How to get an Australian Visa as a Malaysian
Australia is a very popular destination for Malaysians, with plenty of people heading there for vacation, to travel for a longer period, for work or even to permanently relocate. But what are the requirements for an Australia visa for Malaysian citizens? Do Malaysians need a visa to Australia - and if so how do you get one?
This guide covers all there is to know about Australian visas for Malaysian citizens - plus we’ll introduce a helpful way to manage your money across currencies - Wise - to keep your costs down when you’re there.
Do Malaysians need a visa to Australia?
If you’re traveling to Australia you will need a visa or an ETA which is an electronic travel authorisation - an alternative to a visa.
There are lots of different visa types for Australia which you can choose depending on your type of travel and how long you’ll stay. If you’re heading to Australia for short term travel or on a business trip, an ETA may suffice - but if you’re working in Australia, or plan to study or relocate for a longer period, you’ll need a full visa to cover your stay.
This guide covers how to apply for an Australian visa in Malaysia, looking at the ETA, visitor visa and working holiday visa to Australia for Malaysian citizens in particular.
Types of visa in Australia
There are many different reasons you might want to travel to Australia - and so there are many different types of visa. The right visa for you will depend on key factors like how long you’ll stay, and what the purpose of your trip is. We’ve included 3 of the most popular visa types here, but you can also use the Australian government’s visa finder tool which lets you input details about your trip to generate ideas about which visas may cover you.
Australia ETA visa Malaysia
An ETA is an alternative to a visa which is linked to your passport. You can not work in Australia with an ETA, but you can go to Australia for leisure or business as many times as you want, for up to one year (or until your passport expires if that’s sooner than one year), and stay up to three months at a time.
You’re eligible to apply for an ETA as long as you have a valid Malaysian passport, and can pass a health check. You must be a genuine visitor who intends to leave Australia at the end of the trip, and you must not have a criminal record. Applications are lodged online, and you may be asked for supporting documents depending on the situation. Apply at least 4 weeks in advance of travel.
Australia visitor visa (subclass 600)
An Australia visitor visa is issued for 3, 6 or 12 months for tourists and business visitors who can prove they have enough money to support them during their stay. With this visa you can not take on paid employment but you can be a business visitor, or you could be a tourist, visit family and friends or go on a cruise.
There are different processes to apply for this visa depending on whether you’re in Australia already, and the specific reason for your trip, but all applications can be started online. Fees apply, and variable processing times which you’re notified of when you apply.
Australia working holiday visa
You can apply for a working holiday visa if you are 18 to 30 years old, and want to work and travel for up to a year in Australia. You can apply for a first working holiday visa and then renew it up to 2 times if you continue to meet the eligibility criteria. This includes doing a fixed amount of work when you’re in the country.
You can not be accompanied by dependent children as part of this visa, and can not apply if you have children under the age of 18.
Australia visa application for Malaysian: process
Generally the process to apply for a visa for Australia as a Malaysian is fairly straightforward. However, because additional documents may be required and processing times can be quite long at peak times, you must lodge your application well in advance, and before you book your travel. The Australian government can’t expedite applications without compelling reasons, so do read the latest processing times carefully so you know when you need to get your application in.
How to apply for an Australian ETA Visa
| Documents required to apply for the ETA Visa |
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You may be able to apply without providing supporting documents. If you’re required to upload supporting documents, you’re likely to be asked for:
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Process to apply for the ETA Visa
Download the Australian ETA app.
Complete the ETA application using the Australian ETA app
Wait for a notification which will inform you if more information is needed
If more information is requested, click on the link in the email “submit an online form through ImmiAccount”.
Create your ImmiAccount and use it to upload images of the documents requested
How to apply for an Australian Visitor Visa
| Documents required to apply for the Visitor Visa |
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Process to apply for the Visitor Visa
Log in or create an ImmiAccount
Complete the visa application and attach documents following the prompts
Pay the application fee
Await a notification of the outcome of your application
How to apply for an Australian Working Holiday Visa
| Documents required to apply for the Working Holiday Visa |
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Process to apply for the Working Holiday Visa
Log in or create an ImmiAccount
Complete the visa application and attach documents following the prompts
Pay the application fee
Await a notification of the outcome of your application
How much is a visa for Australia from Malaysia?
Your visa application will not be considered if you don’t pay the appropriate visa fee when you submit it. Visa fees depend on the type of visa you apply for and its length. Here’s a summary for the visas we have examined in this guide:
| Visitor visa type | Fee |
|---|---|
| ETA | No fee for the visa - a 20 AUD administration fee may apply |
| Visitor visa (subclass 600), apply from outside of Australia | From 195 AUD |
| Working holiday | 650 AUD |
Travelling to Australia? Manage your finances Wisely with just your phone
If you’re planning to travel, move or work in Australia, get a Wise account and card before you go, to manage your money in the Wise app and spend with the mid-market rate and low fees as you travel.
Wise provides a multi-currency account that you can use to send, receive, exchange and hold 40+ currencies. Top up MYR to your Wise account and pay easily in Australia with Google Pay or Apple Pay, or use the Wise debit card to tap and pay or make Chip and PIN transactions. You’ll get the mid-market rate to convert your ringgit to dollars for spending, and the lowest available fees from 0.57%.
Pitfalls to avoid when you apply for a visa for Australia
Applying for a visa to Australia shouldn’t be too tricky but there are a few things which may trip you up if you’re not aware. Here are a couple of tips:
Check the live processing times for your visa class and apply in very good time. You’ll usually need to leave a month or more for even a simple visa request to be processed
Check if you need health or police certificates - these can take time to get and may need to be translated before you can use them
Make sure you pay the full visa fee when you apply
You’ll be notified of your visa outcome by email - look in your spam folder as well as your main inbox to make sure you don’t miss an important message
Summary
There are several different popular Australian visas for Malaysian citizens, but you’ll need to make sure you’re applying for the right one to cover the type of trip you’re taking. All visitors need some sort of visa - even if it’s an ETA which is a visa waiver issued annually to eligible applicants. Processing times can be at least a month so get everything arranged in advance and before you book travel.
While you’re thinking of your next trip overseas, check out Wise for easy, flexible multi-currency accounts supporting AUD, MYR and more - to keep your costs down when you’re there.