Visa requirements for Australian citizens - your best ideas.

[Deleted]

Im just inquiring about Visa requirements for Australian citizens - & im wondering, which country's are the best places to live in. if your on DSP. ( for people on international agreements or with I/P / U/P )

Seeking advice on what are the best, cheapest, to live in, best offs ( best beaches ) ( best nightlife ) ( best value for money ) verses living in country's with the longest visas but maybe a lower standard of living/safety ect ect.



Example ..... Thailand & Philippines, 30 day tourist visa.

= Verses =

Croatia with a 90 day visa & Mexico with a 180 day visa.

Pros & cons!

Australian citizens travelling with an Australian passport normally do not require a visa for entry into most countries, but a number of countries require that Australian citizens obtain a visa prior to arrival while others permit entry with visa on arrival.

According to the "Henley Visa Restrictions Index 2013," holders of an Australian passport can visit 167 countries visa-free or with visa on arrival, and Australia is currently ranked 6th in terms of travel freedom.



Africa

Gambia 90 days
Guinea-Bissau 30-day visa issued upon arrival for XOF 55,000 or EUR 85
Kenya 3 month visa issued upon arrival for US$50
Madagascar 90-day visa issued upon arrival for MGA 140,000; visa obtained prior to arrival strongly recommended
Malawi 90 days
Mauritius 6 months in a year (tourist), 90 days in a year (business)
Mayotte 90 days
Morocco 3 months
Mozambique 30-day visa issued upon arrival for US$25
Namibia 3 months
Nigeria 3 months, Electronic Travel Authorisation required.
Réunion 90 days
Rwanda Electronic Travel Authorisation required.
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha 90 days
Seychelles 1 month
South Africa 90 days
Swaziland 60 days
Tanzania Visa issued upon arrival for USD 50
Tunisia 3 months visa issued upon arrival for TND 3
Uganda 30-day visa can be obtained upon arrival for USD 50
Zimbabwe 3-month holiday/1-month business visa issued upon arrival for USD 30 ~ 55

Americas

Countries and Territories Conditions of access
Anguilla 3 months
Antigua and Barbuda 1 month
Argentina 90 days, US$100 reciprocity fee. This must be applied for prior to travel.
Aruba 3 months
Bahamas 3 months
Barbados 6 months
Belize 1 month, renewable up to 6 months
Bermuda 6 months
Bolivia 30 days
Bonaire 3 months
Brazil 90-day visa must be prearranged.
British Virgin Islands 30 days
Canada 6 months
Cayman Islands 30 days
Chile 90 days; US$95 entry tax
Colombia 90 days;
Costa Rica 90 days
Cuba 30 day Tourist Card must be obtained.
Curaçao 3 months [
Dominica 6 months
Dominican Republic 30-day tourist card issued on arrival USD 10-
Ecuador 90 days
El Salvador 90 days, $10 tourist card required
Falkland Islands 30 days
French Guiana 90 days
Greenland 3 months
Grenada 3 months
Guadeloupe 90 days
Guatemala 90 days
Guyana 90 days
Haiti 3 months
Honduras 3 months
Jamaica visa-free access
Martinique 90 days
Mexico 180 days tourist/30 days business
Montserrat 3 months
Nicaragua 90 days
Panama 30-day Tourist card issued upon arrival USD5- [113][114]
Paraguay 90-day visa granted on arrival to Asuncion airport for US$135. When arriving through other ports of entry, a visa must be prearranged.
Peru 183 days
Puerto Rico 90 days, ESTA available
Saba 3 months
Guadeloupe Saint Barthélemy 90 days
Saint Kitts and Nevis 3 months
Saint Lucia 6 weeks
Guadeloupe Saint Martin 90 days
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 90 days
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1 month
Sint Eustatius 3 months
Sint Maarten 3 months
Suriname 60-day visa issued upon arrival (pre-arranged approval)
Trinidad and Tobago Visa waiver may be issued upon arrival for a fee of 400 TTD
Turks and Caicos Islands 30 days
United States of America 90 days, ESTA available
Uruguay 3 months
U.S. Virgin Islands 90 days, ESTA available
Venezuela 3 months


