Visas and Immigration

Immigration, Visas and Citizenship

Latest news and changes

Are you or your family planning to travel to Australia soon? Take this opportunity to ensure all your
documentation is in order.

Passport
Visa
COVID-19 travel exemption
Australia Travel Declaration

Passport

All travellers need a valid passport or other accepted travel document to enter Australia. Check that your passport
is valid for your planned travel dates. More information is available on the Australian Border Force website.

If you have recently lodged a Citizenship by Descent application, submit a request for urgent processing to the
Bangkok Embassy via the Australian Immigration Enquiry Form.

Visa

    All non-Australians need a visa to travel to Australia. There are different visas depending on your travel purpose and
    length of visit. Make sure you apply for the visa that matches what you want to do in Australia, and that you are eligible
    to apply for that visa. Expired visas are not valid for travel to Australia.

A Visitor visa (subclass 600) lets you visit Australia as a tourist or see/travel with family and friends. Further information
and a link to apply online is available on the Home Affairs website.

For further information on other visa options and to lodge an application refer to the Home Affairs visa finder. You
cannot lodge a paper application.

COVID-19 travel exemption

Australia has COVID-19 travel restrictions currently in place. As well as a visa, you may be required to obtain a
travel exemption, depending on your circumstances. Information is available on the Home Affairs COVID-19 page.

    If you are an Australian citizen, Permanent Resident or hold a Partner (subclasses 100, 309, 801, 820) or Child
    (subclasses 101, 102, 445) visa, you can come to Australia. You do not need to request an exemption. Other exempt
    categories are listed on the Home Affairs COVID-19 page.

If you are an immediate family member of an Australian citizen or permanent resident and hold or are lodging another
visa type, you will need to request an exemption.

If you already hold a visa, lodge your exemption online.

If you don’t hold a visa, lodge your visa application online and submit your travel exemption request. Include proof of
your relationship (see here for more information on how to evidence your relationship).

    Home Affairs will assess your travel exemption request and refer your case to the Australian Embassy in Bangkok for
    urgent processing of your visa if you meet the travel exemption requirements. Home Affairs cannot prioritise your visa
    application until you have lodged and been found to meet the requirements for a travel exemption. As part of this
    process, Home Affairs will also consider a waiver of the biometrics requirement, due to the temporary closure of the
    Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (VFS) in Yangon.

Australian Embassies do not process exemption requests and are unable to respond to enquiries regarding travel
exemption requests.

Australia Travel Declaration

Before you travel to Australia, you should complete the Australia Travel Declaration at least 72 hours before your
departure for Australia.

The Australia Travel Declaration collects your contact details in Australia, flight details, quarantine requirements and
your health status.

This information helps the Australian Government determine your quarantine arrangements and allows the relevant
health departments to contact you if someone you travelled with tests positive for COVID-19.

Submit your travel declaration here.

Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC)
operations in Myanmar

VFS Global has temporarily closed the Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC) in Yangon.

    If you are unable to attend a biometrics appointment, you do not need to notify us. If you are in Myanmar and have
    lodged a visa application and COVID-19 travel exemption request to travel to Australia urgently, the Department of
    Home Affairs will consider waiving the biometrics requirement as part of your exemption request.

Panel doctor operations in Myanmar – health
examinations

Most visa applicants must meet the health requirement. You may be asked to undergo health examinations as part of
your visa application to prove you meet the health requirement. The health requirement cannot be waived.

There is one panel doctor in Myanmar. See here for more information (select Myanmar > Panel physician).

The panel doctor is accepting appointments for urgent travel only. If you meet a COVID-19 exemption or have lodged a
permanent visa application, contact the panel doctor to arrange your health examination appointment.

If you are unable to attend a health appointment, submit a request to the Bangkok Embassy using the Australian
Immigration Enquiry Form.

Quarantine in Australia

All travellers arriving into Australia must quarantine at their port of arrival. You must complete the Australian Travel
Declaration so the state or territory you are arriving into can arrange your quarantine. For more information see here.

