Do Indians Need an Appointment for an Australia Visa? Online Only

This surprises many Indian travellers who are used to booking VFS slots for Schengen, UK or Canada visas. Australia works differently: the whole file is uploaded, paid for and decided online. The details below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For fees, documents and visa types, see our Australia visa guide for Indians.

Why is there no visa appointment for Australia in India?

Because there is nowhere in the process that needs you in person by default:

• Lodgement is online. You attach scanned documents and pay in ImmiAccount (Home Affairs Visitor visa page).
• No passport submission. The visa is digitally linked to your passport, so nothing is stamped or stuck in.
• No routine biometrics centre in India. VFS Global runs Australian Biometrics Collection Centres in listed countries, and India is not on that list (correct as of March 2026).
• No VFS India page for Australia. The Australian High Commission lists visa application centres only for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal.

If anyone offers to sell you an "Australia visa appointment" in India, ask what exactly they are booking. The official route has no such step.

How do you apply without an appointment?

1. Open ImmiAccount and start a Visitor visa (subclass 600) application in the stream that fits you: Tourist (apply outside Australia), Business Visitor or Sponsored Family.
2. Scan your documents in colour. Multi-page documents go in as one file, and anything not in English needs an English translation with the translator's details.
3. Fill in the form and attach the evidence: passport pages, 3 months of itemised bank statements or other proof of funds, your plans in Australia, and proof of reasons to return, such as an employer letter.
4. Pay AUD 250 online. The application is not processed until the fee is paid. Each family member, including children, applies and pays separately.
5. Watch your ImmiAccount and email for requests for more information, biometrics or health checks.
6. Read the grant letter for your stay period and whether the visa is single or multiple entry. Entries can also be checked in VEVO.

You must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the visa is decided for the Tourist stream applied for outside Australia.

What if Home Affairs asks for biometrics or a health check?

Home Affairs tells you if you need to provide biometrics; it is not a standard step you book in advance. If you are asked, follow the instructions in the request letter exactly, because our record does not hold an India-based collection point for Australian biometrics (Home Affairs biometrics).

Health checks and police certificates work the same way: they are only needed if Home Affairs requests them, and they can add cost and time. For student visas, Home Affairs expects biometrics within 14 days of a request, so act on any request as soon as it arrives.

Who handles Indian applications, and how do you contact them?

The Department of Home Affairs office at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi manages many visa and citizenship services for citizens of India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. Visa and citizenship enquiries go to the helpline on +61 2 6196 0196. There is no state-wise jurisdiction to worry about, because every application is lodged online.

If a migration agent or a relative manages the application for you, the file should include Form 956 (for a migration agent) or Form 956A (for an authorised recipient). Even then, the application is lodged online, and no one needs to visit an office on your behalf.

Is it the same for student and work visas?

None of these has a submission appointment in India. Both ballots charge an AUD 25 registration fee, and MATES registration is done in ImmiAccount with a valid Indian passport and PAN card.

How long will you wait after applying online?

Home Affairs' global guide shows 50% of Tourist stream applications decided in 21 days and 90% in 33 days (all nationalities). Its program report for Indian citizens shows a median of 14 days and 75% within 23 days for tourist visitor visas granted between October and December 2025. In the same quarter, the grant rate for Indian tourist visitor applications was 69.8%, measured as grants as a share of grants plus refusals.

Mistakes that slow down an online application

• Uploading black-and-white or partial scans instead of full colour copies.
• Leaving Hindi, Marathi or other non-English documents untranslated.
• Adding a child to a parent's application; each person must apply separately.
• Booking non-refundable flights before the grant; a verifiable reservation shows your planned dates without that risk.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa files. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for a reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to send my passport anywhere for an Australian visa?

No. The Australian Visitor visa is granted electronically and digitally linked to your passport, with no label. You travel with the same passport you used in the application.

Can Indians get a visa on arrival in Australia?

No. Home Affairs says only New Zealand passport holders can get a visa on arrival. Indian passports are also not eligible for the ETA (subclass 601) or eVisitor (subclass 651).

Can I apply for an Australian tourist visa while I am in Australia?

There is a separate Tourist stream for applying in Australia, which costs AUD 630. The stream most Indians use, applied for outside Australia, costs AUD 250 and requires you to be outside Australia when you apply and when it is decided.

Does the Australian High Commission in New Delhi accept walk-in visa enquiries?

Our record does not show walk-in visa services. Home Affairs directs visa and citizenship enquiries from India to its helpline on +61 2 6196 0196, and applications are lodged online.