Asia - East Asia

China Visa-exempt for a stay of up to 72 hours in Beijing
Hong Kong 90 days
Japan 90 days
Macau 30 days
Mongolia Visa must be prearranged. Visa on arrival in exceptional circumstances
North Korea Visa must be prearranged.
South Korea 90 days
Taiwan 30 days

ASEAN

Brunei Darussalam 30-day visa issued on arrival for B$20
Cambodia 30-day visa issued upon arrival at Phnom Penh or Siem Reap International Airports for USD 20/USD 25, via overseas Cambodian embassies, or online. Single visa for Cambodia and Thailand.
Indonesia 30-day visa issued on arrival, or pre-flight or on board to Denpasar and Jakarta International Airports.
Laos 30-day visa issued upon arrival at Wattay and Luang Prabang International Airports, and at the Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge between Nong Khai, Thailand and Vientiane, Laos for USD 30.
Malaysia 3 months
Myanmar Visa issued on arrival only for holders of a Letter of Approval issued by the Ministry of Travel and Tourism.
Philippines 30 days
Singapore 90 days
Timor-Leste (Not a member, but located in South East Asia) 30-90 day visa issued upon arrival for USD 30
Thailand 30 days if entering via airport customs control at Bangkok International Airport. Land border visas are restricted to 15 days. Single visa for Cambodia and Thailand.
Vietnam 1-3 month visa issued on arrival at Tan Son Nhat, Da Nang and Noi Bai International Airports if applied for online.


Central Asia

Countries and Territories Conditions of access
Afghanistan 30-day visa must be prearranged.
Kazakhstan Visa must be prearranged.
Kyrgyzstan 60 days
Tajikistan 45-day visa can issued on arrival.
Turkmenistan Visa must be prearranged.
Uzbekistan Visa must be prearranged.

South Asia

Countries and Territories Conditions of access
Bangladesh 90-day visa issued upon arrival for USD50-
Bhutan 15-day visa issued upon arrival for holders of an application for a tourist visa
India 6 month visa must be prearranged, if not in Possession of OCI/PIO, or if not in possession of a New Zealand passport
Maldives 30-day visa issued upon arrival free of charge
Nepal 15-day, 30-day or 90-day visa issued upon arrival for US$25http://www.immi.gov.np/visa/provisional-visa-arrangement-fee, US$40 or US$100
Pakistan Visa must be prearranged.
Sri Lanka 30 days, Electronic Travel Authorisation required.


West Asia

Countries and Territories Conditions of access
Armenia 21-days for 3,000 AMD, or 120-day for 15,000 AMD (electronic visa, or issued upon arrival)
Azerbaijan 30-day visa must be prearranged. Separate visa required for Nagorno-Karabakh.
Georgia 360 days
Iran 15-day visa issued upon arrival (fee 102 Australian dollars)
Iraq Visa must be prearranged.
Iraqi Kurdistan 15-day visa issued upon arrival free of charge
Israel 3 months
Jordan Visa issued upon arrival for JOD20
Lebanon 1-month visa issued upon arrival (free of charge)
Palestinian territories 3 months (same as Israel)
Syria Visa issued upon arrival
Turkey 3-month e-visa issued upon arrival provided it is applied for prior to departure and a printed e-visa confirmation is presented

GCC

Bahrain 14-day visa issued upon arrival for BHD5; Single visa system for the GCC countries for cruise passengers.
Kuwait 30 day visa issued upon arrival for KWD15 (about AUD50); Single visa system for the GCC countries for cruise passengers.
Oman Visa issued upon arrival: 1 month (OMR 6), 1 year multiple entries stay up to 3-week per visit (OMR 10); Single visa system for the GCC countries for cruise passengers.
Qatar Visa issued upon arrival: 2 (or 3) weeks (QR 100); Single visa system for the GCC countries for cruise passengers.
Saudi Arabia Visa must be prearranged. Single visa system for the GCC countries for cruise passengers.
United Arab Emirates 30 days; Single visa system for the GCC countries for cruise passengers.
Yemen (Not member, but located on the Arabian Peninsula) Visa must be prearranged.


