Subclass 600 Visitor Visa Australia: Costs & Eligibility

If you want to visit Australia to see family, travel as a tourist, or attend business meetings, you will most likely need a Visitor visa (subclass 600). This isn’t a one-size-fits-all visa — it has six separate streams, and each has different eligibility rules, evidence requirements and costs.

Tourist stream (apply outside Australia)
Tourist stream (apply in Australia)
Business Visitor stream
Sponsored Family stream
Approved Destination Status stream
Frequent Traveller stream

Choosing the wrong stream, or missing a stream-specific requirement, is one of the most common reasons visitor visa applications run into trouble.

This guide explains all six streams, starting with the situation most readers are in: applying from outside Australia.

If you’re planning your trip now, keep reading before you open your ImmiAccount.

What is the Subclass 600 Visitor Visa?

The Visitor visa (subclass 600) is Australia’s main temporary visa for people who want to come to Australia without working long-term or studying for more than three months.

It isn’t a single visa with one set of rules — it’s actually six separate streams, each designed for a different kind of visit, as set out above.

Depending on your stream and circumstances, you can be granted a stay of 3, 6 or 12 months, and some streams allow multiple entries over a much longer period.

If you hold certain eligible passports, you may not need the Subclass 600 at all — the free eVisitor or low-cost Electronic Travel Authority might cover your trip instead. We cover this in the FAQs below.

Why the stream you choose matters

The Department of Home Affairs assesses each Subclass 600 stream against different criteria, so “close enough” isn’t good enough when you’re choosing which one to apply under.

For example, the Approved Destination Status stream is only available to nationals of the People’s Republic of China travelling as part of an approved tour group — it does not extend to Hong Kong or Macau passport holders.

The Frequent Traveller stream is similarly specific: it’s only open to passport holders from 11 countries — the People’s Republic of China, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Timor-Leste.

If you’re not from one of those countries, that stream simply isn’t an option for you, no matter how strong your application is otherwise. This is why we’ve broken down every stream separately below, rather than treating the Subclass 600 as one generic visa.

Choosing your stream: start here

The sections below follow the same structure the Department of Home Affairs uses on its own Subclass 600 page — including treating the Tourist stream as two separate pathways depending on where you’re applying from, rather than one combined stream.

Each stream below tells you the length of stay, the cost, and exactly what you can and can’t do, so you can compare quickly and work out which one fits your situation. We start with applying from outside Australia, since that’s where most readers are.

How Subclass 600 costs work

Each stream has its own base Visa Application Charge (VAC), and every family member — including children — needs their own separate application and pays their own charge.

Charges are reviewed and can change from time to time, so the exact current amount for each stream below is best checked on the Department’s Visa Pricing Estimator rather than relied on from any written guide, including this one.

Tourist stream (apply outside Australia)

This is the most common Subclass 600 pathway — for people outside Australia planning a holiday, a cruise, or a visit to family and friends who aren’t formally sponsoring the trip.

Length of stay: Most grants are for 3, 6 or 12 months, and many Tourist stream visas also allow multiple entries within that period.

What you can do:

Travel to Australia for tourism, sightseeing, or a cruise
Visit family or friends who aren’t formally sponsoring your visit
Re-enter Australia multiple times, if your visa is granted with multiple entries

What you can’t do:

Work in Australia (condition 8101)
Study for more than three months (condition 8201) without a student visa
Use this pathway if you’re already in Australia — you’d need the onshore Tourist pathway below instead

So what does this mean for you? If you’re planning a straightforward holiday or family visit from overseas and nobody is formally sponsoring you, this is almost certainly your pathway. Genuine visitor (GTE) evidence is what usually makes or breaks the application — we’ve written a full explainer on meeting that requirement here: How to Meet the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Requirements & Avoid a GTE Visa Refusal.

Tourist stream (apply in Australia)

This pathway is for people already in Australia on another visa who want to extend a tourism-purpose stay, rather than applying from overseas.

Length of stay: Up to 12 months, the same overall ceiling as the offshore pathway.

