How to Request Your International Movement Records in Australia

What information is included in an International Movement Record?

An International Movement Record is a Department of Home Affairs record of your movements in and out of Australia. For the period covered by the request, Home Affairs states that the record can show:

• departure and arrival dates in and out of Australia from 1981 to now;
• whether you were inside or outside Australia during a particular period;
• the number of recorded arrivals and departures during the requested period;
• your name, date of birth, gender and country of birth;
• travel document numbers, including the passport number used for travel;
• Australian port codes for arrival or departure;
• flight or vessel details, such as a flight number; and
• the visa subclass and visa expiry date recorded at the time of travel.

This makes the record useful when you need official evidence of your Australian travel dates, including when reconstructing travel history for immigration, citizenship, residence or other administrative purposes. For example, Home Affairs directs citizenship applicants who need exact travel dates to request their movement records for use with its residence calculations. If you are preparing a citizenship application, the related Helpydo procedure explains how to apply for Australian citizenship by conferral.

What does the movement record not show?

The record does not show which foreign countries you travelled to or from. It records your movements across the Australian border. If you need arrival or departure information recorded by another country, Home Affairs says you must contact the relevant authority in that country.

A movement record is also different from evidence of your current Australian visa status and conditions. If your purpose is to check your current visa expiry date, work rights or visa conditions, use VEVO instead. Helpydo has a separate procedure explaining how to check your visa details and conditions in VEVO.

Can you request your own or someone else's records?

The online movement-record service can be used for your own records where the request includes records after 1981. It can also be used for another person's records where the request includes records after 1981 and that person has consented to the request.

Home Affairs also states that movement records can be requested for a child under 18 in applicable circumstances. Supporting documents vary depending on whose records you are seeking, so use the Department's relevant document checklist rather than assuming the same evidence applies to every request.

If you need the movement records of a deceased person, or records of another person and you do not have the record holder's consent, Home Affairs directs applicants to its personal information access process rather than the standard consent-based movement-record form.

What documents do you need?

The exact supporting documents depend on whose movement records you request. Home Affairs provides separate document checklists for the relevant request types, so prepare the evidence specified for your circumstances before submitting the online form.

For uploaded supporting documents, Home Affairs specifies that:

• documents not in English must be translated;
• documents do not need to be certified unless the Department asks you to have them certified;
• accepted file types are PDF, JPG and PNG;
• each file can be no larger than 3 MB;
• the combined size of the documents cannot exceed 15 MB; and
• each document must be attached separately with a different file name.

Do you need a request for every passport you have used?

No. Home Affairs specifically says not to submit a separate request for every passport you have held, including passports issued by different countries. The Department provides the Australian movement records associated with your current and old passports through the request.

When completing the form, provide the identifying and travel information requested so the Department can locate the relevant records. Do not create multiple requests simply because your passport changed during the period you need.

How do you request International Movement Records online?

The standard route for records after 1981 is the Department of Home Affairs online Request for International Movement Records form.

1. Identify the period of Australian travel history you need.
2. Select the appropriate request type for yourself, another person or a child, as applicable.
3. Prepare the supporting documents listed by Home Affairs for that request type.
4. Complete the online request with the required personal and travel details.
5. Upload the supporting documents within the permitted file types and size limits.
6. Submit the request and retain your request details for your records.

If the travel history is being collected for a visa-related task, remember that the movement record proves recorded travel rather than your current visa conditions. For a current visa application, changes to contact details are handled separately; see how to update your address, email or phone number on a visa application.

How much does an International Movement Record cost?

A request for International Movement Records is free of charge. Home Affairs confirms this on its official citizenship Residence Calculator page when directing users to request exact travel dates.

How long does the request take?

The Department of Home Affairs movement-record application and information pages checked for this procedure do not publish a specific processing time for the standard International Movement Records request. Do not rely on an unofficial turnaround time if you need the record for another application with its own deadline.

Submitting the correct request type and all supporting documents can help avoid problems caused by an incomplete request, but Home Affairs does not promise a specific completion date on the movement-record pages.

What if you need movement records from before 1981?

The Department of Home Affairs online service covers records where the request includes movements after 1981. For movements before January 1981, Home Affairs directs you to the National Archives of Australia.

This distinction is important if you are reconstructing a long residence or travel history: do not assume that the current Home Affairs movement-record request will supply the earlier archival movements.

What should you check when you receive the record?

Review the requested period, arrival and departure dates, passport or travel document numbers and other recorded movement details against the purpose for which you requested the document. Remember that the record does not identify the foreign country you visited.

If you requested the record to work out Australian citizenship residence, use the exact movement dates when assessing your residence history. If your issue instead concerns travelling while an Australian visa application is pending, movement records do not give you permission to re-enter Australia; depending on your circumstances, you may need to understand the separate process to apply for a Bridging Visa B before travel.