Your Guide to the Visitor Visa in Australia
Find out how to apply for a Visitor Visa for your trip to Australia. Learn the requirements and what you can do while in the country.
By Latinhood newsroom4 Nov 20263 min read
What is the Visitor visa?
The Visitor visa (subclass 600) is the visa many people from Latin America use to come to Australia for a holiday, a cruise or to see family and friends. This guide covers the Tourist stream for people who apply from outside Australia.
The details below come from the Department of Home Affairs page for this stream, which was last updated on 1 July 2026. Rules and costs change, so read the official page again before you apply.
Some passport holders can use a simpler option instead: the Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) or the eVisitor (subclass 651). Home Affairs has an "Explore visa options" tool where you can check which one fits your passport.
What you can and can't do
With this visa you can:
- visit family or friends
- travel as a tourist or go on a cruise
- study or train for up to 3 months
You can't work. If your main reason for coming is to study, Home Affairs says a student visa might be more appropriate.
One detail people miss: on a round trip cruise, the days on the ship count as time spent in Australia. A round trip cruise does not reset your stay period.
How long you can stay
The stay period is decided case by case and appears on your visa grant letter. Generally it is 3 months, and in certain circumstances it can be up to 12 months.
Parents and step-parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents may get a visa valid for more than 12 months, with multiple entries. Even then, they can't stay more than 12 months in total in any 18 month period, and they need adequate arrangements for health insurance.
You can't extend this visa. To stay longer you have to apply for a different visa from inside Australia, and only if your current visa doesn't carry condition 8503 (No Further Stay).
Who is eligible
To get this visa you must:
- be outside Australia when you apply and when the decision is made
- intend to come to Australia to visit only
- have, or have access to, enough money to support yourself during your stay
- meet the health and character requirements
- have paid back, or arranged to pay back, any debt to the Australian government
Each family member needs a separate application, including people listed on your passport.
Cost and how to apply
The visa costs from AUD250 per applicant. You might also pay for health checks, police certificates or biometrics.
You lodge the application online through ImmiAccount. Home Affairs asks you to include as much supporting information as possible, including English translations of your documents, and warns that it may decide your application without asking you for more.
If you get the visa, it is linked digitally to your passport and you won't get a label. Check VEVO or your grant letter to see if you have single or multiple entry. With single entry, leaving Australia means you need a new visa to come back.
Health insurance
While you are in Australia you pay all your own healthcare costs. Home Affairs strongly recommends adequate health insurance, and some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia.
Once you are here
If you are visiting family in Melbourne, the Latinhood directory has a few places to start: Chilean food at La Bohemia in Noble Park, or a dance class with Alegria Dance Co in Cheltenham. To see what's on during your trip, check Latinhood events, and for more practical information read the Latinhood guide.
