Australian visa ETA
May 27, 2011 12:50 AM Subscribe
I have a visa and passport question regarding entry into Australia. Are there any Aussies/travelers who have been there recently able to answer this?
I'm a Canadian citizen currently residing in Tokyo. I've booked tickets to go to Australia in early June for a family wedding. I'm in the process of attempting to receive my ETA (Eletronic Travel Authority) at the moment (a fairly straightforward process).
When speaking with the staff at the Australian Consular's Office in Tokyo, I informed her that my Canadian passport expires in August.
She told me that the ETA will essentially allow me to board the flight to Australia, but that since my passport expires within 6 months of the trip, it will be at the discretion of the Australian Immigration agent whether or not I am allowed into the country.
She seemed to indicate that I should be OK, but that I attempt entry into Australia at my own risk.
I've scoured online for Australian travel advisories and the like, and none mention this 6 month rule.
Is anyone aware of this? What are my options in this case? It will take too long for me to even attempt to have a new Canadian passport processed from Tokyo.
I will be travelling with my wife and 18-month-old daughter. Should I roll the dice and attempt to enter Australia? I just can't seem to find any solid confirmation on the rules in this case.
I'm a Canadian citizen currently residing in Tokyo. I've booked tickets to go to Australia in early June for a family wedding. I'm in the process of attempting to receive my ETA (Eletronic Travel Authority) at the moment (a fairly straightforward process).
When speaking with the staff at the Australian Consular's Office in Tokyo, I informed her that my Canadian passport expires in August.
She told me that the ETA will essentially allow me to board the flight to Australia, but that since my passport expires within 6 months of the trip, it will be at the discretion of the Australian Immigration agent whether or not I am allowed into the country.
She seemed to indicate that I should be OK, but that I attempt entry into Australia at my own risk.
I've scoured online for Australian travel advisories and the like, and none mention this 6 month rule.
Is anyone aware of this? What are my options in this case? It will take too long for me to even attempt to have a new Canadian passport processed from Tokyo.
I will be travelling with my wife and 18-month-old daughter. Should I roll the dice and attempt to enter Australia? I just can't seem to find any solid confirmation on the rules in this case.
She seemed to indicate that I should be OK, but that I attempt entry into Australia at my own risk. I've scoured online for Australian travel advisories and the like, and none mention this 6 month rule.
This is par-for-course for lots of countries - I'm not even sure it's a firm rule, just something that a lot of countries do. I'm an Australian resident in the UK and ran into it when returning from a holiday. (Visa expires in 3 months, yes I have a renewal in process ...)
There's little you can do. There's a lot of discretion down to individual immigration officers. Make sure you have your return ticket on hand and any other documentation that might convince. You were advised correctly - you should be OK but no guarantees.
posted by outlier at 1:28 AM on May 27, 2011
This is par-for-course for lots of countries - I'm not even sure it's a firm rule, just something that a lot of countries do. I'm an Australian resident in the UK and ran into it when returning from a holiday. (Visa expires in 3 months, yes I have a renewal in process ...)
There's little you can do. There's a lot of discretion down to individual immigration officers. Make sure you have your return ticket on hand and any other documentation that might convince. You were advised correctly - you should be OK but no guarantees.
posted by outlier at 1:28 AM on May 27, 2011
A decade old anecdote from you, make of it what you will. I'm Australian. My then boyfriend was English, but also had an Aussie passport, with citizenship. We were living in the UK but moving back to Australia. Without thinking, he entered the country on his English passport. There was much excitement at Australian customs on our arrival and we got sternly whisked into a small room by some very pissed off custom officials. Apparently he'd entered the contry with less than 6 months on his English passport. It was very tense for a while there. What they were planning on doing was putting him on the next plane back to where he came from.
