Visa Information
Notice for international visitors to Australia:
All visitors to Australia must have a valid visa before boarding their plane regardless of the length of stay.
Applying for a Visa
To determine what visa you need, please visit the Department of Immigration and Border Protection ‘Find a visa’ website.
The Australian Government provide the following advice for the best possible chance of successful visa application:
- Determine which visa you should apply for. All workshop participants will require a visa applicable to a business event. The exact visa subclass will depend on what country you are coming from, how long you are staying, etc.
- Apply for your visa at least six weeks before your intended date of travel to Australia (or two weeks if you are from an ETA or eVisitor eligible country) as visa processing times may vary.
- Consider Australia’s health and character requirements, which you will have to meet as part of the visa application process.
- If you are not eligible to apply for an eVisitor visa or ETA, ensure you obtain a confirmation of your registration, or a letter of invitation, to attach to your Visitor Subclass 600 visa application.
- Lodge paper-based visa applications at the Australian visa office nearest to your current country of residence.
More information on visas for business events can be found on the following two documents:
- Business Events Information Sheet (current as of 1 July 2017)
- Visa Application Requirements Information Sheet (Feb 2017 version)
Invitation Letter
If you need a letter of invitation to apply for a visa, please request one by emailing the conference secretariat on mandalena@unsw.edu.au(notes: conditions apply).
Domestic and International Flights
Sydney is serviced by Kingsford Smith Airport, which is the main international and domestic airport and Australia's largest airport hub. The Sydney airport is located in the suburb of Mascot, about 10 kilometres (6 miles) from the city centre and Coogee Beach.
All major international airlines have routes to Australia via Sydney and Australia has numerous domestic carriers offering both business and budget travel, connecting all major Australian cities and regional centres to Sydney. These include:
- Qantas: www.qantas.com.au
- Virgin Blue: www.virginblue.com
- Jet Star: www.jetstar.com
For more information on Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD), visit www.sydneyairport.com.au
Travel from Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) Airport
Taxi services
The most direct route from the airport to UNSW is by taxi. Taxis are available from the taxi rank which is located directly in front of the terminal. Please ask your taxi driver to stop at UNSW's main entrance on Anzac Parade, Kensington. The Tyree Energy Technology Building (TETB) is the brown modern building perching on the left side of the UNSW's main entrance.
A typical travel period of 20 - 30 minutes and fare approximately $30 - $45 AUD is expected from the airport to UNSW depending on local traffic and time of travel. All major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard and American Express) are accepted for taxi payment.
Bus services
Coogee Beach is serviced by a number of bus routes that travel to and from the city centre (routes 372, 373, 374 and M50).
Travel from the airport requires a transfer from the city (using one of the routes above) or by taking route 400 (from the airport to Bondi Junction) and changing at the Eastgardens Shopping Centre to route 353 (between 7:00 AM and 7:00 PM only), or changing to the M50, 372 or 373 in Randwick.
Bus services are generally moving to a pre-paid ticketing system and will require the purchase of an appropriate ticket prior to boarding the bus. We recommend that you visit the information site below for assistance in planning your trip and determining which ticket you should purchase.
Opal Cards are now available for travel across all forms of public transport across Sydney. For more information on the Opal Card system check out the Opal Website
For more information on Sydney's public transport systems and travel planning, visit www.131500.com.au