Do Tonga passport holders need a visa for Australia?

If your VLN does not commence with AUI, you must attend an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC) to provide your personal identifiers.

You need a valid passport or other travel document for this visa. If you plan to get a new passport, do this before you apply.

Log in or create an ImmiAccount. Attach documents. Submit family applications together. ​Pay the application fee. We will not process your application until you pay the fee.

We will let you know our decision on your visa application in writing. We will tell you: your visa grant number the date your visa starts your visa conditions Keep a copy of our decision with you when in Australia. If we refuse your visa we will let you know in writing. We will tell you why we refused your visa and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.

You will need to provide your biometrics at an Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) or an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC) if you apply: for a visa that is part of the biometrics program from a country that is part of our biometrics program.

If you are outside Australia We will tell you if you need to attend an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC) in person or if you are eligible to use the Australian Immi App to provide your biometrics. VFS Global is contracted by the department to operate ABCCs in a number of countries (see list of countries below). You must make an appointment to provide your biometrics at an ABCC (see VFS Global). You may need to travel to another country to attend an ABCC. ABCCs charge a service fee for biometrics collection. VFS Global does not answer questions about visa applications. Make sure you bring your valid travel document, such as the passport linked to your visa application, to your appointment, otherwise VFS will generally not be able to collect your biometrics.

The list below is correct as of October 2026. Further details on these centres can be found at VFS Global. Sometimes centres may close because of unexpected events, like natural disasters or major conflicts. Please check the opening hours and look for any notices about temporary closures or changes to opening hours. ​ Country Location/s Albania Tirana Algeria Algiers Bahrain Manama Bangladesh Chittagong Dhaka Sylhet Bhutan Thimphu Bosnia-Herzegovina Sarajevo Cambodia Phnom Penh Colombia Bogota Cali* Medellin Egypt Alexandria Cairo Ethiopia Addis Ababa Fiji Suva Lautoka France Paris Ghana Accra Greece Athens Hong Kong Hong Kong India Ahmedabad Bengaluru Chandigarh Chennai Hyderabad Jaipur Jalandhar Kochi Kolkata Lucknow Mumbai New Dehli Panaji* Puducherry* Pune Thiruvananthapuram Iran Tehran Iraq Baghdad Erbil Jordan Amman Kazakhstan Almaty Kenya Nairobi Kuwait Kuwait City Laos Vientiane Lebanon Beirut Malaysia Kuala Lumpur Mexico Mexico City Guadalajara* Monterrey Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Myanmar Yangon Nepal Kathmandu Pokhara* New Zealand Auckland Christchurch * Dunedin * Queenstown * Wellington Nigeria Lagos Abuja Oman Muscat Pakistan Islamabad Lahore Karachi Papua New Guinea Port Moresby Lae * Peru Lima Philippines Cebu Davao Manila Qatar Doha Russia Ekaterinburg Moscow Novosibirsk St Petersburg Rostov On Don Vladivostok Samoa Apia Saudi Arabia Jeddah Al-Khobar Riyadh Singapore Singapore Solomon Islands Honiara South Africa Cape Town Durban Johannesburg Pretoria Port Elizabeth South Korea Seoul Sri Lanka Colombo Jaffna Thailand Bangkok Chiang Mai Phuket Tonga Nuku'alofa Turkey Ankara Gaziantep Istanbul Uganda Kampala United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi Dubai Vanuatu Port Vila Vietnam Hanoi Ho Chi Minh City Danang Zimbabwe Harare

Visas subclasses included in the biometrics collection program as of March 2023: Permanent Family visas  100 – Partner  101 – Child  102 – Adoption  114 – Aged Dependent Relative  115 – Remaining Relative  116 – Carer  117 – Orphan Relative Visitors and Other Temporary visas  400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist)  403 – Temporary Work (International Relations) – Government Agreement, Foreign Government, Domestic Worker (Diplomatic/Consular), and Privileges and Immunities streams  407 – Training  408 – Temporary Activity – Invited Participant, Australian Government endorsed event, exchange, sport, religious worker, domestic worker (executive), special program, entertainment activities and research activity types  462 – Work and Holiday  482 – Temporary Skill Shortage  491 – Skilled Work  494 – Skilled work (Employer Sponsored)  600 – Visitor Visa  602 – Medical Treatment  771 – Transit Temporary Family visas  300 – Prospective Marriage  309 – Partner (Provisional)  445 – Dependent Child  461 – New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship (Temporary)  870 – Sponsored Parent Student visas  500 – Student  590 – Student Guardian Other visas Applicants for the following subclasses of visa might be required by an officer to provide their personal identifiers after the visa application has been lodged with us:  200 – Refugee  201 – In-country Special Humanitarian  202 – Global Special Humanitarian  203 – Emergency Rescue  204 – Woman at Risk  785 – Temporary Protection  790 – Safe Haven Enterprise  866 – Protection Page 43 of 45

