Australia – General info

Australia – General information

With an area of 7,682,300 square kilometres, Australia is the sixth largest country in the world and thus about 21 times the size of Germany. The country is roughly divided into two climatic zones: the northern half (roughly on the Brisbane–Alice Springs line) is located in the tropics, the southern half in the temperate climate.

Australia now has around 27.2 million inhabitants (as of 2026) – the population has thus grown significantly in recent decades and continues to grow, mainly due to immigration.

Australia is surrounded by the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is about 350 km away from Asia and about 13,000 km from South America. Life expectancy today averages around 83–84 years, one of the highest values in the world. Colloquial language is English.

Australia has long since become an established long-haul destination for Europeans. With modern long-haul aircraft, the route from Europe can now usually be covered with only one stopover and in around 20-24 hours total travel time; in some cases, even non-stop connections between Europe and Australia are now offered.

Australia is a country of stark contrasts – from the adventurous, arid interior to the (sub-)tropical rainforest in the north. There are miles of deserted sandy beaches with a pleasantly temperate ocean, as well as world-class cities and small, dreamy towns in the outback.

National holiday: 26 January (Australia Day). The holiday is not without controversy in society, as it commemorates the arrival of the “First Fleet” in 1788 and is perceived by many indigenous Australians as the beginning of expulsion and oppression; in recent years, there have been repeated debates about a possible postponement of the date.

Time zones: Australia has three time zones, from west to east CET +7, +8.5 and +9 hours (not taking into account daylight saving time regulations, which are handled differently depending on the state – Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland do not have daylight saving time).

Currency: Australian dollar (A$ or AUD) = 100 cents. Benchmark exchange rate (fluctuates daily): 1 euro ≈ 1.60–1.65 A$. Card payment is standard almost everywhere in Australia, even for small amounts; cash is needed less and less often.

Politics: Australia is a federal state and parliamentary monarchy in the Commonwealth. The six states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria and Tasmania; in addition, there are the two territories Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory (seat of the capital Canberra).

Population: Of Australia’s approximately 27.2 million inhabitants, the vast majority (over 85%) live in coastal areas or large cities; more than two-thirds of the continent is extremely sparsely populated. The population is ethnically diverse: In addition to descendants of British and Irish immigrants (still the largest group), the proportion of immigrants and descendants from Asia (especially China, India) and other regions of the world has grown continuously in recent decades – today around half of Australians have at least one foreign-born parent.

The indigenous people of Australia, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, made up around 3.8% of the total population (just under 1 million people) in the last census. More on this in a separate chapter below.

Australia – Entry and Visa

German, Austrian and Swiss nationals cannot enter Australia without a visa – a visa or electronic entry permit must be applied for for each stay before travelling, entry without a valid permit is not possible.

For most tourists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the eVisitor (Subclass 651) is the appropriate and at the same time free option: It entitles you to any number of entries within a validity of 12 months with a maximum stay of three months per visit and is applied for directly online via the Australian Department of Home Affairs. The processing usually takes a few days. Alternatively, there is the ETA (Electronic Travel Authority, Subclass 601), which offers comparable authorizations in terms of content, but is applied for via the official “Australian ETA” app and is associated with a small service fee (as of last time around A$20).

Important: The application should only be made via the official channels (homeaffairs.gov.au or the official ETA app). Numerous commercial third-party websites charge significantly excessive fees of 50 to 150 euros for the same service – the eVisitor itself is free of charge for EU citizens.

Other requirements: The passport must be valid upon entry, proof of onward travel (return or connecting flight ticket) is usually expected, and international health insurance is strongly recommended. For air transits of more than 8 hours, a transit visa may also be required. All entry requirements are subject to change at short notice – before travelling, travellers should check the current requirements directly via the official portal of the Australian government.

Australia – Climate

Tropical zone The tropical zone is the closest zone to the equator and extends to the Tropic of Capricorn. In summer, hot and humid temperatures prevail with monsoon-like rainfall, and in winter uniformly warm temperatures.

A distinction is made between the wet season (November to April) and the dry season (May to October). In the rainy season, there is heavy rainfall, which can cause rivers to burst their banks and cause large-scale flooding. Tropical cyclones often form in this context. Many roads become impassable during this time – Australians then speak of “floodways”, through which entire villages can be temporarily cut off from the outside world.

