Australia entry requirements for travellers from Vietnam
Do Vietnamese citizens need a visa for Australia?
Yes. Vietnamese passport holders must hold a visa before travelling. Vietnam is not on the Electronic Travel Authority list and is not covered by the eVisitor, so visits are made on a Visitor visa (subclass 600), tourist stream.
Vietnam is one of the countries covered by the frequent traveller stream, which can be granted for up to ten years and is aimed at people travelling regularly for tourism or business.
How long can you stay in Australia?
The tourist stream can be granted for three, six or twelve months, at the department’s discretion. Three months is the usual grant for a first application.
The frequent traveller stream limits each visit to three months but the visa itself can run for up to ten years.
Passport validity requirements
Your passport must be valid for the whole of your stay. Australia does not apply a six month validity rule, though airlines and transit countries often do. Tell the department if you renew your passport after the visa is granted.
Proof of funds
You must show that you can support yourself for the visit and pay for your return travel. There is no published minimum. Bank statements covering three to six months, evidence of employment or business ownership, and property records all strengthen an application. A single large deposit made shortly before applying does not.
Where family in Australia are funding the trip, include their income evidence and a letter setting out what they will pay for.
Onward or return travel
A confirmed return ticket is not required to apply, and non refundable bookings before a decision are unwise. Your application should still show when and why you intend to leave.
Applying for your Australian visa
Apply online through ImmiAccount from outside Australia. The tourist stream costs from AUD250.
Prepare your passport biodata page, a photograph, evidence of funds, proof of employment or study, your itinerary, and details of anyone you are visiting in Australia.
Biometrics at an Australian Biometric Collection Centre are normally required. Book as soon as the department asks, because processing pauses until they are received. The frequent traveller stream, at AUD1,845, always requires biometrics.
Health requirements
A health examination may be requested, and is more likely for stays over six months, for applicants who will spend time in healthcare settings, and where tuberculosis screening is indicated. The department issues referral letters if one is needed.
A yellow fever certificate is required only if you have been in a yellow fever risk country in the six days before arriving.
Other entry requirements
Complete the Incoming Passenger Card on the flight. Australian biosecurity is strict, and items most often seized from travellers arriving from Vietnam include dried and fresh seafood, sausage and other meat products, fresh fruit, seeds, herbal medicines and homemade foods. Declare them all.
Cash of AUD10,000 or more, or the dong equivalent, must be declared.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the visitor visa take from Vietnam?
Times vary with demand and the department publishes an indicative guide rather than a guarantee. Apply two to three months before you travel.
What is the ten year visa?
The frequent traveller stream of the Visitor visa (subclass 600), open to Vietnamese citizens. It costs AUD1,845, requires biometrics, and allows three month stays across up to ten years of validity.
Can I work on a visitor visa?
No. Visitor visas do not permit work. Business visitor activities such as meetings and conferences are allowed.
Do I need a sponsor?
Not for the ordinary tourist stream. A separate sponsored family stream exists where an Australian citizen or permanent resident sponsors you and may be asked to pay a security bond.
Do children need their own visa?
Yes, including infants.
What causes most refusals?
Thin financial evidence, an unclear purpose of travel, and little to show you will return. Address each of these directly.