Invitation Letter for Tourist Visa 600 in 2026 – With Sample

Your mother wants to meet the new baby, or a friend has finally booked the trip you have talked about for years. Then someone asks whether you have written the invitation letter yet.

Online templates disagree on who can sign it, how long it should be and whether it has to be certified.

The good news is that an invitation letter for the Australian tourist visa 600 is a simple, one-page letter. Home Affairs lists what it could cover, and none of it is hard to write.

The letter says who you are, how you know the visitor, why they are coming, how long they will stay and where. If you are paying for the trip, it says that too, and you attach proof.

Below you will find the 2026 visa cost, who can write the letter, a full sample for a parent, and the mistakes that make case officers ask for more.

If your situation is less simple, talk to us about your visitor visa before you lodge.

What is an Australian Tourist Visa?

The Tourist stream of the Visitor visa (subclass 600) lets you visit Australia for a holiday, to see family or friends, or for a cruise. It is one of five subclass 600 streams, and you can apply from outside Australia or in Australia.

Home Affairs generally grants a stay of 3 months, and up to 12 months in certain circumstances. Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents may be granted a visa that is valid for longer than 12 months, decided case by case.

If your visa has multiple entry, you can leave and come back while it is valid. With single entry, you need a new visa to return. You can’t work on this visa, but you can study or train for up to 3 months.

Business visits are covered by the separate Business Visitor stream, not the Tourist stream. Our guide to the 600, 601 and 651 visitor visas explains which one fits your trip.

Cost Of Tourist Visa

As at 22 October 2026, the subclass 600 visa costs the following for each applicant, according to the Home Affairs current visa pricing page. Fees change every 1 July.

You might also have to pay other costs for:

• health checks
• police certificates
• biometrics

To work out what your visa will cost, use the Visa Pricing Estimator.

Processing time of Tourist Visa

Here are the processing times for the subclass 600 visa as at October 2026. They are a guide only and change every month, so check the latest in the Home Affairs visa processing time guide.

Your own application can take longer if:

• Home Affairs asks for more documents.
• You need health checks or biometrics.
• Your answers and documents don’t match.

What is an Invitation Letter for a Tourist Visa 600?

An invitation letter for a tourist visa 600 is a letter from a relative or friend in Australia inviting you to visit. Home Affairs lists it as one of the documents you can give to show you are a genuine visitor. It is not a promise from the host to pay for everything.

Who Writes It?

• A relative or friend who lives in Australia and is inviting you.
• For the Tourist stream, Home Affairs doesn’t say the host must be a citizen or permanent resident.
• For the Sponsored Family stream, the sponsor must be a settled Australian citizen or permanent resident, aged 18 or over, who has usually lived in Australia for the last 2 years.

What Does It Confirm?

• The host has invited the applicant to visit Australia.
• The purpose of the visit, such as a holiday or seeing family.
• How long the visitor plans to stay, and whether they will stay with the host.
• What the host will pay for, if anything, such as meals, local transport and daily costs.

What Do Officers Look For?

• The genuine nature of the visit.
• The credibility of the host and applicant relationship.
• Money that matches the trip described.
• Confidence that the applicant will leave before the visa expires.

Supporting Documents Required from the Host

• Proof of the host’s status in Australia, such as a passport or visa grant.
• Proof of address.
• Proof of funds, such as recent bank statements or payslips, if the host is paying for the stay.
• Evidence of the relationship, such as birth certificates for a parent or sibling.

Home Affairs doesn’t need certified copies unless it asks. Scan or photograph each document in colour, and add an English translation where needed. Our guide to the bank balance for an Australian visitor visa explains how to show money.

Related Article :

• Requirements for a Tourist Visa with a Sponsor in Australia

Why is an invitation letter important?

An invitation letter is optional, but it ties your evidence together. It explains who you are visiting, where you will stay and who is paying, so the case officer doesn’t have to guess.

Without it, a bank statement from your son in Sydney is just a bank statement. With it, the officer can see why his money is part of your trip. The letter supports your application, but it can’t guarantee a visa.

If your host is paying for most of the trip, or there is a past refusal in the family, book a visitor visa consultation with a MARA-registered agent (MARN 2619480). We will check the letter and evidence before you lodge.

What should an invitation letter for a tourist visa 600 include?

The invitation letter for a tourist visa 600 should include the details Home Affairs lists, plus the basics any formal letter needs:

• Full names of the host and the visitor.
• Your relationship to each other.
• How long you have known each other.
• Address, phone number and email for both of you.
• The reason for the visit.
• The dates and length of the stay.
• Where the visitor will stay in Australia.
• Your rough plans for the visit.
• Who is paying for what.
• Anything else that explains the visit, such as a family event.

How do I write an invitation letter for a tourist visa?

Write the letter in this order and keep it to one page.

1. Use a standard letter format with the date.
2. Add the visitor’s details and a subject line.
3. Explain how you know each other and why they are visiting.
4. Give the dates of the stay and where they will live.
5. Say what support you will give.
6. Give your contact details.
7. Confirm your status in Australia, such as citizen, permanent resident or visa holder.
8. Describe your current job.
9. List every attachment.
10. Close politely and sign the letter.
11. Check every detail and attachment twice.

Important point: the person who writes your invitation letter for a tourist visa 600 should know you personally and live in Australia. For the Sponsored Family stream, they must also meet the sponsor rules above.

Invitation Letter for Tourist Visa 600: Sample

Scenario: Mr X is an Australian citizen living in Sydney with his wife, Mrs Y, and their two children. Their second child is seven months old, and Mrs Y is being treated for postpartum depression. Mr X wants to invite his widowed mother, Mrs Z, from India to help the family for six months. Here is the letter he could write.