Attachment K - Countries included in offshore biometrics collection program If you are lodging a visa application in a country included in the biometrics program, regardless of nationality, you might need to provide your biometrics in relation to each visa application you lodge. Countries included in the offshore biometrics collection program as at March 2023: Afghanistan * Albania Algeria Bahrain Bangladesh Bhutan Bosnia and Herzegovina Cambodia Colombia Egypt Ethiopia Fiji France Ghana Greece Hong Kong Iran Iraq Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kuwait Lebanon Malaysia Mexico Myanmar Nepal New Zealand Nigeria Oman Pakistan Papua New Guinea Peru Philippines Qatar Republic of Korea Russian Federation Samoa Saudi Arabia Singapore Solomon Islands Somalia * South Africa Sri Lanka Thailand Tonga Turkey Uganda United Arab Emirates Vanuatu Vietnam Yemen * Zimbabwe *For these countries refer to neighbouring collection locations Page 44 of 45

To be eligible to use the app, clients must have previously provided their biometrics (facial image and fingerprints) to the Department and hold a valid passport.

If you have not previously provided biometrics and you have received a written request to provide your biometric identifier (digital facial image and fingerprint scan), you must attend one of the Australian Biometrics Collection Centres to submit your biometrics.

Visas and Immigration Australian High Commission Kingdom of Tonga Skip to main content Text size Toggle navigation About us Home Head of Mission Australia-Tonga relationship Development Partnership with Tonga Work With Us Security Partnership with Tonga Tupulaki Community Grants Australians Consular Services Passport Services Notarial Services Travel Advice Connecting with Australia Study in Australia or the Pacific Visa Scams Visas and Immigration Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme Trade and Investment News and media News, Speeches and Media Archive Contact us Contact Us High Commission Public Holidays Visas and Immigration Visas and Immigration We do not provide a visa and citizenship counter service. Australian High Commission staff are unable to assist with general visa or citizenship enquiries. Visa and citizenship applications are managed by the Department of Home Affairs. Visit the Home Affairs website for further information regarding visas or citizenship. The website also has useful definitions and tools to help you understand the department’s requirements. Visit the website at Immigration and citizenship. You can apply online for most Australian visas and citizenship through an ImmiAccount. This is the preferred and most efficient way to apply. Technical assistance is available on the  ImmiAccount Technical Assistance webpage. If you have an ongoing application outside global processing times, you can complete the Australian immigration enquiry form. Global Service Centre If you require additional information, you may telephone the Global Service Centre on +61 2 6196 0196, Monday to Friday, from 9:00am to 5:00pm your local time. International calls may be subject to charges imposed by your local carrier. You may wish to consider using a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider to avoid potentially high charges. Using an interpreter When you call the GSC, select option 6 to engage a Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS) interpreter in your language. Option 6 can be selected straight after dialling the GSC number. Alternatively, a TIS interpreter can also be engaged directly via: TIS website: Search | Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) or Home Affairs website See: Family and friends helping with your application Providing biometrics All visa applicants in Tonga must submit biometrics for each application lodged, regardless of their nationality, unless they are excluded or exempt from the program. Applicants who have previously provided their biometrics for an Australian visa may be able to submit their biometrics via the free to download Australian Immi App. These applicants will be notified of this option via email shortly after they lodge their visa application. First time visa applicants who have not previously submitted biometrics must do so at the Australian Biometrics Collection Centre in Nuku'alofa, Ground Floor of the General Post Office Corner Taufa'ahau and Salote Roads, Nuku'alofa, Tonga. The Pacific Engagement Visa This visa allows citizens of Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste to live and work in Australia permanently. Applicants must be selected in a ballot to apply. For information about how to register for the ballot, visit the Department of Home Affairs: How to register (homeaffairs.gov.au). Before you use an agent or anyone else to help you with this application, please first visit: Who can help you with your application?(homeaffairs.gov.au) For more information and up-to-date announcements on the PEV, follow: https://www.facebook.com/PacificEngagementVisa. Stay safe from visa scams STAY INFORMED. YOUR VISA, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Protect yourself from visa scams and false promises. Beware of scams that guarantee a visa in exchange for money. You are at risk of losing money, having your identity stolen, and being lured into unsafe work conditions and exploited. There is only one official Australian Government provider of visas – the Department of Home Affairs. Thinking of applying for an Australian visa? Read this first. Every year, thousands of hopeful Tongans are tricked by false promises and fake agents claiming to offer “easy” ways into Australia. Some are told that there’s a simple way to change visa once in Australia. The information here is to protect you and your family, and help you understand your real, legal visa options. Not all visas