Australia visaSubclass 600Australia Visitor visa (subclass 600) for Indian passport holders
The Visitor visa (subclass 600) covers tourism, visiting family and business visitor activities. Home Affairs charges AUD 250 from 1 July 2026, decides half of Tourist stream applications within 21 days and 90 percent within 33 days, and grants stays of three, six or twelve months per visit on an electronic visa linked to your passport.
7 min read Verified 29 October 2026 against immi.homeaffairs.gov.au · How we verify
Australia visitor visa: quick answers
- Who needs an Australian visitor visa?
- Every Indian passport holder, for any visit. The Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) and eVisitor (651) are not open to Indian citizens, so you apply for the subclass 600 in ImmiAccount before travelling. Transit through Australia for up to 72 hours needs the Transit visa (subclass 771) unless you hold a visitor visa.
- What does it cost?
- AUD 250 per applicant for the Tourist, Business Visitor and Sponsored Family streams lodged from outside Australia, from 1 July 2026. Children pay the same. The fee is paid by card in ImmiAccount and is not refunded on refusal; biometrics collected at a VFS Australian Biometrics Collection Centre in India carry a separate service charge.
- How long does it take from India?
- Home Affairs' global processing figures published on 29 September 2026 show 50 percent of Tourist stream applications decided in 21 days and 90 percent in 33 days. Applications that need health checks, biometrics or additional documents take longer, and April to June and November to December are the busiest months for Indian lodgements.
At a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Visa | Visitor visa (subclass 600): Tourist, Business Visitor or Sponsored Family stream |
| Government fee | AUD 250 per person (from 1 July 2026) |
| Biometrics | Collected for most Indian applicants at a VFS Australian Biometrics Collection Centre; separate service fee |
| Validity | Usually 12 months to enter; up to 3 years for frequent travellers with good history |
| Stay per entry | 3, 6 or 12 months, decided at grant |
| Processing | 50 percent in 21 days, 90 percent in 33 days (Home Affairs, 29 Sep 2026) |
| Where to apply | Online in ImmiAccount; no paper lodgement for Indian applicants |
| Conditions | No work; study up to 3 months; condition 8503 (no further stay) may be imposed |
Who qualifies for a subclass 600 visitor visa
The decision turns on the genuine temporary entrant criterion: the officer must be satisfied you intend a temporary stay, have enough money for the trip, meet health and character requirements and will comply with the conditions. Home Affairs weighs your personal circumstances in India (employment, business, property, family), your immigration history in Australia and elsewhere, the purpose of the trip and whether your financial position supports it.
The Tourist stream covers holidays and visiting family or friends; the Business Visitor stream covers meetings, conferences and negotiations where you are not paid by an Australian entity; the Sponsored Family stream lets an eligible relative in Australia sponsor the visit and may require a security bond of AUD 5,000 to 15,000. Parents of Australian citizens and permanent residents can also use the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) for stays of three or five years at a much higher fee.
Health checks are required for stays over six months, for visits to hospitals or childcare, and for applicants with certain medical histories; Indian applicants are increasingly asked for biometrics after lodgement, which pauses processing until the appointment is done. Condition 8503 (no further stay) is commonly imposed on visitors with weak ties, which prevents applying for most other visas while in Australia.
Fees and what they cover
| Item | AUD | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor visa (subclass 600), Tourist stream, outside Australia | 250 | Per person; children pay the same |
| Business Visitor stream | 250 | Meetings, conferences, negotiations; no paid work |
| Sponsored Family stream | 250 | Australian sponsor; security bond of AUD 5,000 to 15,000 may be requested |
| Tourist stream, applying in Australia | 630 | Plus AUD 700 subsequent temporary application charge where it applies |
| Transit visa (subclass 771) | Nil | Up to 72 hours in transit |
| Biometrics collection | VFS service fee | Charged by the collection centre, not Home Affairs |
Visa application charges are set each 1 July. The 2026 rise took the visitor fee from AUD 200 to AUD 250. Health examinations with a Bupa-approved panel physician in India and translations are paid separately.
How the application runs, step by step
- 1
Create an ImmiAccount and complete the subclass 600 form
Each traveller has their own application; choose the Tourist stream unless an Australian relative is sponsoring the visit.