On the coasts in the north of the country, the temperatures seem more bearable due to the south-east trade winds than in the humid interior.

Subtropics The subtropics extend in a narrow strip along the coastal areas of Queensland and Western Australia. The temperatures are more pleasant here, but the influence of the hot and humid tropical climate remains noticeable all year round.

Continental climate The continental climate characterises the centre of the continent. In the summer months, it is extremely hot during the day, the winters are mild to warm, although the nights can also be frosty. Rain is rare inland, but then often falls briefly and violently – in such cases, rivers can swell quickly and metres high. The rainwater usually seeps away as quickly as it came, whereupon new vegetation sprouts quickly.

Temperate zone In the south of the country, where most of the population lives, there are predominantly hot summers and mild winters. In the evening, a fresh wind often blows from Antarctic regions – known as the “Southerly Buster” in Sydney or the “Fremantle Doctor” in Perth.

Australia – Fauna

Due to Australia’s isolated location, some endemic archetypes of fauna have been preserved. There are many rare animals in Australia.

The best-known animals are the kangaroos (called “roos” for short). There are about 45 species of these; they belong to the genus of marsupials. The kangaroo species, which vary in size, have adapted optimally to the most adverse living conditions. In all species, the young animals are born as embryos: The young, which are only 3–8 cm tall and incompletely developed, are fed on a teat in the mother’s breast pouch for about eight months. The kangaroo is the heraldic animal on the coat of arms of the Commonwealth, along with the emu. The smallest kangaroos are the kangaroo rats with a size of only about 23 cm, the largest are the “red giant kangaroos”, which grow up to 2 m tall and can jump up to 10 m. A separate group are the wallabies (45 cm to 1.20 m in size) and the tree kangaroos living in trees. Kangaroos are best observed in the wild at dawn and dusk, often on campsites in national parks.

Caution is advised when driving at night outside of cities, as kangaroos are attracted to headlights and often collide with vehicles – the same applies to grazing cattle. Many Australian vehicles are therefore equipped with so-called roo-bars as additional ram protection.

Despite its appearance, the koala is not a bear, but a marsupial and is one of Australia’s best-known and most popular animals. The word “koala” comes from an Aboriginal language and means “no water” – koalas drink very little and doze most of the day in eucalyptus trees, whose leaves are their preferred food source, which is said to be slightly narcotic. The koala population is now officially considered endangered in large parts of eastern Australia (including New South Wales, Queensland, ACT), among other things due to habitat loss, bushfires and the chlamydia infection, which affects a significant proportion of the populations and can lead to blindness or infertility.

The wombat is also a marsupial. The animals, which live mainly in the southeast and parts of western Australia, grow up to 1 m long and are not always welcome by farmers because of their intensive digging activity.

The Tasmanian devil, also a marsupial and carnivore, looks like a small black dog and now lives only wild in Tasmania; its populations are threatened by a contagious facial tumour disease (Devil Facial Tumour Disease), against which extensive protection programs are underway.

Possums (couscus and possums relatives) are small marsupials that in many species live predominantly in trees; because of their strong reproduction and herbivorism, they are considered a plague in some regions. Other small marsupials such as the nocturnal numbat are hardly found in the wild and, like many other small animals, are considered highly endangered – especially by introduced predators such as cats and foxes.

The flightless emu, Australia’s second heraldic animal, resembles the African ostrich. The fast-running birds grow up to 1.60 m tall and live mainly in the dry savannahs of Australia; the male takes over the rearing of the emu’s young.

Unique in the animal world is the platypus. The very shy animals are found in rivers and lakes of eastern Australia, on Tasmania and on Kangaroo Island. Characteristic are the duck-like beak, the webbed feet on the claws and the dense, seal-like fur.

The dingo, Australia’s wild dog, was probably introduced several thousand years ago by the ancestors of the Aborigines. It cannot bark and is usually shy, but is occasionally observed at campsites rummaging through waste. The famous “dingo fence” – one of the longest fences in the world at around 5,600 km – is intended to protect sheep farming in South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland from dingoes.

