How long can Australians stay without a visa? 25 countries compared

How long can Australians stay without a visa?

It depends on the country, from 30 days in Thailand to no limit at all in New Zealand. We checked every country we cover against Smartraveller on 26 October 2026, and against the country’s own immigration site for extensions and fees. Each row carries its date, and the place name links to the full page.

Of the 25 countries, 17 let you in visa-free. Bali and Malaysia give a visa when you land. Cambodia and Vietnam take an eVisa (Cambodia also has a visa on arrival), and Sri Lanka, the UK and the United States want an electronic travel authorisation before you fly. New Zealand gives Australian citizens a resident visa at the airport.

How to read the table

Entry is what your Australian passport gets at the border. Visa-free means you just arrive. A visa on arrival is issued at the airport, sometimes for a fee. An eVisa, an ETA or the US ESTA is applied for online before you fly, on the government’s own site (Smartraveller warns about copycat sites that charge more).

Days allowed is the usual visitor stay. The officer at the border has the final say in every country, and in Ireland, Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and Mauritius the official rules say the officer sets your days on arrival. Check the stamp or the record before you leave the airport.

Extension says whether you can add time without leaving, and where you ask. Where neither Smartraveller nor the official site says, we’ve written “check before you book” rather than guess.

Cost is in the local currency or US dollars, with about A$ at the Reserve Bank’s 12-month average rate. Fees change, so the official site’s figure on the day you apply is the one that counts.

Cities share their country’s row: Penang and Kuala Lumpur follow Malaysia’s rule, Chiang Mai and Hua Hin follow Thailand’s, Da Nang follows Vietnam’s and the Algarve follows Portugal’s.

Schengen’s 90 days in any 180

Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain are all in Europe’s Schengen area. Smartraveller says Australians can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, and the count runs across every Schengen country together. Sixty days in Portugal and thirty in Italy use the whole 90.

The 180 days roll. On any day, look back 180 days and add up the days you spent anywhere in Schengen; the total can’t pass 90. A day leaves the count once it’s more than 180 days old, so after a full 90-day stay you wait about three months before the next one.

The Entry/Exit System (EES) now records your fingerprints, photo and dates at the Schengen border. It’s free, and you don’t do anything before you arrive. ETIAS, a separate pre-travel approval, has no confirmed start date: Smartraveller said so on 26 October 2026 and says the EU will announce it several months ahead. Applications aren’t open, so any site selling one now isn’t official.

Splitting a winter between Schengen and the rest of Europe

Time outside Schengen doesn’t count toward the 90. Cyprus and Ireland are in the EU but outside Schengen, and the UK is outside both. An example, not advice for your trip: 85 days in Portugal and Spain, then 2 months in the UK on an ETA, then 3 weeks in Cyprus. That’s about five and a half months in Europe with the Schengen count at 85. Cyprus has its own limit of 90 days in any 6 months, Ireland gives up to 90 days on arrival, and the UK up to 6 months a visit.

Some Schengen countries have older agreements with Australia that can allow extra time. Our place pages for France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal and Spain say these countries don’t have one, so the 90 days in 180 is the limit there. For Croatia, its embassy can confirm.

Staying longer than a visitor stay

Past the visitor stay you need a long-stay visa, and each place page’s visa section has the details by age and income. A short guide to where each one starts:

• Asia: Thailand has retirement visas from 50, the Philippines the SRRV from 50, and Bali a retirement visa from 55. Malaysia has MM2H, Cambodia an ER retirement extension from 55 and Japan a Long Stay visa of up to a year. Vietnam has no retirement visa, and Sri Lanka’s is closed to new applicants.
• Europe: Portugal has the D7, Spain the non-lucrative visa, Italy elective residence, France a long-stay visitor visa and Greece the FIP permit. Malta has its Retirement Programme, Cyprus the Category F permit and Ireland Stamp 0. Croatia and the UK have no retirement visa.
• The Americas: Mexico has a temporary resident visa, and Costa Rica and Panama have pensionado permits (whether the Age Pension counts is unconfirmed). The United States has no visa for retirees.
• The Pacific and Africa: Fiji has a residence permit on assured income from 45 and Mauritius a 10-year retired permit from 50. In New Zealand, Australian citizens can already live there.

The length of a stay changes things at home too, such as your Pensioner Concession Card after 6 weeks. Our guide to how long pensioners can travel overseas has the table, and retirement visas by age compares the age and money rules.

Questions people ask

Which countries can Australians visit without a visa?

Of the 25 countries we cover, 17 let Australians in visa-free, including Thailand, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, Fiji and every Schengen country. Bali and Malaysia give a visa on arrival, and Vietnam needs an eVisa before you fly. Smartraveller has the rules for every country.

How long can I stay in Thailand as an Australian?

30 days visa-free, for arrivals from 15 September 2026 (it was 60). Thai immigration can extend it once by up to 30 days for 1,900 baht (about A$85). Smartraveller says you may only get 2 visa-free entries a calendar year without a good reason.

How long can I stay in Bali as an Australian?

30 days on a visa on arrival or an e-VOA, which costs 500,000 rupiah (about A$42). You can extend it once by up to 30 days at the immigration office nearest where you’re staying, so 60 days in all. Bali also charges a tourist levy of 150,000 rupiah (about A$13).

Do Australians need a visa for Vietnam?

Yes. Smartraveller says Australians can’t get a visa on arrival, so you apply for an eVisa on the official site, evisa.gov.vn, before you go. It gives up to 90 days and costs US$25 for one entry (about A$36).

Do Australians need an ETA to visit the UK?

Yes. GOV.UK says each traveller needs an electronic travel authorisation, which costs £20 (about A$39) and lasts 2 years or until your passport expires. Each visit can run up to 6 months. Australian-British dual citizens enter on their British passport instead.

When does ETIAS start for Australians?

There is no confirmed date. Smartraveller said on 26 October 2026 that applications aren’t open and the EU will announce the start several months ahead. Until then, a visit to a Schengen country needs only your passport, and the Entry/Exit System records you at the border for free.

What this means for you depends on

• Which passport you travel on. A second passport from the UK, Ireland or an EU country changes the rules, and some countries make dual citizens enter on their other passport.
• What the officer at the border decides on the day.
• Whether you plan to leave and come back in. Thailand limits visa-free entries, and the Schengen count follows you between countries.
• Rule changes after 26 October 2026. Check Smartraveller and the country’s official site, or its embassy, before you book.