Australia
Australian passportEdit check
Free movement
Entry and stay only. What this covers
Source & evidence Read the original words
Official wording
non‑citizen means a person who is not an Australian citizen … a non‑citizen must not travel to Australia without a visa that is in effect
Aevamo’s reading
The Migration Act 1958 s.42 creates the obligation at the root of this regime — a non-citizen must not travel to Australia without a visa that is in effect — and s.32 creates the special category visa for New Zealand citizens. The Migration Regulations 1994 and the ministerial instruments made under them (IMMI 18/084, LIN 23/064) then prescribe who may use the streamlined visa routes.
The Migration Act defines 'non-citizen' as a person who is not an Australian citizen, and s.42(1) imposes the visa requirement only on non-citizens; an Australian citizen is therefore outside the visa regime and enters Australia as of right, with no advance authorisation and no stay limit.
Source details
How the documents behind this regime are dated
Migration Act 1958 compilation C2026C00232 as at 4 June 2026; Migration Regulations 1994 compilation C288 as at 1 July 2026; ETA specification compilation F2022C00287 dated 20 February 2022; eVisitor specification LIN 23/064 dated 13 September 2023
What this answer covers Limits & assumptions
Work and residence rights are separate from this check. This is the entry rule and the length of stay the instrument grants. It is not a decision about you: the officer at the border decides admission, and we do not evaluate the purpose of your trip, your passport's remaining validity, an onward ticket, funds, insurance or health requirements.
Informational planning, not legal or immigration advice. The source is linked so you can check our reading.