- 2
Attach documents and pay AUD 250
Passport, photograph, funds, employment or business evidence, itinerary or invitation, and ties to India, uploaded as PDFs or JPGs.
- 3
Give biometrics if requested
Home Affairs sends a request letter; book a VFS Australian Biometrics Collection Centre in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Pune, Chandigarh, Jalandhar or Kochi within the deadline.
- 4
Respond to any request for information
Health examination referrals and document requests arrive in ImmiAccount with a 28-day deadline.
- 5
Receive the grant notice
The visa is electronic and linked to the passport; check the stay period, validity and conditions on the grant letter and in VEVO before booking non-refundable travel.
Timeline for an Indian applicant
| Stage | Typical time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Documents gathered | 1 to 2 weeks | Six months of statements, employer letter, ITRs, bookings or invitation |
| Lodgement to biometrics | 1 to 2 weeks | Book the collection centre as soon as the request arrives |
| Decision | 21 days for half of applications; 33 days for 90 percent | Longer if health checks are referred |
| Grant to travel | Same day | Electronic visa; carry the grant letter |
Six to eight weeks before travel is a comfortable filing window for a straightforward file; apply earlier for the December peak and for visits that will exceed six months and need a health examination.
At the border and during the stay
Australian Border Force checks the visa electronically; Indian passport holders cannot yet use SmartGates on arrival at every airport, so allow time for the manual queue. The stay period runs from each entry. Working is not permitted; a short course of up to three months is allowed. Overstaying by even a day creates a bar on future visas and should be avoided by applying onshore for a further visitor visa (AUD 630) before the current stay ends, unless condition 8503 applies.
A visitor with a good history can be granted a longer-validity visa on the next application. Applications to switch to a student or partner visa from inside Australia are possible only without condition 8503 and attract the subsequent temporary application charge.
Document checklist: identity
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Passport valid for the stay | Bio-data page scan; previous passports showing travel history |
| Passport-style photograph | Recent, plain background, 35 x 45 mm |
| National identity document | Aadhaar or PAN card as supporting identity |
Purpose
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Itinerary or invitation letter | Hotel bookings or a letter from the relative with their citizenship or visa grant and address evidence |
| Business visitor evidence | Invitation from the Australian company and a letter from your employer stating purpose and who pays |
| Return travel plan | A reservation is enough; do not buy non-refundable tickets before the grant |
Funds
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Bank statements for six months | Salary credits visible; sudden large deposits need a documented source |
| Income tax returns | Two years of ITR-V or Form 16; business owners add GST returns |
| Sponsor's funds where someone else pays | Their statements, employment evidence and a signed letter |
Ties to India
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Employer letter with approved leave | Designation, salary, start date, leave dates and confirmation of the job on return |
| Business registration | GST certificate, incorporation documents and business statements |
| Family and property | Marriage and birth certificates of dependants in India, property documents, fixed deposits |
Why applications on this route get refused, and the fix
Genuine temporary entrant not satisfied
The officer was not satisfied you would leave Australia: limited ties, an open-ended visit, or family in Australia combined with little to return to.
The fix. Rebuild the file around a dated purpose and the ties: approved leave, business evidence, property, dependants; keep the requested stay realistic and the itinerary specific.
Insufficient or unexplained funds
Statements showed recent lump sums or a balance that could not support the trip at the stated cost.
The fix. Show six months of statements with the source of every large credit and match the trip cost to your income and savings.
Inconsistent or unverifiable documents
An employer letter that could not be verified, mismatched dates between the itinerary and the form, or a document found to be altered, which triggers public interest criterion 4020 and a three-year bar.
The fix. Submit only genuine documents with working contact details for the issuer, check every date across the file, and declare anything that might look inconsistent.
Immigration history
Previous overstaying, cancellation or refusal in Australia or another country not declared on the form.
The fix. Declare all refusals and visa cancellations with the letters and a short factual explanation of what has changed.
Health requirement
A health examination was referred and not completed within the deadline, or a condition was assessed as likely to cost the Australian health system significantly.
The fix. Book the panel physician promptly after a referral; for long visits plan the health examination before lodging.
Official sources
Australia visitor visa questions
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