- Home
- About us
- Visas and migration
- Travelling to Australia
- Living in Australia
- High Commission services
- Study in Australia
- Doing business with Australia
- Media
- About Australia
- Events
- Australia-New Zealand relations
Visas and Immigration
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) manages the movement of people into and out of Australia. It administers Australia's migration program, including the granting of permanent residence visas, citizenship, refugee settlement and ethnic affairs. In New Zealand all Immigration and Visa enquiries are handled at the Australian Consulate - General in Auckland where the Department of Immigration and Citizenship has an office.
Click here for a complete list of Frequently Asked Questions.
Opening hours and contact details for the Immigration & Visas section are:
Consulate-General
Level 7, PriceWaterhouseCoopers Tower,
186-194 Quay Street
Private Bag 92023, Auckland, New Zealand
Client Counter Hours - 9:00am - 12noon weekdays & 1:30 - 3:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Please note - that the Immigration/Visa Client Counter is closed on Wednesdays from 12.00 noon.
Client phone hours are 8.30am to 12.30pm, 1.30pm to 4.30pm
Tel: (64 9) 921 8800;
Fax: (64 9) 921 8822
E-mail: immigration.auckland@dfat.gov.au
Please note - Email is the preferred method of contact for the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship at the Australian Consulate - General in Auckland.
We encourage, where possible, that clients use courier facilities to send their applications to our office and to include a self addressed courier bag for the return of the passport.
Electronic Travel Authority Referral
In a small percentage of cases some clients cannot be granted an ETA instantaneously and a 'refer to embassy' message will occur. This is called an ETA referral and does not mean your ETA has been refused. In this situation an Immigration Officer must process you application. This is a straight forward process which the Auckland office undertakes within 3 working days of receiving your referral details and usually within 24 hours.
Note: Clients making firm travel commitments in advance of confirmation of an ETA grant do so at their own risk. Not all referrals can be resolved immediately or within travel deadlines set by you in advance of obtaining your travel authority.
I Have Applied Online at www.eta.immi.gov.au/
If you have applied online directly with Department's website and you receive a 'refer to embassy' message, you will need to either fax or email a scanned copy of the detail page of your passport to our office attention to “ETA referral”. Please ensure you include your email address and phone number.
Fax 09 921 8822
Email: immigration.auckland@dfat.gov.au
Is my ETA still valid?
To check whether you ETA is still valid please visit www.eta.immi.gov.au
Visa Applications
Migration booklets, as well as application forms for all classes of visa, can be downloaded free of charge at the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship website. The booklets can also be purchased from the Consulate at a cost. See www.immi.gov.au
For residence applications - Migration Booklets
For information on temporary residence (work, students, tourists, transit etc) - Temporary
For extra information on student visas - Student Information
Fees for visa applications lodged over the internet, eg Electronic Working Holiday Maker Visa or online Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), must be paid in by credit card in Australian dollars. For more information - Visas and Immigration
Most residence applications and some temporary residence and student applications must be lodged at specific Processing Centres in Australia. Further information on these procedures is given with the relevant visa class on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website. Applications that are to be lodged at overseas posts such as visitors and transits etc., can be lodged at the Australian Consulate - General in Auckland by mail or courier. In these cases you will need to enclose a pre-paid, self-addressed courier pack.
Australian Consulate - General
Level 7, PriceWaterhouseCoopers Tower
186 - 194 Quay Street
(Private Bag 92023)
Auckland
Payment of Fees
The application fees for each type of visa is provided on the Australian immigration Form 990i in Australian Dollars available at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website. See below for current New Zealand dollar charges for visa services.
Alternatively a calculator is provided at the website to convert fees to New Zealand Dollars equivalent amounts. At the converter, select "New Zealand" at the field "Country where application will be lodged" to convert the Australian dollar amount to New Zealand Dollars. Please note that application charges can be changed at any time, so you should check the relevant fee just before you lodge your application.
See: Current New Zealand dollar fees for all visa, migration and citizenship services
Payment for these charges or fees at the Australian Consulate - General, Auckland can only be made in NZ dollars by -
- Bank Cheques (made out to the Australian Trade Commission),
- VISA and Mastercard (Please provide details and expiry date with application)
- Eftpos (at Client Counter only)
- Cash (at Client Counter only)
Transit Visas for Australia
From 1st January 2004 applications for Australian Transit Visas (Class 771) will not be accepted at the Immigration/Visa Client Counter of the office of the Australian Consulate-General, Level 7 PriceWaterhouseCoopers Tower, 186-194 Quay Street, Auckland.
Applications should be sent by courier to our office. A self address courier bag must be enclosed for the return of the passport. Processing can take between 24hours to 10 working days.
See: Application for transit visa for Australia (Form 876)
For More Information
The Australian Government Guide to Visiting Australia is available at the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.
See: Visiting Australia
Guidance on health coverage available to visitors to Australia is available from Medicare Australia and Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
See: Medicare Australia
See: Visiting Australia for medical treatment
Detailed guidance on the Reciprocal Health Care Agreement between Australia and New Zealand is available at the Medicare Australia and Department of Health and Ageing websites.
See: Medicare Australia
See: Department Health and Ageing
The Agreement on Medical Treatment for Temporary Visitors is also available at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
See: Medical Agreement
Under the Trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement (TTTA), New Zealand citizens are able to travel, or can continue to move, to Australia to live and work whether or not they seek to gain a permanent residency visa. The text of the TTTA is Available at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website.
See: Trans Tasman Travel Arrangement.
The DIAC website provides a full range of information on immigration, including fact sheets, application forms and some access to migration booklets.
See: www.immi.gov.au
For more information on Electronic Travel Authorities (ETA), including nominated countries and online application, go to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.
See: www.eta.immi.gov.au