Quick Facts

All visitors to Australia require a visa — only New Zealand nationals are exempt.

Visa application forms are available from Australian embassies, travel agents or the website of the department of Immigration & Multicultural & Indigenous Affairs. Please note that there are several different types of visas. Be sure to arrange for the one most relevant to your travel status and plans.

View visa requirements from the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs

The unit of money is the Australian Dollar (AU), made up of 100 cents.

Credit cards are accepted in major hotels as well as shopping malls. 24-hour automated teller machines (ATMs) are widely available.

Here are the most recent exchange rates for some common currencies.

AUD 1.00 equals:

A 10% Goods and Services Tax applies to most purchases.

This tax is refundable to visitors with purchases in excess of AUD 300 per store, made within 60 days before departing Australia. Multiple purchases from the same store - even on separate invoices - may also be eligible for a tax refund.

A Tourist Refund Scheme App is available for download here, which allows visitors to pre-load their items which have GST to be claimed and also enables a scanning option for check-in at the airport.

Purchases are eligible for refunds if:

• They are purchased in the 60 days before you leave Australia
• Your purchases from any single business total AUD 300 (GST inclusive) or more
• You, the passenger, paid for the goods
• You have the original tax invoice for the goods
• You wear or carry the goods (unless they are liquids, gels or aerosols, which the airline require to be checked in) as hand luggage aboard the aircraft, ship them as you leave Australia, or check them in with your luggage after they have been verified by an officer at the Client Services counter 

Please call 1300 363 263 or visit www.customs.gov.au for further information.

Tipping is not compulsory. However, it is acceptable to give a gratuity for good service.

Bank Hours
9.30am - 4pm, Monday through Thursday
9.30am - 5pm, Friday

Office Hours
9am - 5.30pm, Monday through Friday

Shop Hours
9am - 5.30pm, Monday through Wednesday and Friday
9am - 9pm, Thursday
9am - 5pm, Saturday and Sunday

Healthcare in Australia follows Western traditions with advanced medical resources widely available. However, we do recommend that all travellers be in good health prior to undertaking any strenuous travel.

Drinking water from the tap is safe throughout Australia. Bottled drinking water is also available in every hotel room.

Australia is known to be casual in its approach to dressing. However, light suits and dresses are appropriate for business meetings.

Sydney has an oceanic climate with warm summers and mild winters. Rainfall is spread evenly throughout the year.

Expect temperatures ranging from 18 C to 30 C (65 F – 86 F) during the warmer months (October - March), and between 12 C and 25 C (50 F – 63 F) during the cooler months (April - September).