What you can do:

Extend your stay in Australia for tourism, recreation, or to visit family and friends

What you can’t do:

Apply onshore at all if your current visa carries a ’no further stay’ condition — you’d need to leave Australia first
Work in Australia (condition 8101)
Study for more than three months (condition 8201) without a student visa

So what does this mean for you? Check your current grant letter or VEVO before assuming an onshore application is available to you — if a ’no further stay’ condition applies, this pathway simply isn’t open, no matter how strong your case is otherwise.

Business visitor stream

This stream is for short trips to Australia for genuine business purposes — not for taking up employment.

Length of stay: Typically up to three months per visit, decided on a case-by-case basis.

What you can do:

Make general business or employment enquiries
Negotiate, enter into, or review a business contract
Take part in an official government-to-government visit
Attend a conference, trade fair or seminar, as long as you’re not paid by the organisers to attend

What you can’t do:

Work for, or provide services to, an Australian business or organisation
Sell goods or services directly to the public
Take up actual employment in Australia — that needs a different visa altogether

So what does this mean for you? If you’re attending meetings, exploring a deal, or going to a conference, this stream fits. If you’ll actually be paid to work while you’re here, it doesn’t — talk to us about your options instead.

Approved Destination Status (ADS) stream

A niche but important stream: it’s for people in mainland China visiting Australia as part of a tour organised by a Department-approved travel agent.

Length of stay: Matches your organised tour itinerary, as set by your approved travel agent, rather than a fixed period set by the Department.

What you can do:

Take part in sightseeing and related tour activities as a member of an approved group tour

What you can’t do:

Apply for this stream directly — your approved travel agent must arrange it as part of the tour
Use this stream as a Hong Kong or Macau passport holder, or if you’re travelling independently rather than with the approved group

So what does this mean for you? If you’re travelling independently rather than with an approved tour group, this stream isn’t for you — the Tourist stream is the right option instead.

Frequent traveller stream

For people who travel to Australia often for tourism or business visitor activities and want a long-validity, multiple-entry visa instead of reapplying every trip.

Length of stay: Up to 10 years’ overall visa validity, with each individual stay capped at three months per arrival.

What you can do:

Make repeated tourism or business visitor trips to Australia over a period of up to 10 years
Stay up to three months on each arrival, for as many arrivals as the visa allows

What you can’t do:

Use this stream unless you hold an eligible passport — currently the People’s Republic of China, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Laos, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam or Timor-Leste
Stay longer than three months on any single visit, even though the overall visa runs much longer
Work beyond the permitted business visitor activities

So what does this mean for you? If you’re a passport holder from one of the eligible countries and expect to visit Australia multiple times over the coming years, this stream can save you significant time and paperwork compared with applying fresh every trip.

Two more conditions worth knowing about

You’ll see condition 8101 (no work) and condition 8201 (maximum three months’ study) attached to most streams above. Two further conditions are worth understanding on their own, since they’re more about your visa status than your day-to-day activities:

No further stay (condition 8503) — if this is on your visa, you generally can’t apply for most other visas while you’re in Australia, other than in limited circumstances such as a protection visa.
Must not overstay (condition 8531) — you must leave before your visa expires, or future visa applications may be affected.

So what does this mean for you? Read your grant letter carefully once your visa is approved, or check VEVO, so you know exactly which conditions apply to you. If you’re not sure whether a ’no further stay’ condition applies and you’re considering another visa application while in Australia, get advice before you do anything that might put your current visa at risk.

What should you do?

If you’re planning a trip to Australia, don’t wait until the last minute to work out which stream applies to you.

Before you apply, check:

which of the six streams actually matches your situation
whether you’re applying from outside or inside Australia
what evidence you need to show you’re a genuine visitor
whether you need a sponsor, and whether your sponsor is eligible
whether each family member has their own separate application ready
the current visa application charge for your stream, using the Department’s Visa Pricing Estimator

If you’ve already had a visitor visa refused, or you’re unsure whether your ties to home are strong enough on paper, it’s worth getting advice before you reapply. A second refusal can make future applications — for this visa or others — harder.

Can Work Visa Lawyers help?

Yes. Work Visa Lawyers can help you choose the right stream and put together a well-evidenced application.