Australia’s reptiles include two species of crocodiles: the smaller Australian crocodile (freshwater crocodile), which lives in inland waters, and the much larger saltwater crocodile, which occurs in swamps and estuaries on the north coast, can grow up to six meters long and can be dangerous to humans. The numerous lizard species include geckos, skinks, agamas and monitor lizards, including the giant monitor lizard (perentia). The Australian fauna also includes over 100 species of venomous snakes, the most dangerous of which are the northern taipan and the death viper; other venomous snake species include tiger viper, copperhead and black viper.

The colourful Australian bird life is unique. The kookaburra, with its unmistakable, laugh-like call, is usually remembered by visitors for a long time. The lyrebird is known as an excellent voice imitator. Over 300 parrot species – including budgies and numerous cockatoo species – populate even urban tree populations in large flocks; the black cockatoo is rather rare, but with a little luck it can also be observed in the wild. In addition, there is a great variety of waterfowl, pelicans and swans in the coastal regions as well as birds of prey such as buzzards, falcons and eagles inland.

Of particular note is Australia’s fantastic underwater world. Diving and snorkelling safaris on the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo Reef (Western Australia) are a great way to experience the enormous diversity of fish – although the condition of the Great Barrier Reef has come under increasing pressure from repeated coral bleaching events as a result of climate change in recent years. The most well-known freshwater and edible fish is the barramundi, a perch that occurs in several species. Several species of whales are native to southern waters, and seal colonies are found on the islands of the Bass Strait and Tasmania. Australian waters are also home to around 70 species of sharks, as well as lungfish, which are sometimes referred to as “living fossils” because they breathe through lungs rather than gills. Penguins and seals inhabit the coasts of Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania. There is also a great diversity of insects, spiders and earthworms, including flies, beetles, butterflies, bees and ants.

The giant termites found in northern Australia build huge termite mounds up to six meters high. Earthworms occur in great diversity, especially the giant worms of Victoria. Many Australian spider species are poisonous, including the well-known funnel-web spiders and red-backed spiders.

Australia – Flora

On the Australian continent, there is independent, distinct vegetation with around 20,000 different plant species. More than 90 percent of the species recorded here are endemic, i.e. they only occur in Australia worldwide.

In the tropical north, there are extensive rainforests with lianas and ferns, and mangrove forests grow along the coasts, whose swamps provide a habitat for countless plant species; the special features of the rainforest also include a wide variety of orchid species.

Large eucalyptus forests are particularly widespread: there are well over 700 known species of eucalyptus (Gumtree). One of the hardest woods in the world is provided by the Jarrah eucalyptus in Western Australia. Other species, such as the Swamp Gum in Tasmania, reach heights of up to 80 m. Among the tallest trees in the world are the Karri eucalyptus in the southwest and the Mountain Ash in the southeast with heights of over 100 m.

In the dried-up riverbeds of the interior, the River Red Gum is widespread. Particularly noteworthy are the extensive eucalyptus forests of the Blue Mountains in the hinterland of Sydney, which owe their name to the bluish haze that the trees secrete due to evaporating essential oils. Eucalyptus leaves are also used as medicinal plants. The Desert Oak can store water for a very long time and usually leaves its branches hanging – the tree only straightens up after rainfall.

The Grass Tree, like the eucalyptus throughout Australia, forms a characteristic tuft of leaves, from the middle of which bright flower shafts grow during the flowering period. The tropical zone falls into the monsoon climate range and is heavily forested; on the northeastern coast of Queensland there are species-rich rainforests with palm trees, ferns and lianas. Among the striking flowering plants are the purple telopea, the red-gold banksie and the scarlet firewheel trees. Inland, savannah landscape with low-growing trees dominates.

The temperate zone is dominated by hardwoods, mallee scrub and other bush formations as well as shrub-shaped sand heath. Alpine vegetation can be found in the Australian Alps and in the highlands of Tasmania. On the east coast up to and including Tasmania, there are stands of pine and conifer, which are the most economically important after the eucalypts.

In the dry zone (scrub land, bush), only specially adapted plants thrive: red and green kangaroo paws, boronies, wax flowers, bottle trees, lamp cleaner trees and smaller eucalyptus species. Acacia occurs in around 900 different species; the golden acacia is the national flower symbol of Australia and appears on the country’s coat of arms. In the dry interior, the mulga bush is widespread; real sand deserts without any vegetation are rare in Australia. Spinifex grass is widespread in the interior and grows practically everywhere. In addition to the native flora, there are also several thousand introduced, sometimes invasive plant species in Australia.

