600 Visitor Visa Document Checklist Australia 2026
The Subclass 600 Visitor Visa covers multiple streams for visiting Australia: the Tourist stream (travelling for recreation or sightseeing), the Sponsored Family stream (visiting a family member who is an Australian citizen, PR holder, or eligible NZ citizen), and the Business Visitor stream. It can be applied for online or on paper, from inside or outside Australia.
The core requirement is demonstrating genuine visitor intent — that you will leave Australia before your visa expires and do not intend to work or study. Evidence of strong ties to your home country (employment, property, family, bank accounts) is the most effective way to satisfy this requirement. For the Sponsored Family stream, your sponsoring family member in Australia must also be identified.
Health insurance is not mandatory but strongly recommended — emergency medical care in Australia is expensive and visitor visas do not include Medicare access. Many applications are assessed on a streamlined basis with minimal documentation required, but complex cases (prior refusals, health conditions, limited travel history) need more thorough preparation.
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Common 600 document mistakes to avoid
- Weak evidence of intent to leave — applicants with no clear ties to their home country (no job, no property, no dependants) face higher refusal rates, particularly from countries with historically high overstay rates.
- Sponsored family stream not completing sponsorship correctly — the Australian family member must provide a statutory declaration and evidence of their own status.
- Prior refusals or overstays — any previous Australian visa refusal or overstay must be declared and will significantly increase scrutiny; additional evidence is needed to overcome this history.
- Insufficient financial evidence — bank statements should demonstrate you can fund your trip without working in Australia; consistent account balances over 3+ months are more convincing than a single large deposit.
Identity documents
3 itemsClear colour scan of your current valid passport photo page. Must be valid for the intended period of stay.
Bio-data pages of previous passports, especially any containing Australian visa stamps or previous refusals.
Marriage certificate, deed poll or other official proof if your current name differs from your passport or birth certificate.
Purpose of visit
9 itemsPlanned travel dates, accommodation and activities in Australia.
Confirmed booking showing your departure from Australia before the visa expires.
Signed letter from the family member or friend you are visiting, confirming their address and relationship to you.
Copy of your host's Australian passport, citizenship certificate or permanent residence visa.
Hotel or holiday rental confirmations for the duration of your stay.
Letter from the Australian business or organisation explaining the purpose and duration of your activities.
Letter from your overseas employer confirming your position, the business purpose of your visit and that you will return to your employment.
Letter from the Australian business, conference organiser or government body explaining the nature, purpose and duration of your activities in Australia.
Completed Form 1149 (Sponsorship for a Visitor) if applying under the Sponsored Family Visitor stream. Your Australian sponsor must be an Australian citizen, permanent resident or eligible NZ citizen.
Financial evidence
3 itemsStatements showing sufficient funds to support your stay and return travel, covering at least the last 3 months.
If a family member is funding your trip: signed sponsor declaration and copies of their bank statements and ID.
Policy covering your entire stay in Australia, including medical expenses.
Ties to home country
4 itemsLetter from your employer confirming your position, salary and approved leave, and that you will return to work after your trip.
Business registration, tax returns or financial statements if you are self-employed.
Title deed or rental agreement for your home, demonstrating ties to your country.
Birth certificates or marriage certificate showing immediate family members remaining in your home country.
Travel history
2 itemsStamps or visas in previous passports showing travel history, particularly to comparable countries (UK, US, Canada, NZ, Schengen).
If you have had a previous visa refused to any country, include the refusal letter and a written explanation.
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Answer a few quick questions to get a checklist tailored to your exact situation — only the documents that apply to you. Upload each file, then export a clean ZIP ready to attach.
Build my personalised checklist →Frequently asked questions
What documents do I need for a Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) application?
The Visitor Visa (Subclass 600) typically requires 21 documents across 5 categories: Identity documents, Purpose of visit, Financial evidence, Ties to home country, Travel history. Use the personalised builder above to filter this list to your exact circumstances — it removes items that don't apply based on your profile.
How do I prepare my documents for the Visitor Visa?
Work through each category in the checklist. Scan or photograph every document as a clear colour PDF at 150–200 DPI. The Department of Home Affairs (ImmiAccount) has a 5 MB per-file limit — compress any oversized file using VisaPacks' built-in tool. Combine multi-page documents (e.g. bank statements, payslips) into a single PDF using Merge. VisaPacks automatically renames your files on export, ready to attach to your ImmiAccount lodgement.
Can I prepare my Visitor Visa documents myself without a migration agent?
Yes. Many applicants successfully self-prepare their documents using publicly available Department of Home Affairs guidance. VisaPacks provides a free personalised document checklist and upload tool to help you organise everything correctly. For complex cases — such as those involving previous refusals, health waivers, character issues, or difficult relationship circumstances — consulting a registered migration agent (MARA) may be worthwhile.
What file format should Visitor Visa documents be in?
The Department of Home Affairs accepts PDF, JPG, and PNG files up to 5 MB each. Most documents should be submitted as PDF. Passport photos can be JPG. If a scan exceeds 5 MB, use VisaPacks' built-in PDF compressor to reduce file size while maintaining legibility — it uses three quality levels (screen, standard, or high) so you can choose the right trade-off.
Is this checklist official Department of Home Affairs guidance?
No. This checklist is based on publicly available Department of Home Affairs guidance but is maintained by VisaPacks as a convenience tool only — it is not legal advice and does not replace the assessment of a registered migration agent. Always verify current requirements on the Department of Home Affairs website.
What are the most common mistakes when preparing Visitor Visa documents?
The most common errors are: exceeding the 5 MB per-file ImmiAccount limit without compressing first; omitting certified NAATI translations for non-English documents; submitting uncertified copies when originals or certified copies are required; including documents expiring within 6 months (particularly passports); and forgetting documents for a spouse or dependent children on the same application. VisaPacks addresses all of these — it includes a built-in PDF compressor, auto-naming to a consistent convention, and per-applicant sections for family members included in the application.
How does VisaPacks compare to the Department of Home Affairs checklist tool?
The Department of Home Affairs website shows a static document list for each visa type. VisaPacks goes further: it personalises the list to your circumstances (employment type, relationship status, whether children are included), lets you upload documents against each item, includes built-in PDF compression and merging to meet the 5 MB limit, auto-renames files to a consistent naming convention, and exports a complete ready-to-lodge ZIP. VisaPacks is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Home Affairs.