Australia•Oceania1-3 days
Free
As long as you are signed on as a crew member of an MCV eligible ship
Yes
Required
Allowed
No
Not Required
The Australian Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988) lets foreign crew on eligible commercial ships — cargo or international passenger vessels — enter Australia by sea while on an international voyage. The visa is free and typically processed within 1–3 days.
Stay duration is tied to your signed-on status aboard the ship; there is no fixed end date while you remain active crew. Work is limited to shipboard operational duties — no land-based employment is permitted. Dependent partners and children may hold the visa if travelling on the same vessel.
This visa is ideal for professional mariners — deckhands, engineers, officers — working on international commercial voyages to Australian ports who need a fast, cost-free entry mechanism.
| Status type | Tied to program duration |
Must be outside Australia at the time of application.
Must be a bona fide crew member (or have a job offer) on an eligible ship (e.g., commercial cargo or passenger ship on an international voyage).
Must not be a crew member on an ineligible ship (e.g., private research vessels, most fishing vessels, yachts, or superyachts).
Must not be an Australian citizen or holder of a permanent Australian visa.
Must meet health and character requirements.
Must have no outstanding debt to the Australian Government.
Must not have a history of refused or cancelled visa applications.
Job Offer
Required
Education
none or higher
Valid passport (seafarer's identity documents are generally not accepted).
Evidence of employment as a crew member (e.g., employment contract, letter of offer).
Evidence of qualifications related to maritime duties.
Relationship documents for family members (e.g., marriage certificate, birth certificate).
Police certificates (if requested by the Department of Home Affairs).
National identity card (if applicable).
| 1273 | — |
| 1273 Application for a Maritime Crew (Temporary) visa | — |
| 1273 | Fill online |
| 1273 | — |
| 1273 Application for a Maritime Crew (Temporary) visa | — |
| 1273 | Fill online |
| 1273 | — |
| 1273 Application for a Maritime Crew (Temporary) visa | — |
| 1273 | Fill online |
| Application Steps | Verify ship eligibility; Gather documents; Apply online; Await decision | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Dependent Visa | Yes, if on the same ship. | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Fee Breakdown | — | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Fees | Free | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Forms | — | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Forms · 1273 · description | Application for a Maritime Crew (Temporary) visa | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Forms · 1273 · name | 1273 | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Forms · 1273 · url | https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/form-listing/forms/1273.pdf | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
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