Australia – History

Around 65,000 years ago (the oldest recognised time frame according to current archaeological knowledge), the immigration of the ancestors of the Australian Aborigines from Southeast Asia began via land bridges that existed at the time as well as via the Indonesian islands and New Guinea. Since the sea level was significantly lower during the last ice age, New Guinea and Tasmania belonged to the Australian mainland for a time; it was only with the end of the ice age about 12,000 years ago that today’s islands separated from the continent according to sea level rise, Tasmania about 10,000 years ago.

In 1606, the Spanish explorer Pedro Fernández de Quirós landed in the New Hebrides and named it “Terra Australis”; in the same year, Luis Váez de Torres sailed through the Torres Strait between New Guinea and Australia, which was later named after him. Also in 1606, the Dutchman Willem Janszoon explored parts of the coast of the Cape York Peninsula – the first documented European contact with the Australian mainland. In 1616, the Dutchman Dirk Hartog landed on the coast of Western Australia near Shark Bay.

In 1642, Abel Janszoon Tasman discovered the southern tip of Tasmania (called “Van Diemen’s Land” until 1856) and the South Island of New Zealand. In 1696, Willem de Vlamingh explored Rottnest Island and the Swan River in the southwest. In 1699, William Dampier explored the northwest coast and discovered the islands of the Dampier Archipelago, which was named after him.

In 1770, James Cook explored the east coast of the continent, which the Europeans had called “New Holland” until then, on his first trip around the world and anchored in Botany Bay. In the Great Barrier Reef north of present-day Cairns, the “Endeavour” ran aground on a reef and had to be repaired (at the site of today’s city of Cooktown). On Possession Island, Cook formally took possession of the eastern part of the continent for the British Crown.

On January 26, 1788 – to this day the date of the Australian National Day – the “First Fleet” under Captain Arthur Phillip landed in Port Jackson with around 1,030 people, including about 750 convicts, and founded the first permanent European settlement on the continent, named after the British Home Secretary, Lord Sydney.

In the following decades, further colonies were established: Fremantle or Perth (Western Australia) in 1829, South Australia in 1836. From the 1850s onwards, several gold discoveries significantly accelerated immigration and the economic boom of the continent. In 1901, the individual British colonies merged to form the Commonwealth of Australia; the country gradually gained full state sovereignty in the course of the 20th century, but remained a member of the Commonwealth with the British monarch as head of state.

For the history of Australia’s indigenous population – displacement, “Stolen Generations”, civil rights and current political developments – see the separate chapter “Australia – Aborigines” below.

Australia – Food and Drink

The times when a large part of Australia lived mainly on steaks and “pies” (pies) are long gone. Immigrants from all over the world have enriched and differentiated the culinary offer enormously – modern Australian cuisine is now internationally regarded as an independent, creative “fusion cuisine” with a particularly strong Asian influence.

Especially in the larger cities, there are numerous first-class restaurants and cafés; pies and hamburgers have not disappeared from the menus. In cafés, breakfast options range from English breakfasts with scrambled eggs, ham, hashbrowns and toast to muesli and excellent croissants, cappuccini and espressos – the Australian coffee culture (flat white, long black) is now considered one of the most mature in the world.

For the main meals, the dinner (also called “tea”), there is a wide range of flavors; take-aways are, similar to the USA, versatile.

The barbecue (BBQ for short) is still indispensable for Australians and is celebrated almost cultishly. Meat dishes (beef, pork, lamb) are usually of good quality and comparatively cheap. The dishes made of kangaroo and emu meat, which are specially offered in Australia, are almost fat-free and tasty, the meat is somewhat reminiscent of local game meat. Crocodile meat is also eaten and is often compared to chicken or pork in taste.

Restaurants: Restaurants without an alcohol license can be recognized by the designation “BYO” (“Bring Your Own”). If the door says “BYO and licensed”, guests can bring their own drinks as well as use the offer of the house; a small fee (corkage fee, “corkage”) is usually charged for alcoholic beverages brought along.