When we explained he was an Australian citizen, and showed that passport, everything was ok - on his end. Apparently the issue was that the airline should never have allowed him on the plane in the first place with an out of date UK passport and as a result, the airline got fined many thousands of dollars. The fact that he ended up having another passport was merely fortunate for him. If it hadn't been for that, and the airline had done their job, he'd never even have got on the plane.
posted by Jubey at 1:47 AM on May 27, 2011
When we explained he was an Australian citizen, and showed that passport, everything was ok - on his end. Apparently the issue was that the airline should never have allowed him on the plane in the first place with an out of date UK passport and as a result, the airline got fined many thousands of dollars. The fact that he ended up having another passport was merely fortunate for him. If it hadn't been for that, and the airline had done their job, he'd never even have got on the plane.
posted by Jubey at 1:47 AM on May 27, 2011
For you. A decade old anecdote for you. Sorry. Also, things may have changed since then, so this is just my experience.
posted by Jubey at 2:51 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by Jubey at 2:51 AM on May 27, 2011
Australia doesn't have a minimum validity requirement for passports for entry (e.g. see UK Foreign Office advice. Many countries in the region do, so if you were planning stopovers, you need to check those. I think you will be ok if you are coming for a family wedding, a brief stay and have tickets out.
posted by AnnaRat at 4:59 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by AnnaRat at 4:59 AM on May 27, 2011
Not sure what your official status is in Japan, but you might also want to double-check that you're square for getting back into Japan with a soon-to-expire passport.
posted by Pseudonaut at 7:52 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by Pseudonaut at 7:52 AM on May 27, 2011
Have you contacted your Canadian consulate in Tokyo? They may be able to help you expedite a passport renewal or otherwise help you travel smoothly.
posted by andrewraff at 9:29 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by andrewraff at 9:29 AM on May 27, 2011
When flying through Australia and New Zealand a few years ago on a US passport, the thing that the airline cared about was whether or not I had a return or ongoing ticket booked. I can't speak to your issue specifically, but I would think that having a return ticket booked for a short while later would help your cause.
posted by Phredward at 11:24 AM on May 27, 2011
posted by Phredward at 11:24 AM on May 27, 2011
My husband entered Australia on a Swedish passport with only three months remaining on it last year. There were no questions asked. But he has Australian permanent residence, so that may have helped.
posted by lollusc at 6:26 PM on May 27, 2011
posted by lollusc at 6:26 PM on May 27, 2011
I agree with andrewraff - look into getting an expedited passport renewal. I couldn't think of anything worse than flying for hours and hours and then being sent back because of a technicality or the whim of some customs officer who's having a bad day. It's better to be safe than sorry, and all that.
posted by Diag at 8:14 PM on May 27, 2011
posted by Diag at 8:14 PM on May 27, 2011
Contact these guys: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/visa-enquiries/eta.htm
From that page, in Tokyo:
posted by vidur at 6:01 PM on May 28, 2011
From that page, in Tokyo:
Telephone: 81 3 5232 4111You may have already spoken with them telephonically. I'd recommend sending them your query on email, and carrying a print-out of their response (assuming it is the same response they gave you verbally) with you when traveling to Australia. If they respond differently in writing, then just follow their instructions.
Fax: 81 3 5232 4173
Email: immigration.tokyo@dfat.gov.au
posted by vidur at 6:01 PM on May 28, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
You need to ensure that your passport has adequate validity to meet the entry requirements of the countries you intend to visit (or transit). Some countries require travellers to have at least six months validity remaining on their passports beyond the period of intended stay, and immigration authorities may refuse entry if you arrive with less than this. Airlines and passenger shipping lines may refuse to carry you if your passport has inadequate validity.
Before travel you should contact the Embassy, High Commission or Consular representative of all the countries you will be travelling to, or seek advice from your travel agent, to identify each country’s passport validity requirements. If you are unsure, it is safest to renew your passport prior to travelling.
That's from the Aussie Dept of Foreign Affairs site regarding Aussies travelling overseas, but contacting the Embassy sounds like good advice.
Hang on. Here's some contact details for the Canadian High Commission in Australia:
Web: http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/australia/
Email: enqserv@dfait-maeci.gc.ca
I'd email them and explain and cross my fingers for a favourable answer.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 1:15 AM on May 27, 2011