Europe

Austria 3 months in a half year
Belgium 3 months in a half year
Bulgaria 3 months in a half year
Cyprus 3 months in a half year
Czech Republic 3 months in a half year
Denmark 3 months in a half year
Estonia 3 months in a half year
Finland 3 months in a half year
France 3 months in a half year
Germany 3 months in a half year
Gibraltar 6 months
Greece 3 months in a half year
Hungary 3 months in a half year
Ireland 3 months in a half year
Italy 3 months in a half year
Latvia 3 months in a half year
Lithuania 3 months in a half year
Luxembourg 3 months in a half year
Malta 3 months in a half year
Netherlands 3 months in a half year
Poland 3 months in a half year
Portugal 3 months in a half year
Romania 3 months in a half year
Slovakia 3 months in a half year
Slovenia 3 months in a half year
Spain 3 months in a half year
Sweden 3 months in a half year
United Kingdom 6 months, or 3 months if arriving directly from the Irish Republic
Albania 90 days
Andorra 3 months in a half year (same as France and Spain)
Belarus Visa must be prearranged.
Bosnia and Herzegovina 90 days
Croatia 90 days
Faroe Islands 90 days
Guernsey 6 months
Iceland 90 days
Isle of Man 6 months
Jersey 6 months
Kosovo 90 days
Liechtenstein 90 days
Macedonia 90 days
Moldova Visa must be prearranged.
Monaco 90 days
Montenegro 90 days
Norway 90 days
Russia 30-day visa must be prearranged.
San Marino 90 days
Serbia 90 days
Switzerland 90 days
Ukraine 90-day visa must be prearranged
Vatican City 90 days


Oceania


American Samoa 30 days
Australia Right of abode
Cook Islands 31 days
Fiji 6 months [
French Polynesia 90 days
Guam 90 days, ESTA available
Kiribati 28 days
Marshall Islands 30 days
Micronesia, Federated States of 30 days
Nauru 30-day visa issued on arrival (free of charge)
New Caledonia 90 days
New Zealand Unrestricted residence and employment rights under Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement
Niue 30 days
Norfolk Island 30-day visa issued upon arrival
Northern Mariana Islands 90 days, ESTA available
Palau 30-day visa issued upon arrival (free of charge)
Papua New Guinea 60-day visa issued upon arrival for PGK100 (tourist), PGK500 (business)
Pitcairn Islands 14 days
Samoa 60 days, free visitor permit issued upon arrival
Solomon Islands 3 months
Tokelau Free cruising permit can be obtain in Apia, Samoa
Tonga 31-day visa issued upon arrival (free of charge)
Tuvalu 1-month visa issued upon arrival (free of charge)
Vanuatu 30 days
Wallis and Futuna 90 days



Feel fee to add your thoughts/ideas' & experiences.

Cheers.

[tarana]

I'm going to have a good look through this post today, but I wanted to add that if you go to Cambodia you can get a 30 day business Visa on arrival for $25 USD. Then extend it for 12 months each year and not have to leave the country or do any border runs. You can stay permanently.

I've got more to add about other countries visas etc which I'll do later

[Banjo]

Thailand supply a visa exemption, not a visa on arrival.
This cannot be renewed in the country and a genuine visa is required to spend serious time there.

Most of the visas on the list are for temporary stays, useful for getting a feel of the country but you cannot live there on them. A more serious search is required to determine the type of visa you need to live there and how difficult it is to get it.

Cambodia is indeed an easy country to live in, I have a good friend of 75 moved there last year, the problem there though is that if you come down with anything more serious than the more simple illnesses or injuries then the hospital system is very ordinary.
A member lived there for years quite happily but as soon as he got sick moved to Thailand with what turned out to be considerable inconvenience.

Considering the age and health situation of many of us I think we need to look at a number of issues rather than the ease of the visa system.

[maca84]

Best IMO is thailand with a 1 year retirement visa for 55yrs older.

www.thaiembassy.com/retire/retire.php

[tablet]

I think your starting at the wrong point. You have to enjoy living where ever your going to live.
Just because a country gives you easy access to stay, doesn't mean it's a good place to spend time.
And everyone has different experiences for the same country.

I think the best thing for you to do is to work your way through the list, and visit each country on their minimum
Visa entry's, and decide for your self which place you like the best.
Then get back to us on any reccomendations.

As for good nightlife. A good night for me is sleep without barking dogs, barking Chinese in the next room, no
mosquitoes coming through the broken window of my $3 a night room, etc etc.

