What the Australia visitor visa is
The Visitor visa, subclass 600, is Australia's tourism and visiting visa and the one most people from Thailand apply for. It has two streams that matter here.
The tourist stream covers holidays, sightseeing, study tours and visiting friends and relatives. Grants of 3, 6 or 12 months are possible, decided by the case officer, and most first time applicants receive 3 months. The sponsored family stream is for visiting a family member who is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, where your relative acts as your formal sponsor and may be asked to lodge a security bond.
The application charge is AUD 250 following the fee increase of 1 July 2026. There is no interview for most visitor applications; the decision is made on the documents.
You cannot work in Australia on this visa. Two other categories come up: the Working Holiday visa, subclass 462, for Thai nationals aged 18 to 30, which has a limited annual quota for Thailand and requires an English test result of IELTS 4.5 or above plus a qualification at diploma level or higher; and the Student visa, subclass 500, which needs a Confirmation of Enrolment first. Tell us if you need either and we will quote separately.
Who needs one
- Thai nationals travelling to Australia for any purpose. Thai passports are not eligible for an ETA or eVisitor, so a full visitor visa is required.
- Foreigners living in Thailand whose nationality is not eligible for an ETA or eVisitor. The eligibility follows your passport, not your Thai residence.
- Anyone visiting family who are Australian citizens or permanent residents, where the sponsored family stream may be the better fit.
- Business owners with a registered, trading company in Thailand.
- Families travelling together, where marriage and birth certificates form part of the file.
Documents required
Australia asks for more detail than most countries. The case officer wants to see your finances over time, your employment in context, and a travel plan that fits both. All of it is documentary, which means it is a matter of gathering the right papers, presenting them in the right form, and making sure they agree with each other.
Everyone
- Valid passport.
- National ID card.
- Passport sized photograph.
- Bank statements covering the last 3 months.
- Bank certificate, if available.
- Payslips and proof of assets, if available.
- Flight reservation. You do not need to buy the ticket outright.
- A travel plan for the trip.
Proof of occupation
- Employees. Employment certificate stating your position and start date, with an approved leave letter and a return to work date.
- Business owners. Business registration certificate and evidence the company is trading.
- Students. Student enrolment certificate.
- Retired applicants. Pension or investment income evidence.
- No standard certificate available. A written explanation of your occupation and income. We prepare this with you.
Additional
- Invitation letter from your host in Australia, with a copy of their passport or proof of their immigration status.
- Marriage certificate, if travelling with your spouse.
- Child's birth certificate, if travelling with a child.
- Documentation of your commitments in Thailand: property, family, an operating business, ongoing studies.
- For foreign residents of Thailand, your Thai visa, work or business evidence and lease.
Financial requirements
Australia publishes no minimum. What matters is that the funds are genuinely yours, that their history is visible, and that they comfortably cover the itinerary you have submitted.
Officers read the pattern, not just the closing balance, which is why three months of statements is asked for rather than a single certificate. A recent large deposit is fine when it is documented, and we tell you exactly what will evidence where it came from.
Where your income is from a business or is otherwise less conventional, a bank balance on its own does not explain it, and the file needs to make the income legible rather than leaving the officer to infer it. That presentation is part of what we do.
A relative in Australia funding your trip is a real asset when their invitation and status are properly documented. Under the sponsored family stream a security bond may be required, and we will compare the two streams for your situation.
What this costs
- Our fee: 4,500 THB. This covers document preparation, the application, your host briefed where relevant, lodgement and follow up through to the decision, including any request for further information.
- Visa application charge: AUD 250, paid separately.
- Security bond, where one is required under the sponsored family stream, is set case by case.
How we help
You are not buying information, you are buying execution. We work out which stream fits your situation, then go through everything you have and give you one list built for your circumstances instead of the full checklist, telling you precisely what to obtain and from where. Gathering the right document once is quicker than being asked for it later. We complete the application, prepare your financial evidence so the source of your funds is clear on the page, obtain the employment and leave documents in the form Home Affairs expects, and build a travel plan that matches your flight reservation and your budget, because the itinerary and the funds have to agree and we build them together rather than separately. We write the statement explaining your purpose and your connections to Thailand, and where a host in Australia is involved we deal with them directly on the invitation and status evidence. Then we lodge and pay, monitor the file, and prepare and submit any request for further information or biometrics inside the deadline. Since there is no interview, a request for more information is an opportunity, and we treat it as one. When the visa is granted we explain the stay period you received and the conditions attached.
FAQ
1. How long will I be allowed to stay?
The case officer decides between 3, 6 and 12 months, and most first time applicants from Thailand receive 3 months. We will discuss what length to request based on your actual travel plans, so the request and the itinerary support each other.
2. How much money should I show?
There is no published minimum. What matters is that the funds are genuinely yours, that their history is visible, and that they comfortably cover the itinerary. Send us your statements and we will tell you what else would round out the picture.
3. Do I need travel insurance?
It is not mandatory for the subclass 600 in the way it is for Schengen, though health insurance may be required in specific cases, particularly for older applicants or longer stays. We will tell you if your case is one, and we recommend holding it regardless.
4. Do I have to buy my flights first?
No. A reservation is what is required at application stage. Wait for the grant before purchasing.
5. Is there an interview?
Usually not. Decisions are made on the documents. Occasionally further information is requested, and we prepare that response for you.
6. My sister is an Australian citizen. Does that help?
It can, through the sponsored family stream, where she formally sponsors your visit and accepts responsibility for you. A security bond may be required. We compare the tourist stream and the sponsored family stream for your situation and recommend the one that suits you.
7. How long does the decision take?
Processing times vary by season. Applying two to three months before your intended travel gives comfortable room, and we work backwards from your dates when we plan the case.
8. I was refused before. Can I apply again?
Yes. Send us the refusal notice, which states the criterion that was not met. We build the new file specifically around evidencing that point, which is what makes the second application different from the first.
9. Can I work in Australia on a visitor visa?
No. It is for tourism and visiting only. The Working Holiday visa 462 is the route for Thai nationals aged 18 to 30, with its own quota, English and education requirements.
10. I am a foreigner living in Thailand. Can I apply from here?
Yes, with legal long stay status. Your Thai visa, employment or business, lease and local financial history all form part of the evidence explaining your base in Thailand.
11. What if I do not have every document on the list?
Very few applicants do, and several items are marked "if available" for that reason. Tell us what you have and we will work out what is genuinely needed for your circumstances and what can be evidenced another way.
12. My work is freelance and I have no employment certificate.
Common, and not a problem. A written explanation of your occupation and income is accepted, usually alongside business or financial supporter documents. We prepare it.
Australia is a documentary process, and documentary processes reward preparation. Send us what you have and we will confirm what is needed for your case.