Date: 21/01/2026

To Whom It May Concern

Letter of Invitation from Mr X

Australian Passport Number: PA0000000

Address: [Unit and street], Merrylands NSW 2160, Australia

(M): +61 4XX XXX XXX

Email: [host email address]

Dear Sir/Madam,

My name is X, and I am an Australian citizen. I am married with two children, aged 5 years and 7 months. I have lived in Sydney since February 2005 and am self-employed as a director of [Company name] Pty Ltd. I am writing in support of my mother’s application for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) in the Tourist stream.

Applicant: Mrs Z

Passport number: [passport number]; Date of birth: [date of birth]

In support of her application, I would like to explain the following:

• I wish to invite my mother, Mrs Z, to visit us in Sydney for six months, from [arrival date] to [departure date], to give our family much-needed support.
• My wife, Mrs Y, gave birth to our second child on 13 June 2025. She has since been diagnosed with postpartum depression and is being treated by her doctors. A medical report is attached.
• My mother will live with us at the address above. I will cover her flights, food, local travel and visitor health insurance. My bank statements and payslips are attached.
• My mother is a widow who owns her home in India and receives rental income from a second property. She will return to India at the end of her stay.

Please contact me if you need any further information.

I have enclosed the following documents:

Applicant’s documents:

➢ Applicant’s Indian passport

➢ Applicant’s Indian national ID card

➢ Ownership documents for the applicant’s properties in India

➢ Rental agreements for the applicant’s properties in India

➢ Applicant’s travel history

Host’s documents:

➢ Host’s Australian passport

➢ Host’s Australian driver licence

➢ Host’s bank statements

➢ Host’s payslips

➢ Host’s lease agreement

➢ Host’s birth certificate showing the applicant as his mother

➢ Medical report for the host’s wife

Yours sincerely,

Mr X

Contact No: +61 4XX XXX XXX

You can adapt this sample for a father, sister or friend by changing the relationship, the reason and the documents. If you are sponsoring in the Sponsored Family stream instead, you also complete Form 1149. The visitor visa for parents guide covers the rest of a parent’s application.

Tips for an Invitation Letter for a Tourist Visa 600

These tips will help you write an invitation letter for a tourist visa 600 that a case officer can read and check quickly.

1- Keep it Short and to the Point

• Keep the letter to one page.
• Include the visitor’s name, the dates of the trip and your contact details.
• Leave out family history that doesn’t explain the visit.

2- Make it personal

• The person inviting you should write and sign the letter.
• Say why you are inviting the visitor and how you know each other.
• Use your own words, not a copied template.

3- Include Supporting Documents

• Attach proof of your address and status in Australia.
• Attach proof of funds if you are paying for the stay.
• Give a simple plan for the visit. You don’t need to book non-refundable flights before the visa is granted.

What is the Process of getting an Invitation Letter for a tourist visa 600?

Getting an invitation letter for a tourist visa 600 takes five steps, based on the Department of Home Affairs requirements for the Tourist stream.

Step1- Understand the Visa Requirements

• Choose the stream: Tourist stream, or Sponsored Family stream if a relative will formally sponsor you.
• Check the main requirements: a genuine visit, enough money, health and character.
• Note where you must be: if you apply outside Australia, you must also be outside Australia when the visa is decided.

Step2- an Eligible Sponsor

• For the Tourist stream, any relative or friend in Australia can write the letter.
• For the Sponsored Family stream, the sponsor must be a settled citizen or permanent resident aged 18 or over.
• A sponsor may be asked to pay a security bond, usually between AUD 5,000 and AUD 15,000 per person.

Step3- Prepare Documents

• The host writes and signs the letter, with the dates, purpose and contact details.
• The host adds proof of address, status in Australia and funds if paying.
• Scan everything in colour. You don’t need certified copies unless Home Affairs asks.

Step4- Submit Documents

• The visitor lodges the visa application online in ImmiAccount.
• The visitor attaches the invitation letter and the host’s documents.
• For the Sponsored Family stream, the visitor also attaches a copy of the sponsor’s Form 1149.

Step5- Wait for Processing

• Check the processing times in the table above.
• Answer any request for more documents by the date given.
• Don’t travel until you have the visa grant in writing.

Following these steps keeps the letter and the documents in line with each other, which is what makes an application easy to assess.

How The Migration Helps

Preparing a Tourist Visa 600 application can feel like a lot, especially when you are writing the invitation letter for someone you love. Our team works on Australian visitor visas every week and tailors the advice to your family.

We are a MARA-registered Australian migration practice, MARN 2619480, with 7+ years of practice. You can check any agent’s registration on the MARA register.

We review the invitation letter line by line, check whether the Tourist or Sponsored Family stream suits you, and list the documents to attach. We also explain to hosts what financial evidence to give and how to describe the purpose of the visit.

You can meet us at our Harris Park office in Sydney, through The Migration Melbourne, or by Zoom, whichever suits you.

If your case involves a health condition, an elderly parent or a previous visitor visa refusal, we will explain what the case officer is likely to look at and how to address it.

Conclusion

An invitation letter for an Australian tourist visa 600 is a short letter that explains the visit: who is inviting, why, for how long and who is paying. Home Affairs doesn’t require it, but a clear letter with matching documents makes the application easier to assess.

The host doesn’t have to be a citizen or permanent resident for the Tourist stream, and nothing needs to be certified unless Home Affairs asks.

Whether you are inviting a parent, a sister or a friend, it helps to have the letter and evidence checked before lodging. Book a consultation with a MARA-registered agent, MARN 2619480.

Frequently asked questions