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FAQs - GENERAL QUESTIONS
- Is it possible to enter Australia with a one way ticket?
- How do I pay?
- What can I do if I have already booked my flights but haven’t received a visa yet?
- Is it a problem if my passport is not valid for at least 6 months after my stay in Australia?
- I’m being asked to enter details of previously held visas? What if I don’t have these details?
- How do I obtain translations of documents?
- Where can I have documents certified?
- How can I cancel my visa and claim superannuation?
- Do I need a visa label in my passport if I applied for a visa online?
- How can I find a missing friend or relative?
- What do I need to know about buying or building a house in Australia?
- Where can I find information on Driver’s licences and driving while in Australia? - Do I need any vaccinations before travelling to Australia?
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- One Way Ticket
If you enter Australia on a one way ticket you may be asked by Australian
Immigration authorities on arrival at the airport as to what your plans are for
departing Australia. You would need to explain your intentions to the officer
and the officer needs to be satisfied that you do not intend to stay beyond the
period which your visa allows. While not a mandatory requirement, you may
wish to carry a copy of your bank statement to demonstrate you have
sufficient funds to purchase an airline ticket out of Australia.
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- Payment
Payment must be included for your application to be valid.
Any payments made to the Australian Embassy in Paris can only be accepted
in Euros (EUR). To find out how much you need to pay for the processing fee
of the visa application or service you are applying for:
See: Local application charges
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- Booking Flights
We recommend that you do not make travel commitments until after the visa
has been approved as we are not liable for any financial loss incurred by
applicants whose applications are late or unsuccessful.
We endeavour to decide all our applications as quickly as possible, but our
processing times will give an indication as to how long the processing of your
application may take.
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- 6 Month Passport Rule
It is not a mandatory requirement of the Australian Department of Immigration
and Citizenship (DIAC) that a foreign national entering Australia has a
passport valid for at least 6 months. It is only a recommendation. However, it
is a mandatory requirement of DIAC that all non-Australian citizens wishing to
enter Australia do have a valid passport and valid Australian visa on their
date of entry to, and for the duration of their stay in, Australia.
Although DIAC does not enforce the 6 month rule, some airlines do, so you
may wish to check with your airline before you book your flight. Please also
check with the countries through which you are transiting.
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- Details of Previously Held Visas
If you do not know the exact details concerning previously held visas, such as
the visa grant number, you may leave these fields blank. It will suffice if you
merely enter an estimated time during which these visas were held. If you can
remember it, please also enter the visa type. You do not need to contact us
separately to try to obtain this information.
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- Translating Documents
You are requested to provide documents in English to your processing office. Translations must be done by a 'traducteur assermenté'.
Details of a 'traducteur assermenté' can be obtained from:
- your local town hall (mairie)
- the yellow pages (pages jaunes)
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- Certifying Documents
If you are requested to submit certain documents as certified copies (certified
as a true copy of the original), ocuments may be certified by:
- an official at your local registration or passport office (consular official or at the 'mairie' if they offer this service); or
- a notary public (un notaire). Details of a notary public can be obtained from the 'pages jaunes' (yellow pages)
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- Superannuation and Visa Cancellation
Temporary residents who have departed Australia may apply to receive any
Australian superannuation payments.
If the amount you are claiming is less than AUD$5000 and your visa has
expired or has been cancelled, you should contact your Superannuation
company directly. They will generally require you to produce evidence that
you have departed Australia and no longer hold a valid visa.
If you are outside Australia, you can request the department to cancel your
visa in order to access your superannuation.
Your request for cancellation must include the following information:
• a clear statement that you wish to have your visa cancelled
• full name and date of birth
• passport number when you visited Australia
• subclass of the visa you wish to have cancelled
• current residential address
• the date that you departed Australia.
Requests for cancellation should be sent in writing via email or via post:
Email: Super.hobart@immi.gov.au
Postal address:
Certification of Immigration Status
Department of Immigration and Citizenship
GPO Box 1496
Hobart TAS 7001
If the amount you are claiming is AUD$5000 or more, or you have departed
Australia but still hold a valid temporary visa, you will need to complete form
1194 and submit it to DIAC in Australia. Further details about this process
are available.
See: Superannuation
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) administers the superannuation system.
For general information please consult the ATO website. The information you
require is on the right side under the link “Temporary Residents: Access to
Super”.
See: ATO - Superannuation
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- Do I need an Australian Visa Label for my Electronic Visa?
Australia’s electronic visa system does not require you to have a visa label
placed in your passport to confirm your immigration status and entitlements in
Australia. Your visa information is held electronically and you can access it at
any time using the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) system.
Employers, banks and government services can also check details about your
visa entitlements on VEVO once they have your consent to do so.
See: VEVO
In a small number of cases, your government may require a label in your
passport to facilitate travel. The letter of confirmation you receive once your
visa has been granted will tell you if you need to obtain a visa label.
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- How can I find a missing friend or relative?
The Australian Embassy does not provide information on people currently
residing in Australia. If you are seeking to contact a friend or relative, the
below Web page provides some brief information that may be of assistance in
undertaking searches for missing people or lost relatives.
See: National Library of Australia
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- What do I need to know about buying or building a house in Australia?
You need permission from the Foreign Investment Review Board to buy a
house or land for building if you are not a permanent resident living in
Australia.
See: Foreign Investment Review Board
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- Driver’s licences and driving while in Australia
As a general rule, you are able to drive in Australia, as a visitor, on your
existing driving licence for a maximum of three months after arriving in
Australia. However specific rules vary across each state and territory. Follow
the below link to all state and territory motor registries where you can check on
individual state requirements.
See: Registration and Licences
Information is available for overseas drivers about licences and driving while in
Australia.
See: Austroads Overseas Licences
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- Vaccinations before travelling to Australia - Yellow Fever
Although not part of the Health Requirement, please see information
regarding Yellow Fever.
See: Yellow Fever