Visa Information

Invitation Letters

IGARSS 2013 offers two different kinds of official letters. For accepted authors who have not yet registered, but need an official document proving the status of the paper, there is the Official Acceptance Letter. After registration becomes available online, persons who have registered and paid the complete registration fee may request an Official Invitation Letter, which shows proof of regsitration.

Official Acceptance Letter: Click Here to request an official accepance letter. This is available only to authors of accepted IGARSS 2013 papers.

Official Invitation Letter: Click Here to request an official invitation letter. This is available only to persons who have completed registration and payment to IGARSS 2013.

Visa Details

Please note that all travellers to Australia must have a valid visa before boarding their plane. Travellers to Australia cannot apply for a visa on arrival, with the exception of New Zealand and Norfolk Island passport holders, who will be issued a visa on arrival in Australia.

All international participants should review the following information carefully. There are currently three possible visa options and the appropriate visa to apply for will depend on the country of passport.

We strongly advise all participants to apply for a visa at least 8 weeks in advance of their intended date of travel.

1. eVisitor

Delegates with passports and a working email address (to communicate with the department) from any of the following EU or European ETA-eligible countries or locations can apply for an eVisitor visa:

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Vatican City.

You can apply online free of charge at: www.immi.gov.au

NB: in some cases, applicants applying for online visas are referred to an Australian visa office for additional processing.

These visas are label-free and provide a stay of up to three months in Australia within a 12 month period. eVisitor visa holders are permitted to attend events and to partake in general tourism activities.

2. Business (Short Validity) ETA (subclass 977)

Symposium participants with passports from any of the following ETA-eligible countries or locations can apply for a Business (Short Validity) Electronic Travel Authority (ETA):

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brunei*, Canada*, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (SAR)*, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan*, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia*, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino*, Singapore*, South Korea*, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (resident and applying from Taipei)*, United Kingdom - British Citizen, USA, Vatican City.

All passport holders from countries above can apply at participating airlines, travel agents, or an Australian visa office overseas. See the visa directory for an office near you. The ETA can also be applied for through many travel agencies, although they may choose to impose a fee to travellers for this service.

Passport holders from countries marked with (*) can apply online at: www.eta.immi.gov.au. A service charge of AUD$20 applies to online applications.

NB: in some cases, applicants applying for online visas are referred to an Australian visa office for additional processing.

These visas are label-free and provide a stay of up to three months in Australia within a 12 month period. ETA visa holders are permitted to attend events and to partake in general tourism activities.

3. Business (Short Stay) visa (subclass 456)

If you do not hold a passport from one of the above EU or ETA-eligible countries, you will need to apply for a Business (Short Stay) visa at the closest Australian visa office to their current place of residence.

You will require the following for your application:

A visa application charge of AUD$105 will apply.

Subclass 456 visa holders are permitted to attend events and to partake in general tourism activities. Subclass 456 visa holders are also advised to note any visa conditions as may be stipulated on their visa label.

Relevant Websites

Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC): www.immi.gov.au

There is a wealth of helpful information on DIAC's website about Australian missions overseas, how to apply for visas and further information on visa applications; customs clearance, quarantine regulations, health issues, arrival and departure and more.

World Index: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/overseas.htm

The DIAC World Index provides a list of all Australian immigration offices outside of Australia by country and by city. The information is regularly updated and includes:

DIAC highly recommends that all intending visitors to Australia access the website http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/. This site contains comprehensive information including:

The text is available in French, German, Indonesian and Spanish, as well as English. This site also contains links to other useful internet sites, such as health insurance information on the Department of Health and Ageing website as well as and Customs (ACS) and Quarantine (AQIS) services.