1960

[tarana]

Still gotta look through the list, but I'd like to know what countries on our international social security agreement list, are the easiest to immigrate permanently to? As you all know, I'm on carer payment and my spouse is on dsp, so am trying to figure out where we can live where I'm still eligible for carer payment.
we are both Aussie citizens, parents were Aussie aswell, we have no ties here in oz and are wanting a fresh start. My spouse has severe mental illness and we have no family or friends here in oz.
I know Asia would be best for him, but I can't take my carer payment with me unless we live in an agreement country....so that's what I'm trying to work out right now.

[Banjo]

I doubt you would qualify for an agreement country if you had no family or other ties there.

www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/centrelink/international-social-security-agreements

What you may like consider is that you could possibly live on a single pension in certain countries where the cost of living is lower.
Check real estate/rental prices in counrties like Indonesia and Thailand online then work out what it would cost you to live on top of that.
Remember that you have to personally maintain Australian residency to qualify for portability of the Age pension further down the track.

[mick]

If I was to enter Thailand with a tourist visa and just keep renewing it when needed. Would someone still rent me a place to live longer term and is there much availability? Like in Chang Mai?

[Banjo]

You could live there for a while on tourist visas, which you need to leave the country to renew, but I believe the Thai embassy's will only issue a certain number of repeats before refusing now.
You would need to check this.

There's no reason you couldn't rent a place on a tourist visa, landlords world wide are fairly obliging to people with money.

Basically availability varies, as does price, the further from the tourists crowds you get the more you get for less... the crime rate drops to practically zero as well.
The problem is that the cheaper places are rarely advertised in English, if at all. You need to find a temporary accommodation in a place you like and then shop around.
I'd look at the smaller cities/towns as well like the Mekong River ports, the less tourist orientated beach towns further south (not too far south) or in the mountains of the north.

www.chiangmaihouse.com/

[Deleted]

Just come back from one of my several visits to Bali Denpasar International Airport.
The Visa On Arrival for 30 days has been US$25 for quite a while.
This can be paid in any other currency, they just give you the change in local currency.
They have stopped the on board or pre pay the VOA

[Deleted]

Oct 6, 2013 9:32:05 GMT 7 tablet said:

I think your starting at the wrong point. You have to enjoy living where ever your going to live.
Just because a country gives you easy access to stay, doesn't mean it's a good place to spend time.
And everyone has different experiences for the same country.

I think the best thing for you to do is to work your way through the list, and visit each country on their minimum
Visa entry's, and decide for your self which place you like the best.
Then get back to us on any reccomendations.

As for good nightlife. A good night for me is sleep without barking dogs, barking Chinese in the next room, no
mosquitoes coming through the broken window of my $3 a night room, etc etc.

1960

Sure i agree with a lot off what your saying there 1960. But i guess id rather start in a country like mexico or N.Z that allows me to stay there for longer' on the one visa, & still remain qualified for my DSP.

Also ..... As you have said .... each persons experience will differ.

& in my case .... well im still in my early 30's. ..... So for me' going to Mexico for a year ... then china, Thailand, the U.K ect ect & just backpacking my way around the world for the next few years, is a very real option. So a longer visa is a good thing.

But going back an forth from Oz & a south east Asian nation just coz i have to keep renewing my visa, does not sound like so much fun.

But then again, living in Barbados for 6 months, or Bermuda for 6 months, Fiji ect ect does not sound so bad. ( wouldn't you say )
Maybe one can extend the 6 month visa in Barbados or Fiji & live there longer .... ( i don't no ) but i sure would like to find out.

That's why im hoping you all can point me in the right direction. (( all inside knowledge & tips are welcome ))

& as you said 1960 ... one needs to enjoy the place they intend to live ... But i guess where im coming from is, ..... im sure there are many places, we all would enjoy living for many different reasons.

& not having to sort out a new visa every 30 days or so, is a big part of the enjoyment for me.


a 180 days on a tourist visa, or a one year visa that allows me to live on a Mexican or Caribbean beach' or on an island in the south pacific. like Fiji or New Zealands' cook islands. drinking beer & iced tea' pina colada ect ect ... eating lobster & steak ect ect, in a beach shack overlooking the pacific ocean.

Then as the sun sets ... getting drunk on jello shots & shots of jagermeister & sambuca, ... Cement Mixers , ... Duck Farts, ... Flaming Dr. Pepper, ... Kamikaze, ... Liquid Cocaine, ... Peppermint Patty, ... Slippery Nipples, ... Smurf Piss, ... Snakebite, ... Southern Blues, ... Tequila Slammer, ... Three Wise Men. ect ect.

