All visitors to Australia must have a valid visa to travel to and enter Australia (other than New Zealand passport holders who will normally be granted a Special Category visa on arrival, provided they meet health and character requirements; and permanent residents of Norfolk Island who may be granted a Permanent Resident of Norfolk Island visa on arrival).
If you are planning to visit Australia for a business event such as a conference, trade fair, seminar or expo, there may be different visa options available to you. The appropriate visa will depend, amongst other things, on your purpose for visiting Australia.
To explore visa options and get information on visa’s appropriate for you, visit the Department of Home Affairs website and answer a few short questions.
Visa Options
The most common Visa’s that may be recommended to you for short travel to Australia to attend a conference or congress are;
1. ETA (601)
- Online Application Process
- Quick
Eligibility for an eVisitor visa and ETA will be determined by the country of passport that the applicant holds. The ETA is a quick, online, charge free process, but incurs a AUD$20 service provider charge, and/or a further charge if applied for through a travel agency, airline agency or specialist service provider. Further information on the ETA can be found on the website.
From 6 April 2022, all ETA-eligible passport holders can now apply for an ETA using the Australian ETA app. For more information, see the Step by step guide. If you are unable to use the app, you can apply online through ImmiAccount for another visa that suits your needs.
European passport holders may be eligible for an eVisitor (subclass 651).
At this time, ETA lodgement is only available through the Australian ETA app.
Download the App
You can download the Australian ETA app for free from the App Store (Apple) or Google Play store (Android).
2. eVisitor (651)
- Online Application Process
- Quick
- One working day processing time
- No Application charge or service fee
Eligibility for an eVisitor visa and ETA will be determined by the country of passport that the applicant holds. The eVisitor visa is an online visa process, with a one working day processing time for low risk applications. There is no visa application charge or service fee. Further information on the eVisitor visa, including how to apply online, can be found on the website.
3. Visitor Visa (subclass 600) in the Business Visitor stream
- Online or Paper application Process
Passport holders who are not eligible to apply for an eVisitor or an ETA should apply for a Visitor Visa (subclass 600) in the Business Visitor Stream.
- Online application process
- Application fee of $140 AUD
Further information on the Subclass 600 Visa can be found on the website.
Things to consider before lodging an application
Invitation and registration to attend the event
Although this is a separate process to lodging your visa application, when assessing whether you meet the criteria for the grant of a visa, the department may take into account whether you are registered or were invited to attend the event.
Confirmation of registration, or a copy of your letter of invitation, should accompany visa applications. For online subclass 400 and subclass 600 applications, information about documents that need to be attached will be provided as part of the application process.
To request a letter of invitation please contact the secretariat at registration@iap2022.org.
Visa Options
Make sure you apply for the visa that matches your requirements for travel to Australia, and that you are eligible to apply for that visa.
Click on the link below to find out what visa option suits you
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder/visit
To assist you to find the right visa option, we have listed the questions below:
1. What is the main purpose of your visit?
A: Attending a conference or expo
2. What is your country of passport?
A: Please select your country of passport from the dropdown menu
3. How long will you stay for?
A: Up to 3 months
Cut-off date for lodging paper based applications
You should apply for a visa at least two months prior to the intended date of departure, and four months prior if there are any character or health concerns. More information about visa processing times is available on the department’s website.
Health and character requirements
All visa applicants must be assessed against Australia's health and character requirements. These requirements are designed to protect the safety and security of the Australian community.
From 21 February 2022, all visa holders who are fully vaccinated for international travel purposes can travel to Australia without a travel exemption. Unvaccinated visa holders will still need to be in an exempt category or hold an individual travel exemption to enter Australia.
