No. With the exception of New Zealand passport holders, you’ll need a valid visa to visit Australia. Australia requires that all foreign travelers get a visa prior to visiting, which means applying for and receiving your visa before leaving for your trip. Arriving in Australia without a valid visa can get you detained or immediately deported .

It’s also important not to overstay your visa’s duration. Australia has extremely strict immigration policies, and overstaying your visa brings the risk of fines or deportation. You could also be banned from reentry, meaning you couldn’t come back to Australia even on a different visa.

Australia’s list of visa-exempt countries is practically nonexistent; New Zealanders are the only foreigners permitted to enter relatively visa-free. In contrast to Australia’s strict tourist-visa policies for other countries, citizens of this nearby island nation can visit using a zero-cost Special Category Visa that’s granted on arrival.

New Zealand citizens can enter Australia and stay for work and study purposes using the Special Category Visa on arrival. The visa is valid from the day it is granted to the day the recipient leaves Australia. Recipients can also apply for permanent residency while on this visa.

Along with a valid visa, you’ll need a valid passport to enter Australia. Your passport should have at least one blank page for the entry stamp.

Now that you know you’ll need a valid Australian visa for your trip, the question becomes what kind and how do you get one ?

The Australian government offers a variety of visa types for foreign travelers, including electronic visas, visitor visas, working holiday visas, and business visas .

For American travelers, the Electronic Travel Authority Visa is usually the best option. This electronic visa allows you to visit Australia as many times as you want  for up to a year. For each visit, you can stay for 90 days (three months). The Australian ETA is free but comes with an AU$20 service application charge. There’s also no waiting or processing period for the ETA. You’ll receive notice of your application results immediately after applying.

In addition to mandatory government charges and fees, Entriva charges amongst the industry’s lowest handling fees, starting at just US$50.