The countries where having an Australian passport is a disadvantage

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This was published 1 year ago

The countries where having an Australian passport is a disadvantage

By Michael Gebicki
Updated
According to the Henley Passport Index, the Australian passport is one of the world's most desirable.

According to the Henley Passport Index, the Australian passport is one of the world's most desirable.Credit: iStock

According to the Henley Passport Index, the Australian passport is one of the world's most desirable. We sit in seventh place, along with Canada, the Czech Republic, Greece and Malta. Published annually, the Henley Passport Index is a popularity contest for passports. Culled from information provided by the International Air Travel Association, the index tells you how many countries will allow your citizens to visit without requiring a visa application before entry. At a glance the index tells you how much the rest of the world likes you, and also how your government is perceived by the wider world, and there are a few surprises in the mix.

Australia is one rung lower down the ladder than New Zealand, in sixth place alongside Belgium, Norway, Switzerland and the USA. We're not behind by much. The only country that extends visa-free access to New Zealanders but not to Australians in 2022 is Chile. The reason is that Chileans are not eligible for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) to visit Australia, the most-favoured-nation gateway for aspiring visitors. Instead they must apply for a Visitor Visa, which costs $380. A visa for Australians visiting Chile costs $US225 ($A358), known in the business as a reciprocity fee. New Zealanders, however, get visa-free entry to Chile, no charge. A bilateral visa waiver agreement allows citizens of either country to enter the other as tourists for up to three months.

If Australia were to drop that visa fee for Chileans, Chile would probably respond in kind. Until recently US citizens paid $US160 ($A255) to visit Chile but that fee was ditched when Chile signed a bilateral visa-waiver agreement with the US. Chileans can now apply for an ESTA visa waiver for the USA, the same as Australians, which costs just $US21 ($A33). British passport holders also get into Chile with just a wave of their passport. They've been exempt from Chile's visa fees for many years since the UK government gave a warm welcome to Chileans as a thank-you for the Pinochet regime's support during the Falklands War with Argentina. All European Union passport holders can also get in for free.

Vietnam is a popular destination for Australians, but we're also at a disadvantage there. Australians need to get an e-visa for $US25 prior to arriving in the country. Citizens of most south-east Asian countries, along with Japan, South Korea and Scandinavian passport holders all get in visa free for between 15 and 30 days.

Neighbouring Cambodia, which attracts large numbers of tourists to the famed site of Angkor Wat, requires Australians to pay $US36 for an e-visa along with most other visitors. Citizens of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) get in visa free.

Australians also require an e-visa to enter Türkiye (formerly Turkey), at a cost of $US60, while UK, EU and New Zealand passport holders get in for free. Australians can apply and pay for the visa online. If granted, they can stay for up to 90 days in the country.

Japan sits at the top of the Henley Passport Index in 2022. Polite, law-abiding, financially solvent and unlikely to overstay their welcome, Japanese are the visitors everyone wants. Their passport holders are allowed visa-free entry to 193 countries. That includes Azerbaijan, Chile, China, India, Suriname and Türkiye - all countries that require Australians to apply, and pay for, entry to the country.

Japan is interesting since reciprocity is currently off the table. All foreign citizens currently need a visa to enter Japan. That's down to the suspension of all visa exemptions due to the coronavirus. Before the pandemic, citizens of certain countries were allowed to enter Japan for tourism purposes without the need to apply for a visa. Should Japan maintain it's tough stance other nations would want to rebalance the relationship with visa requirements for Japanese visitors, but neither is likely to happen.

After Japan, next in line are Singapore and South Korea, whose citizens can enter 192 countries visa-free. China sits in 69th place, its citizens able to enter 80 countries without applying for a visa, which must be galling since Taiwan lies in 34th place, Taiwanese passport holders able to romp into 145 countries. Ukrainians sit just one place down with entry to 144 countries, eight more than when the index was compiled in 2021. Meanwhile Russians are able to enter only 119 countries visa-free. The difference lies in ease of access to European countries. Ukrainian passport holders can travel around Europe without the need to obtain a visa in advance, Russians may not.

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Totalitarian regimes get the thumbs down. Myanmar sits at 102nd on the list, Cuba in 85th, Turkmenistan is 96th, Iran in 107th place. At the very bottom of the index, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan fill out the last three positions, their passport holders able to enter fewer than 30 countries without applying for a visa.

Visas can also be used to send a message between governments, and it's none too subtle. For example, 156 nationalities are eligible to apply online for an Indian electronic visa, an eVisa. It's a simple process and Australians, along with citizens of France, Peru and Russia, can apply, but not British passport holders. That's a recent change. India suspended its eVisa application system during the pandemic but when the system was restarted in 2022, the UK was not included in the list of eligible countries. It's retaliation. The British government requires Indian passport holders to apply for a Standard Visitor visa, which costs £100 ($A179), and attend an interview.

A visa for UK citizens to visit India costs £72 ($A129) according to VFS Global, and they must also attend an interview. Australians pay a similar fee, but no interview. According to government sources, the reason the UK makes it tough for Indian citizens to visit is they're the nationality most likely to overstay their welcome. That's cast a pall over Brits planning to visit India and put the frighteners on some in the UK's outbound tourism industry since its citizens are among India's most devoted fans.

One important thing to remember when applying for visas is to always do so through the official government websites. There are dozens of visa websites out there which offer to arrange the visa for you. Often they simply provide an online form asking for the same information as the official websites, then charge you double (or more) the actually cost of the visa for "processing" - which involves simply re-entering your information on the official site. It's a scam.

Correction: An earlier version of this story said Australians visiting Vietnam are required to get a visa in advance and then pay a "stamping fee" upon arrival. This was incorrect - Australians can apply for an e-visa online prior to arrival for a fee of $US25. There is no fee upon arrival.

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