Seafood: The variety of fish and seafood on Australia’s coasts is remarkable. Worth mentioning are crayfish, blue swimmer crabs, king prawns, crabs of various sizes, balmain bugs (typical crab species from the Sydney region), yabbies (freshwater crabs), mudcrabs, Sydney rock oysters and Tasmanian oysters as well as scallops. Barramundi is particularly valued as a food fish; salmon from Tasmania is also considered a delicacy.

Beer: Australia is known as a beer-drinking nation – in the hot climate, the cool hop juice is particularly well received. The selection of beers is huge, with each state traditionally preferring its own brands: In Queensland, for example, “XXXX” and Powers, in Western Australia “Swan”, in Victoria “VB” and in New South Wales “Tooheys”. In addition, a very lively craft beer scene has established itself in recent years with countless small, regional breweries throughout the country.

Wine: Australian wines have long enjoyed an excellent reputation internationally. White wines are dominated by Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc as well as the widespread Rhine Riesling. Among red wines, Shiraz is Australia’s most internationally known variety, along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Pinot Noir and Merlot. Australia now has over 2,000 wineries, with important wine-growing areas in South Australia (Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale), New South Wales (Hunter Valley), Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania, among others.

Bush Tucker: Typical of Australia is the “Bush Tucker”, the traditional food of the Australian aborigines. This includes everything that can thrive, hunt or collect wild in nature – including snakes, goannas (monitor lizards) and possums, as well as nuts of the pandanus palm as well as various wild fruits and bush tomatoes. Bush tucker ingredients such as wattleseed, lemon myrtle or cockatoo plum are increasingly finding their way into upscale Australian gastronomy.

Australia – Accommodation

Hotels Hotels in Australia are mainly found in central locations of the big cities and holiday areas, in all categories from cheap dormitories to luxury accommodation. Some caution is advised with star ratings, as the classification is sometimes self-assigned and does not always meet the European standard. The hotel network is dense in the cities, but rather thin in the outback.

Historically, the term “hotel” in Australia mainly refers to the license to serve alcohol – in the countryside, some small “hotels” (pubs) still rent out a few simple rooms to travelers today.

Motels Motels can be found everywhere on the arterial roads of larger cities, but less often in the outback. Well-known international and national chains offer hotel voucher systems – sometimes also through European tour operators – which are particularly suitable for flexible guests. Cheaper budget motel chains offer simpler facilities (pool rather rare) and reduced service, but are cheaper.

Apartments Those who spend more than a few days in one place often appreciate an environment tailored to their own needs. “Serviced apartments” combine the independence of your own apartment with the service and comfort of a hotel.

Resorts / Holiday Resorts Resorts and holiday resorts are mainly found in areas that are particularly attractive for tourists, especially along the coast of Queensland and on the offshore islands.

Bed & Breakfast B&Bs are common in Australia, especially in rural and touristy regions.

Farm & Homestays Accommodation on farms, comparable to the “farm holiday” in Europe, but often on a much larger scale. The advantage is the integration into a host family; the large cattle and sheep farms in the outback are often happy to have contact with travellers and, in addition to accommodation, offer a direct insight into everyday Australian rural life.

Cabins & On-Site-Vans Small holiday homes on campsites or with private landlords – a welcome alternative, especially for tent travellers, in the cooler winter months in the south or during the rainy season in the north.

Youth Hostels Spread across the country, both in cities and in the countryside.

Backpacker Hostels Simple, often very lively guesthouses in a private style, also suitable for longer stays. Since operators and offers sometimes change quickly, it is always advisable to take a look at current reviews and travel guides instead of older recommendations.

Campsites Campsites usually have washrooms (washing machine/dryer), cooking facilities as well as lounges and TV rooms, some also disposal facilities for chemical toilets as well as pools and tennis courts.

Free or wild camping Free camping is generally allowed as long as you do not spend the night on private property; however, landowners often allow camping on their land by arrangement, which can enable good contact with the local population. “Bush campsites” are specially designated rest areas for overnight stays in tents or motorhomes, which can be found throughout the country, especially in national parks. Important: The regulations on wild camping differ considerably depending on the state and municipality and are increasingly strict – before starting your trip, it is worth taking a look at the current local regulations.