We can assist with:

working out which Subclass 600 stream fits your situation
preparing Tourist and Sponsored Family stream applications
Business Visitor stream applications for corporate clients and their staff
strengthening genuine temporary entrant evidence after a previous refusal
sponsorship questions for family members wanting to visit Australia
broader family migration strategy if a visit is part of a longer-term plan

A visitor visa application might look simple, but small gaps in evidence are a common reason for refusal. Getting it right the first time avoids delay and disappointment.

Book an appointment

FAQ: Subclass 600 Visitor Visa 2026

Do my partner and children need their own visitor visa, or can they be included on my application?

Each family member needs their own separate Subclass 600 application, including babies and children listed on your passport. The Department of Home Affairs is explicit on this point: you can’t include family members in one application, and each person must submit their own.

In practice, families usually prepare each application at the same time and reference each other’s travel plans, so the applications can be considered together and each fee is paid separately. If a child is travelling without both parents, extra consent documents are often needed — get advice on what applies to your family’s situation.

Should I apply for the Subclass 600, or would the eVisitor or ETA work instead?

If you hold an eligible European passport, the free eVisitor (subclass 651) usually covers short tourism or business trips, letting you visit as often as you like within a 12-month period and stay up to three months each time.

If your passport is eligible for the Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) instead, that option offers the same 12-month, 3-month-per-visit arrangement at a lower cost than the Subclass 600.

If you’re not eligible for either, you need a longer single stay, or you have a criminal conviction to disclose, the Subclass 600 is the visa you need.

Can I work in Australia on a visitor visa?

No. Most Subclass 600 visas carry a ’no work’ condition (condition 8101), meaning you must not work while you’re in Australia.

The Business Visitor stream allows specific activities like meetings, negotiations and conferences, but this is not the same as being employed or paid for your time here.

If you want to work in Australia, you need a different visa altogether — be wary of anyone offering paid ‘under the table’ work on a visitor visa, since it puts your visa and future applications at risk.

How long can I stay in Australia on a Subclass 600 visa?

It depends on your stream and your individual grant. Most Tourist, Sponsored Family and Business Visitor stream visas are granted for 3, 6 or 12 months.

The Frequent Traveller stream can run for up to 10 years overall, but each individual stay within that period is still capped, so it suits people who travel often rather than one long visit.

Can I apply for a Subclass 600 visa if I’m already in Australia?

For the Tourist stream, yes — there’s a separate onshore pathway for people already in Australia who want to extend their stay for tourism, recreation, or to visit family and friends.

However, if your current visa carries a ’no further stay’ condition, you can’t apply onshore at all.

Check your current grant letter or VEVO before assuming an onshore application is available to you.

Do I need travel or health insurance for a Subclass 600 visa?

Insurance isn’t compulsory for every stream, but many applicants arrange it before travelling, and it can help show a case officer that your trip is well planned and that you can cover unexpected costs.

If you’re not sure what level of cover makes sense for your trip and your destination within Australia, raise it with your travel agent or insurer alongside your visa application.

What happens if my visitor visa application is refused?

What happens next depends on exactly why your application didn’t succeed — genuine visitor evidence, financial capacity, health, and character are the most common areas that cause problems.

If you’ve been refused before, get advice before you reapply, so your next application addresses the actual concern rather than repeating the same evidence and risking the same outcome.

How can Work Visa Lawyers help with my Subclass 600 application?

We can help you choose the right stream, prepare strong genuine-visitor and sponsorship evidence, and avoid the common mistakes that lead to refusal. Talk to an Immigration Lawyer to get started.

Disclaimer: This information is general only and does not take into account your personal situation. Australian migration rules and state nomination requirements can change quickly. You should get advice from a registered migration agent or immigration lawyer before making a visa decision.

REFERENCE LIST

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600 — Main Subclass 600 page
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/tourist-stream-overseas — Tourist stream (apply outside Australia)
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/tourist-stream-onshore — Tourist stream (apply in Australia)
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/sponsored-family-stream — Sponsored Family stream overview
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/business-visitor-stream — Business Visitor stream overview
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/approved-destination-stream — Approved Destination Status stream overview
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/frequent-traveller-stream — Frequent Traveller stream
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/fees-and-charges/current-visa-pricing — Current visa pricing table
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/visa-pricing-estimator — Visa Pricing Estimator tool

Visitor Visa -

Subclass 600

What is the Subclass 600 Visitor Visa?

Why the stream you choose matters