How long can you stay in Australia on a subclass 600 tourist visa in 2026?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

Usually 3 months. On the Tourist stream (apply outside Australia) page for the Visitor visa (subclass 600), the Australian Department of Home Affairs states that it generally grants a stay period of 3 months, and that it might grant a stay of up to 12 months in certain circumstances. According to that same official page, checked as of July 2026, the binding figure for you is whatever period or dates appear on your visa grant letter: the stay is decided case by case, based on how long you want to stay and why you want to stay in Australia. This article is general information drawn from those published rules, not advice tailored to your circumstances, so rely on the official pages for your own situation.

Who decides my stay period, and what do they look at?

The Department decides it, on a case-by-case basis. The Department page lists two things it might consider:

how long you want to stay
why you want to stay in Australia

That is the whole published list of considerations, and it explains why two people with the same nationality and similar documents can get different outcomes. The Department also warns plainly that it might not grant the length of stay you want, so asking for six months is a request, not an entitlement.

Is 12 months something I can ask for?

Yes, but treat it as an upper limit rather than a default. The official page describes a stay of up to 12 months in certain circumstances without setting out a checklist of those circumstances, so there is no published threshold you can point to and say you meet. The safest way to read it: 3 months is the usual outcome, longer periods are possible where the declared reason and length support them, and no applicant should book flights or accommodation on the assumption they will receive 12 months.

What if I'm the parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident?

A different ceiling applies to you, and it is worth understanding it carefully because it separates visa validity from time onshore. If you are the parent or step-parent of an Australian citizen or permanent resident and meet all the visa criteria, the Department may grant a visa valid for more than 12 months, decided case by case. A visa granted on that basis might allow multiple entries while it is valid, but:

You can't stay in Australia for more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period.
You must have made adequate arrangements for health insurance.

If you want to stay longer than 12 months on each visit, the Department directs you to the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870) as a separate option.

Where do I find the exact date I must leave?

In two places: your visa grant letter, and VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online). The grant letter specifies the period or dates; VEVO shows your conditions and when you must leave. You will not get a visa label in your passport — your visa is digitally linked to your passport — so there is no stamp to read at the airport. Check both before you travel; the useful number is the "must leave by" date, not the date the visa itself expires.

Question	Where the answer comes from
How long may I stay in total?	The stay period or dates on your grant letter
Must I leave by a specific date?	VEVO or your grant letter
Can I leave and come back?	Whether your grant is single entry or multiple entry

Does leaving Australia reset my three months?

Only if you were granted multiple entry, and even then leaving does not lengthen the clock. With multiple entry you can leave and return while the visa is valid; with single entry, once you leave Australia you must apply for another visa to return. One exception catches cruise passengers out: on a round-trip cruise, time spent on the ship counts as time spent in Australia, the Department does not consider you to have left, and the cruise does not reset your stay period. Ask your cruise operator whether your sailing counts as a round trip.

Can I extend my 600 visa from inside Australia?

No. The Department states you can't stay longer by extending this visa; you must apply for another visa in Australia. You can apply for a new visa if your current one doesn't carry a condition preventing further stay, such as condition 8503 – No Further Stay, which can be waived only in limited circumstances. If your goal is a longer or permanent stay, the answer is to apply for a visa that allows it, not to add months onto this one.

What am I allowed to do during the stay?

The visa covers visiting family and friends, tourism, and cruise travel, but not business or medical treatment, and you can't work. Study or training is allowed for up to 3 months — that cap sits inside your stay period, so it doesn't mean everyone gets exactly three months or that your study period extends your visa. Note also that family members can't be included in your application: each person, including those listed on your passport, must submit a separate application and will get their own grant conditions.

What does the visa cost, and does health insurance matter?

The Department's page routes applicants to its Visa Pricing Estimator to work out the cost for their circumstances and notes that health checks, police certificates and biometrics may add further costs that the estimator doesn't cover. From 1 July 2026, a lower visa application cost applies to eligible citizens of Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste who lodge a valid application; the reduced charge is applied during the application process in ImmiAccount and eligibility is recognised from the valid passport issued by one of the listed countries — Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Timor-Leste.

On health: you are liable for all healthcare costs incurred in Australia, and the Department strongly recommends taking out adequate health insurance for unexpected treatment. In some circumstances your visa may be granted with condition 8501 – Maintain adequate health insurance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 3 months guaranteed on a subclass 600 tourist visa?

No. The Department says it generally grants a stay period of 3 months, but the length is determined case by case and it might not grant the length you asked for. Your actual permission comes from the dates or period printed on your visa grant letter.

Can I get 12 months on my first application?

Possibly — the Department may grant a stay of up to 12 months in certain circumstances. It doesn't publish what qualifies, so plan around the usual 3-month outcome and only commit to a longer trip once you hold the grant.

How do I check the latest date I'm allowed to remain in Australia?

Look at the period or dates on your visa grant letter, or check VEVO, which also lists your conditions. Your visa is digitally linked to your passport, so there is no physical label to rely on.

Does a trip to New Zealand or another country extend my stay?

No. Your stay is a fixed period or end date, not a rolling count. Whether you can even come back depends on being granted multiple entry; with single entry, leaving ends your ability to re-enter on that visa.

Can I apply for another visitor visa while I'm still in Australia?

Yes, provided your current visa doesn't have a condition preventing further stay, such as condition 8503 – No Further Stay, which can be waived only in limited circumstances. Extending the existing 600 visa is not an option.

I'm visiting my Australian citizen child — can I stay longer than 12 months?

Not on this visa: even where the visa itself is valid for more than 12 months, you can't stay more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period and must have adequate health insurance. To stay longer than 12 months per visit, look at the Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa (subclass 870).