Basics Accommodation can be found almost always and everywhere in Australia, except in the main tourist season in the months of January and February – here it is advisable to book in advance. A combination of motorhome travel (regardless of fixed accommodation) and occasional hotel accommodation is a good option for many travellers.

Australia – Aboriginal

The first people to settle on the continent of Australia were the Aborigines (Latin “ab origine” = “from the beginning”). The terms “Aboriginal” or “Aborigine” come from the Europeans; in Australia itself, the term “Indigenous People” or “First Nations” has become increasingly established. The various clans and tribes have their own names, such as “Yolngu” (north), “Murri” (east), “Koori” (southeast), “Nunga” (south), “Noongar” (southwest) or “Wangkathaa” (west), among many others.

Long before European colonisation, the Aborigines developed their own languages, a distinctive social order and extensive knowledge of the land, climate and resources that still impress scientists and travellers today. Around 65,000 years ago – according to current archaeological knowledge – the immigration of their ancestors from Southeast Asia began via land bridges that existed at the time. With the post-glacial rise in sea level, the continent was isolated, which allowed an independent culture adapted to the land to develop over thousands of years: The various nomadic tribes lived as hunters and gatherers in simple dwellings or under windscreens made of twigs and bark; spears, spear throwers and the boomerang (in a returning and a non-returning variant, “kylie”) were used for hunting.

With the arrival of the British convict transports and the subsequent settlement from 1788 onwards, one of the darkest chapters in Australian history began: the Aborigines were expelled, decimated by imported diseases and in many places forcibly displaced from their ancestral lands. Of an estimated 300,000 to 750,000 Aborigines at the time of the first colonisation, only around 70,000 to 100,000 remained in the middle of the 20th century.

A particularly painful chapter is the so-called “Stolen Generations”: Between about 1910 and the 1970s, tens of thousands of indigenous children were forcibly separated from their families as part of state assimilation policies and placed in missions, homes or with white foster families. In 2008, the then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd officially apologized to those affected in parliament on behalf of the Australian state.

In 1967, a constitutional referendum granted Aboriginal people formal legal equality with the rest of the population, including the right to vote. The Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1976 returned large tribal territories to their original owners. In 1985, the Australian government formally handed over Uluru (Ayers Rock) to its traditional owners, the Anangu, who have been managing it together with the parks management ever since; since October 2019, climbing Uluru has been officially prohibited out of respect for its spiritual significance.

In 2023, Australians voted in a nationwide referendum on the so-called “Voice to Parliament” – a proposal to constitutionally enshrine an advisory indigenous body in parliament. The referendum was rejected with around 60% of the votes against, which was perceived as a painful setback by large parts of the indigenous community; the fundamental social and political debate about recognition, land rights, reconciliation and equal participation of Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders has continued ever since.

According to the 2021 Census, around 984,000 Australians identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders, which corresponds to about 3.8% of the total population (and the trend has been rising since then). Despite noticeable progress in recent decades, there are still significant socio-economic differences with the rest of the population: As part of the government’s “Closing the Gap” programme, the gap in life expectancy, income, education, health and employment is officially recorded and documented annually; it remains significant in many areas.

Australia – Backpacking

Backpacking is a particularly popular form of travel in Australia. Australia’s popularity as a destination for young travellers from all over the world has remained high for years, not least thanks to the working holiday visa, which is popular with young Europeans.

The correspondingly high demand for cheap, comfortable accommodation has long been met with a dense network of backpacker hostels, especially on the east coast of Australia. The competition for backpacker guests is so great that many houses are not only inexpensive, but also modernly equipped – often surprisingly comfortable compared to German youth hostels.

In Queensland, numerous sailboat and car rental companies compete fiercely for backpacker customers and regularly advertise special offers that can provide significant savings on many activities in coastal towns.

A special feature that is not limited to Queensland is the classic backpacker path along the east coast from Sydney to Cairns or Cooktown: Travelers move from city to city and use the dense chain of backpacker accommodations along the coast – still a particularly cheap and organizationally uncomplicated way to travel Australia.

Note: All information on population figures, exchange rates, entry requirements and legal regulations is subject to change and has been researched to the best of our knowledge as of August 2026. For up-to-date and binding information – especially on visas/eVisitors/ETA – it is advisable to take a look at homeaffairs.gov.au as well as the travel and security advice of the Federal Foreign Office before travelling.