600 Visitor visa (subclass 600)

At a Glance

Item	Details
Visa name	Visitor visa (subclass 600)
Purpose	Tourism, business, or family visits
Stay	Up to 12 months
Cost	From AUD250
Eligibility	Genuine visitor; sufficient funds
Application timing	Stream-dependent location requirements
Work rights	Business stream: no work
Study	Not stated in the source
Medicare	Not stated in the source
Travel facility	Business stream: single or multiple entry
Citizenship	Not stated in the source
Family sponsorship	Sponsored family stream only
Visa record	Not stated in the source
Processing	Guide only; frequent stream unavailable

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Purpose

The Visitor visa has six streams:

• Tourist stream (outside Australia): tourism, cruises, or visiting family and friends.
• Tourist stream (in Australia): tourism, visiting family and friends, or purposes other than business or medical treatment.
• Business visitor stream: short business visits.
• Approved Destination Status stream: organised tours for eligible Chinese citizens.
• Frequent traveller stream: tourism and/or business visitor activities for eligible nationals.
• Sponsored family stream: visiting family members with an eligible family sponsor.

Basic Eligibility

You must:

• Be a genuine visitor.
• Have enough funds to support your stay and leave Australia.

Streams, Stay and Cost

Stream	Stay	Visa application charge
Tourist—outside Australia	Up to 12 months	From AUD250
Tourist—in Australia	Up to 12 months	From AUD630
Business visitor	Up to 3 months	AUD250
Approved Destination Status	Grant-letter period	AUD250
Frequent traveller	Three months per entry	AUD1,845
Sponsored family	Up to 12 months	AUD250

Concessions apply in limited circumstances.

From 1 July 2026, a lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid application. The frequent traveller concession applies to eligible Timor-Leste citizens.

The Visa Pricing Estimator does not include other costs.

Application Location

Stream	When you must be located
Tourist—outside Australia	Outside Australia at application and decision
Tourist—in Australia	In Australia at application and decision
Business visitor	Outside Australia at application and decision
Frequent traveller	Outside Australia at application and decision
Sponsored family	Outside Australia at application and decision

The source does not state an application-location rule for the Approved Destination Status stream.

Rights and Conditions

Tourist Streams

You may visit friends and family, take a cruise or have a holiday.

For the onshore tourist stream, the visa may suit people whose current visa is expiring and who want to stay longer.

Business Visitor Stream

You may make a short visit for business visitor reasons, but you cannot:

• Work in Australia.
• Sell goods or services.

You may be allowed to enter Australia once or multiple times while the visa is valid.

Approved Destination Status Stream

This stream is for citizens of the People's Republic of China, excluding SARs, travelling with an organised tour group arranged by an approved travel agent.

You must remain with the organised tour group.

Frequent Traveller Stream

This stream is for citizens of:

• People's Republic of China
• Brunei
• Cambodia
• Philippines
• Laos
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Vietnam
• Timor-Leste

The visa may be granted for up to 10 years, with stays of up to 3 months each entry.

Sponsored Family Stream

You must be sponsored by an eligible family member who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident.

The Department may ask the sponsor to pay a security bond.

Processing

Use the visa processing time guide tool for an indication of recently decided applications.

Processing times are a guide only and are not specific to an application. Processing times are unavailable for the Frequent Traveller stream.

Important Warnings

• The Department may grant tourist stays of 3, 6 or 12 months.
• Stay periods and visa validity may be determined in the visa grant.
• The Approved Destination Status stream permits stay only for the period or until the date stated in the grant letter.
• Consider whether you may be eligible for a Subclass 601 Electronic Travel Authority or Subclass 651 eVisitor before applying.