allow you to work in Australia To work legally in Australia, you must have a visa with work rights and understand the work conditions that apply to you. Some visas, such as student visas, have restrictions on the number of hours you’re allowed to work. Scammers often claim you can enter Australia for work on a visitor visa or transit visa – this is illegal and you will be refused entry and returned to the country you came from. Beware of scam agents Scam agents often pretend to be legitimate migration professionals and encourage people to work in Australia illegally. If someone guarantees you an Australian visa, be cautious. Scam agents frequently charge high fees and submit applications with false information and documents, which can lead to large fines, visa cancellation, detention and removal from Australia for the visa applicant. If someone promises you a visa or permanent residency in Australia, or demands a large upfront payment to "fast-track" your application, it’s a guaranteed scam. Make an anonymous report to Australia’s Border Watch Online Report. You can also phone the Australian Department of Home Affairs Global Call Centre. Interpreter services are available. Your Australian visa is your responsibility Never allow someone to apply for a visa on your behalf without making sure all the information in the application is true and accurate. This includes information about: your identity (name, date of birth) citizenship, passport number) relationship status travel history criminal history. If you are involved in a visa scam (even if you didn’t realise it) this may exclude you from future Australian visas and for visas to other countries. Learn more about who can legally provide immigration assistance in Australia. Top 10 ways to spot a scam They contact you via social media or apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger. They guarantee you an Australian visa. They say you can leave your PALM scheme employer at any time without telling the Australian Government. They ask for large upfront payments or pressure you to act quickly. They tell you to lie in your visa application. They don’t explain what visa you’re applying for. They charge a lot more for the visa than the cost listed on the Australian Department of Home Affairs website. They say you can do paid work in Australia on a Visitor visa. They refuse to share your visa application with you in ImmiAccount – the Australian Department of Home Affairs immigration portal and the only official website to use when applying for an Australian visa. They claim to be registered in Australia but do not have a Migration Agent Registration Number (MARN) or are not listed on the Office of Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) website. Learn more about how to spot a scam at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visascams. False information will risk your future There is a lot of false visa information online, especially on social media, including scams and fake success stories. Bad advice from false sources can lead to removal from Australia at your cost and being refused future visas. If someone suggests you take an indirect or unusual route to Australia, such as flights via another country or by taking a boat to avoid checkpoints, you are being scammed. This travel is illegal under Australian law. Trying to enter Australia by boat without a valid visa will result in you being removed and permanently banned from entering Australia. Do you know the facts about Protection visas? Some scam agents are telling people to apply for a Protection visa once they arrive in Australia so they can stay and work. This is not the purpose of a Protection visa. Protection visas are for people who are seeking asylum in Australia because they face a real risk of significant harm or persecution in their home country. Protection visas are not a way to stay and work in Australia. Fake Protection visa claims are now processed fast and quickly refused. If you are refused a Protection visa: You and your family may find it harder to visit Australia in the future. Your refusal will stay on your immigration record for life. It can impact future visa applications to other countries. You may face large fines and jail time if your application included false or misleading information and documents. Don't take the risk. Learn more about Protection visa eligibility. The number 1 rule for any Australian visa Only use official government sources when looking at what visa to apply for. These are: The Australian High Commission in Tonga The Australian Department of Home Affairs Registered migration agents listed on the OMARA website Not all official Australian Government websites are available in Tongan. You might want to use translation tools to review information but consider that the translation might not be completely accurate. Australian High Commission Kingdom of Tonga Salote Road, Nuku' Alofa Telephone: +676 20400 Follow us: About us Home Head of Mission Australia-Tonga relationship Development Partnership with Tonga Work With Us Security Partnership with Tonga Tupulaki Community Grants Australians Consular Services Passport Services Notarial Services Travel Advice Connecting with Australia Study in Australia or the Pacific Visa Scams Visas and Immigration Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme Trade and Investment News and media News, Speeches and Media Archive Contact us Contact Us High Commission Public Holidays External Websites Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Department of Home Affairs Visit Australia Austrade Prime Minister of Australia Minister for Foreign Affairs Minister for Trade and Tourism Minister for Pacific Island Affairs Minister for International Development Minister for Home Affairs Copyright Privacy Disclaimer Accessibility Freedom of information