subclass 600 Tourist visa?

You cannot extend the existing Visitor visa itself. If you are in Australia and want to stay longer, you must qualify for and apply for another visa.

You can apply for another visa only if your current visa does not contain a condition preventing further stay, such as condition 8503 No Further Stay. Home Affairs can waive a No Further Stay condition only in limited circumstances.