About this visa

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for foreign crew (including supernumerary crew) employed, or under offer of employment, on non-military ships on international voyages to Australia and the ship is:

• used for commercial trading purposes or for carrying paying passengers
• owned and operated by a foreign government to do scientific research
• approved for 'public vessel status' by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

In general terms, foreign crew of cargo vessels and cruise ships (other than Australian Permanent Residents and those New Zealand citizens who are eligible for a Special Category visa) are required to hold a Maritime Crew visa. Crew of yachts do not normally qualify for this visa and should seek to obtain a visitor visa or a Superyacht Crew visa.
See: Superyacht Crew visa

A partner and dependent children may also make individual applications for a Maritime Crew visa to accompany a crew member on their ship to Australia.

The Maritime Crew visa is not valid for air travel to Australia.

The Maritime Crew visa is not valid for air travel to Australia. The Maritime Crew visa permits crew to enter Australia by sea only, for the purpose of allowing them to work on their ship.

Crew or their partner and dependent children wanting to travel to Australia by air to join their ship must apply for a suitable visa which allows entry by air.
See:
Transit Visa (Subclass 771)
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)

Any crew on board a vessel that is 'imported' (that is subject to an entry declaration) by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (Customs), must hold another visa, not the Maritime Crew visa, to remain lawfully in Australia.

Crew are not permitted to sign-on to an imported vessel in Australia with a Maritime Crew visa; they must hold an appropriate visa such as a 457 business visa.

Information about visas for maritime activities in Australia is available.
See: Guide to visas for foreign sea crew ( 49KB PDF file)

How much will this visa cost?

There is no application charge for the Maritime Crew visa.

What does this visa let me do?

If you are granted this visa, you can:

• enter Australia by sea only, on multiple occasions during the three (3) year life of the visa
• enter only as crew, or partner or dependent child accompanying a crewperson, signed on to a non-military ship
• only perform work in relation to the usual operational requirements of the ship while you are in Australia.