Welcome to the website of the Department of Home Affairs at the Australian Embassy in Myanmar. We manage visa and citizenship services for people who are resident in Myanmar

For information on Australian visas, immigration and citizenship, processing times, to lodge an application, or to provide feedback or suggestions, please visit the Home Affairs website.

The information provided here is additional and specific for clients in Myanmar.

Lodging an application

Lodge your application online through ImmiAccount.

If you are unable to lodge an application online, you can use the Assisted Online Form Filling service at the Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC) operated by VFS Global in Myanmar. You can make an appointment at VFS Global. The ABCC will charge a fee for this service.

You cannot lodge a paper application.

Biometrics collection

All applicants in Myanmar must complete biometric (face photograph and fingerprint scan) collection for each application lodged, irrespective of their nationality, unless they are excluded or exempt from the program.

When you lodge your application online, you will be sent a request to provide personal identifiers (biometrics) via email. You should make an appointment to attend the Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC) in person to provide your biometrics. Take a copy of that email and your passport to the appointment.

You must provide your biometrics within 14 days of online lodgement or notify us if unable to do so. If you do not provide your biometrics within this timeframe, your application will be refused.

In Myanmar, VFS Global operates one ABCC in Yangon. The ABCC will charge a service fee for collection of biometrics.

For more information about biometric collection procedures, fees charged, ABCC location, or to book your biometrics appointment, please visit VFS Global.
For more information on meeting our biometrics requirements, please click here.

Visa processing times

Actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances and not all applications can be decided within the stated processing time.

For current global visa processing times, please click here.

Requests for Urgent Processing

If your application is urgent due to compelling or compassionate reasons (for example, a close family member has become ill suddenly in Australia), please submit a Compelling and compassionate request for travel via the Australian Immigration Enquiry Form. Please ensure your request contains supporting documentation or other information (for example, medical certificate). Your application may not be able to be expedited if you do not provide relevant supporting evidence.

We do not consider urgent requests to travel to attend business meetings or where your flight is departing soon as genuine emergencies. We try to process all applications as quickly as we can, however we cannot be held responsible if you have pre-booked your travel and your application is not lodged early enough to allow the processing of your application. Some applications will also require us to undertake further assessments, which may take more time.

Frequently asked questions

We receive a significant amount of correspondence each day. While we aim to respond to communication in a timely manner, please read the information contained in our Frequently asked questions before making contact with us.

If your query is addressed here, in our Frequently asked questions, or on the Home Affairs website, we will not provide a response.

Contact us

We do not provide a visa and citizenship counter service.

Visit the Home Affairs website for further information regarding visas or citizenship. If you are unable to find the information you need on the Home Affairs website, telephone the Global Service Centre.

In Myanmar, VFS Global operates one Australian Biometrics Collection Centre in Yangon. To make an appointment to provide your biometrics or use the Assisted Online Form Filling Service, please visit their website.

If you have an ongoing application outside global processing times, you can complete the Australian immigration enquiry form to the Australian Embassy in Bangkok. If your query is addressed in our Frequently asked questions or on the Home Affairs website we will not provide a response.

Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB)

The Australian Government is committed to protecting Australia's borders, combating people smuggling in our region, and preventing people from risking their lives at sea.

Operation Sovereign Borders is a military-led border security operation that was established in 2013 to deliver on this commitment.

Anyone who attempts an unauthorised boat voyage to Australia will be turned back to their point of departure, returned to their home country or transferred to another country.

No-one who travels illegally to Australia by boat will be allowed to remain in Australia.

People smugglers use false promises of settlement in Australia to convince people to hand over their money. Do not believe their lies. The truth is that no-one who pays a people smuggler for an illegal boat journey to Australia will get what they paid for.

There is only one way to come to Australia — with an Australian visa.

For more information, please click here.

Last updated 22 July 2021