& then when traveling from one country to another year after year get boring & getting drunk & spending my nights with female backpackers,  & Driving through Europe & hanging out in bars & seeing the sights of city's like Paris, Madrid & London with mates from around the world gets boring ... ill start looking for somewhere to live long term.

& then the Visa issue will become a bigger issue for me sure.

But as long as iv still got some lead left in my old pencil .... Then i don't think i need to look at settling down with a young thing from Asia for another 30-40 years ..... retirement age is a long way of for me yet.


Do you Know what i mean 1960.

However ... since iv not traveled on my own b4 ... i may go to Thailand or Philippines love it & not leave for the next 40 years.

& that's why i really need yours & everybody's advice & input ....  so i can plan this stuff out based on the best places to start my travels as the longer the visa allows me to stay in any particular country .... the more money ill be able to spend on traveling around & less on Airfairs back an forth.


Or .... at-least that's the way i see it, based on my limited experience.

So from my point of view any & all advice is welcome ....

Now thats the long answer 1960.

The short answer is ... there are so many country's worth living in, how to pick one over another.

Maybe i just find a boat & sail around the world with a few 18 year old, female backpackers from Europe.

Cheers 1960 / mate.

[Deleted]

Oct 6, 2013 7:47:59 GMT 7 maca84 said:

Best IMO is thailand with a 1 year retirement visa for 55yrs older.

www.thaiembassy.com/retire/retire.php

Sound ok, ... what about for people who are under 55.

Its like another 25 years till im 55.

but it sounds good for those who are over 55. i understand why Pensioners like Thailand & the Philippines ect ect.

Have you lived in Thailand or anywhere else mate. For how long ect ect.

Cheers Maca.

[Banjo]

You be surprised how quickly you go through the $$ in party mode anywhere in the world.
I'd say check out some of the more third world back packer destinations, Vientiane, Phnom Penh, Mindoro, maybe Myanmar now it's opening up.
I think you'll find that the 18 year old backpackers usually hang with their own age group so I wouldn't get your hopes up there.

[Deleted]

Oct 6, 2013 9:32:05 GMT 7 tablet said:

I think the best thing for you to do is to work your way through the list, and visit each country on their minimum
Visa entry's, and decide for your self which place you like the best.
Then get back to us on any reccomendations.

As for good nightlife. A good night for me is sleep without barking dogs, barking Chinese in the next room, no
mosquitoes coming through the broken window of my $3 a night room, etc etc.

1960

yhe true that.

I plan to see as many country's as i can over several years. ( if i get my way with C/L )

& ill tell all alright.

As i said in my earlier post, the big issue is where to go first, based on the length of visa entry, ... Cost/value verse Aussie dollar. ect ect ...  ( A$ is high against the u.s $ & euro now ) but it wont be always. So i should go to Europe & Americas first right. As Asia will always be cheap. I don't wanna go through asia for a year or two on I/P, & watch the A$ fall to 45c against the U.S$ & Euro & miss the opportunity to travel Europe & the America's with a high Aussie dollar.


So i think i need to break it all down into a list, based on the pro's.

- length of visa.

- value of Australian exchange rate verses the country i wanna visit.

- value of Australian exchange rate verses the country i wanna visit, if the Aussie $ falls below 80c, 60c, 40c against the $U.S

- Cost of living, food, rent ect ect for comparative countries. Asia/Europe.

- How many country's border said country, & can i travel through them without visa's or not. ( N.Z ... zero nations border N.Z )
What about country's like Spain, Burma, Ghana, Puru, ... Ect ect.

Lets face it ....... the last thing i or anybody wants to do, is jump onto the 1st plane out of Australia & end up in the middle of a war or even worse .... end up in North Korea or something.

Right. ( i duno )

[Deleted]

Oct 6, 2013 10:14:43 GMT 7 tarana said:

Still gotta look through the list, but I'd like to know what countries on our international social security agreement list, are the easiest to immigrate permanently to?

Yhe .... i know right.

I posted this tread coz i was hopping that the rest of you all knew the answer, & could point me in the right direction.

Well im sure we can all work it out together, in time.