Currency in Australia
Australian Dollars ($AUD) is the primary currency used in Australia Visit XE Currency Converter for daily exchange/conversion rates from other currencies.
Electricity in Australia – voltage and frequency
All power sockets in Australia provide a standard voltage of 230V with a standard frequency of 50Hz.You can use all your equipment in Australia if the outlet voltage in your own country is between 220V-240V. This is the case in most of Europe, Australia, the United Kingdom and most countries in Africa and Asia. If the standard voltage in your country is in the range of 100V-127V (which is most common in the US, Canada and countries in South America) you might need a voltage converter in Australia. The standard frequency in Australia is 50Hz. If this frequency differs from the frequency used in your home country, please use caution when plugging in your devices. Check the small print on the device to see if the device can handle the frequency. Please note we regularly check our electricity information with the International Electrotechnical Committee (IEC) Small print on the device or power adapter indicates what voltages the device can work with. If you see 100-240V 50/60Hz printed, the adapter is rated to work on all voltages used worldwide. Please note that power plug adapters only convert plug types and do not convert voltages.
Visas
Visa options:
Participants, attendees and speakers that will not be working, performing or otherwise be paid to contribute at the event may be eligible to apply for the following visa options:
Visitor (subclass 600) Business stream visa. For more information see:
Electronic Travel Authority- ETA (subclass 601). For eligible passport holders and more information see:
eVisitor (subclass 651) Business stream visa. For eligible passport holders and more information see:
NB: Eligibility for an eVisitor visa and ETA will be determined by the country of passport that the applicant holds.
Any attendees, speakers and exhibitors that will be working, or otherwise be paid to contribute at the event may be eligible to apply for one of the following visa options:
Temporary Activity (subclass 408) Invited participant visa (where there is an inviting Australian organisation). For more information see below.
Please note that a the letter of support from an Australian organisation is a legislative requirement for the Temporary Activity (subclass 408) Invited participant visa.
Temporary Work (subclass 400) Short Stay Specialist visa (where there is no inviting Australian organisation). For more information see:
NB: Exhibitors working at an event which targets a specific industry, and which does not involve selling goods or services directly to the public, may also be eligible for the Visitor visa options provided above.
NB: These are the visa options available presently but the Department reserves the right to change regulations.
Biometrics:
Visa applicants outside of Australia will need to provide biometrics when they apply for a visa that is part of the Australian biometrics program, or where they are from a country, or located in a country at time of application that is part of the Australian biometrics program.
For information regarding Australia’s biometric program including visas and countries that are part of the program, please see:
Health and Character Requirements:
Most visa applicants must meet minimum health standards before they can be granted a visa, and the department may assess your health as part of the visa application process. This is referred to as ‘meeting the health requirement’. We may assess your health as part of the visa application process. For more information regarding health requirements please see:
Applicants must be of good character to visa Australia, and must meet the character requirements in order to be granted a visa. For further information regarding character requirements please see:
Visa Application Process and Processing Times:
Visa applications are assessed on a case-
- whether the applicant has lodged a complete application, including all necessary supporting documents and paid associated visa application charges
- how promptly the applicant responds to any requests for additional information
- how long it takes to perform required checks on the supporting information provided
- how long it takes to receive information from external agencies, particularly in relation to health, character, and national security requirements when the application is lodged taking the current global visa processing times into account
Processing times are impacted each month by cases that are complex, changes to volume of applications and changes to Ministerial Directions. More information about visa processing times please see:
For this reason, we would advise that visa applications be lodged at least 4 to 6 weeks prior to a person’s intended date of travel.
Visitor (subclass 600) Business visa applicants should include as much information as possible to support their visa applications see:
In addition, visa applicants should include the following information:
- evidence of any international travel outside of their own country (for example, copies of visas and passport pages containing entry and departure stamps)
- information and evidence of attendance at similar events of this type/nature.
Travellers should familiarise themselves with Australia’s border and entry requirements. For further information, see ‘Entering and leaving Australia’ at: