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I have a Russian background and about to receive Australian citizenship. To celebrate this I want to go to a long trip around the world!

But want to be prepared in terms of visas and what to do about them.

First stop is USA - and I believe there is a Visa Waiver Program, that allows me to enter freely (to a certain exempt). I will need to check on their website prior if everything is good with my passport - and proceed. Then in the airport I will need to get a stamp, right?

Next stop is Iceland. I am not sure about it... Any hints?

Finally, Europe - starting with Scotland (UK), then France, and finishing up in the Czech Republic. With them - will I need to apply for a visa in the first airport?

Thank you in advance!

molypot
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user1582878
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  • How long are you proposing to spend in each country? Typically as an Australian citizen visa-free entry for tourism allows up to 90 days stay and as a general guide you should be prepared to provide proof of sufficient funds and accommodation, ties to country of residence and a return/onward ticket (plus any relevant visa) when you arrive at the border (this will vary depending on the destination). – Traveller Mar 04 '19 at 09:17
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    Also, note the 90/180 day rule for Schengen countries https://ec.europa.eu/assets/home/visa-calculator/calculator.htm?lang=en – Traveller Mar 04 '19 at 09:23
  • Thank you @Traveller, I am planning to stay in each country for about a week. And probably stay at airbnb hosts - do I need to show airbnb booking confirmations if needed? – user1582878 Mar 04 '19 at 09:31
  • This is too broad: you're asking about how visas work for multiple different countries. Also, the information you're looking for is already widely available: look at Wikipedia to see if you need a visa at all, and then look at the websites of the Australian embassies of the relevant countries to see what you need to apply. – David Richerby Mar 04 '19 at 13:08
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    "Yay! I have Australian citizenship! I'm going to celebrate by travelling pretty much as far from Australia as possible!" ;) – David Richerby Mar 04 '19 at 13:08

4 Answers4

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Your Australian passport will give you visa free short term tourist access to all of the destinations you have mentioned above.

For USA, you need to get an ESTA before you travel and that's about it.

Enjoy to the fullest! And don't forget to keep the documentation handy in case you are required to show proof of your ability to afford the trip and your intention to return.

Hanky Panky
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    For Scotland (UK), the gov.uk site says: **"You can stay in the UK for up to 6 months without a visa.

    However, you should bring the same documents you’d need to apply for a visa, to show to officers at the UK border.

    You may want to apply for a visa if you have a criminal record or you’ve previously been refused entry into the UK."**

     – ypercubeᵀᴹ Mar 04 '19 at 09:20
  • Thank you for the confirmation! So most of the visa stuff will happen on the boarder - during passport control? – user1582878 Mar 04 '19 at 09:32
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    Yes, they will take your passport, see if they are convinced that you are a genuine tourist and don't want to live there illegally, stamp your passport and let you in. That's the theory. In practice it always helps to keep the financial documentation, accommodation bookings and related proofs handy for such interviews. – Hanky Panky Mar 04 '19 at 09:34
  • @user1582878 make sure you get an ESTA, or you wont be allowed to board the flight to the US – BritishSam Mar 04 '19 at 11:38
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Congratulations, your travel world will open up considerably after you receive Australian citizenship.

The following Wikipedia page has a map and a lot of good information: Visa requirements for Australian citizens. Your world will look something like this:

enter image description here

The countries in green you can enter without a visa (note that for the US, you will need an ESTA which is US$14 and is not technically a visa (it is permission to board a plane to the US). For most of the green countries, you walk up to the border control, present your Australian passport, the border guard will ask how long you plan to stay in the country and perhaps what you will do there, and they will (hopefully) let you in. Sometimes you need additional documentation like accommodation details.

For travel to Russia or other countries (for example Cuba or Mongolia) where you can enter more easily with a Russian passport, see I have two passports/nationalities. How do I use them when I travel?.

Greg Hewgill
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    Be aware that those maps on wikipedia tell you about visa requirements, but not advanced authorisation requirements that the governments insist are not Visas. – Peter Green Mar 05 '19 at 02:36
  • @PeterGreen: Except where they are correctly marked as such, like Brazil and India. – Greg Hewgill Mar 05 '19 at 02:37
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    The table says the india and brazil requirements are evisas which have their own color on the map. On the other hand the US and Canada which have advanced authorization requirements their governments insist are not Visas are indicated in green on the map. – Peter Green Mar 05 '19 at 02:41
  • @PeterGreen: Ok, good observation and worthwhile to point out. – Greg Hewgill Mar 05 '19 at 02:42
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First stop is USA - and I believe there is a Visa Waiver Program, that allows me to enter freely (to a certain exempt). I will need to check on their website prior if everything is good with my passport - and proceed. Then in the airport I will need to get a stamp, right?

While this is the truth it is unfortunately not the whole truth. It is true that you probably do not need a Visa (unless you have some history that makes you ineligible for the Visa waiver program or are traveling by private aircraft), but to travel to the US on a commercial air or sea carries you do need an advance authorization known as an ESTA which the US government insists is not a Visa. This is applied for on-line.

Under the visa-waiver program you are limited to 90 days per visit, there is no formal limit on the frequency of visits or their cumulative length, but nevertheless you risk entry denials if you try to spend too much time in the US. Exactly what "too much" means is down to the discretion of the border guards. There are also some special rules designed to prevent people doing "visa runs" to nearby countries.

Canada has a similar system which it calls an ETA.

Next stop is Iceland. I am not sure about it... Any hints?

Iceland is part of the Schengen area, currently you don't need any advance authorization to visit. The Schengen area has plans for an ESTA-like system called etias but hasn't actually introduced it yet.

The Schengen area normally (there are a few exceptions but I haven't looked up if there are any that apply to Australians) limits visitors to 90 days in any 180 day period. Note that this limit applies to the total time spent in all Schengen countries and the days on which you arrive and depart both count.

Finally, Europe - starting with Scotland (UK),

The UK allows you visits of up to 6 months (3 months if you enter through the republic of Ireland) without a Visa or other advance authorization. Similar to the US there is no explicit legal limit on the number of visits or their cumulative length, but spending too much time in the UK can cause you problems with the border guards.

then France, and finishing up in the Czech Republic.

These are both in the Schengen area, so see what I wrote above in the Iceland section.

Peter Green
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Most countries have a service for citizens which will provide basic travel-related information for all other countries in the world. For Australia that is Smartraveller, a service of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

On this site you can enter the name of a country and receive information relevant to Australian citizens, such as:

  • Visa requirements and where to apply
  • Crime and terrorism information
  • In-country travel information (e.g. driving, rail or air travel)
  • Legal and health information
  • Embassy and consulate contact information

You can look up any country on this site to find out quickly this basic information about the country, written expressly for Australian citizens.

Michael Hampton
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