Move to Australia from Germany

In order to move to Australia from Germany, Germans should calculate the cost of the travel, the time needed to arrive here, and, of course, the visa formalities that are required for each particular case.

The costs of the visa, along with the costs of living here should also be calculated for immigration to Australia. Other than this, Germans should verify any other laws that can be of interest.

The processing fees of the visas vary greatly. Thus, those issued for short-term stays will cost far less than the ones issued for a long-term stay or for a permanent stay.

Permanent visas have the higher costs, as they grant permanent residency, which is the main legal pathway to applying for citizenship in Australia. Such visas will generally cost more than AUD 6,000.

For instance, the Subclass 186 and the Subclass 190 cost AUD 6,140 each (base charge from 1 July 2026) and both of them are visas that grant residence in Australia on a permanent basis.

On the opposite spectrum, temporary visas such as the Subclass 408 or the Subclass 407 cost from AUD 535 (some 408 streams cost less or are free) and the validity of the visas is of maximum 2 years. There are also a few visas issued without any fees, such as the Subclass 444.

For all these, our Australia migration lawyer can help you; thus, it is advisable to seek for legal advice if you want to relocate to Australia from Germany.

What are the immigration options for Germans?

Persons who want to move to Australia from Germany have many immigration routes to opt for. Basically, 2 situations will arise: 1) immigration in Australia for short-term stays and 2) immigration for long-term stays.

The 1st category designates any stay of maximum 90 days (3 months), while the 2nd refers to any stay longer than 90 days. The process to relocate to Australia from Germany will be highly influenced by these 2 options.

This is due to the fact that visas for short-term stays are generally easier to obtain, while visas for long-term stays require the applicant to submit a wide range of documents, while the applicant has to comply with more complex legal requirements.

Overall, one can immigrate to Australia from Germany under any of the following legal grounds:

1. visitor visas;
2. student visas;
3. working holiday visas;
4. temporary or long-term work visas;
5. business/investment visas;
6. partner and family reunification visas;
7. visas for highly skilled employment;
8. visas that grant the right to permanent residency.

What is the easiest immigration route for short stays in Australia?

The easiest way to move to Australia from Germany for a short stay is through the visitor visa program. Visitor visas can be obtained following very simple steps and the main advantage is that this document is available by applying through an online platform.

The document is known as the eVisitor Visa and it can be obtained for any of the following:

1. leisure;
2. tourism;
3. participating in business-related events (conferences, meetings, etc.);
4. visiting friends;
5. visiting family.

Please mind that all German passport holders have to comply with visa formalities if they want to relocate to Australia, and this is imposed even for short-term stays.

There aren’t any visa-free exemptions for German nationals, as per the rules on immigration in Australia. The main advantage for German nationals is that this visa can be obtained online.

In order to be eligible to move to Australia from Germany through an eVisitor visa, the following conditions have to be respected:

• the visa can be used to stay in Australia for maximum 90 days;
• the passport of the applicant must be valid for the entire duration of the stay in the country;
• the document must have at least 1 blank page upon the arrival;
• the visa formalities have to be completed before the arrival, with at least 24-48 hours prior to the arrival;
• once issued, the visa is valid for a period of 1 year.

For other visa types, Germans will have to apply online through ImmiAccount, as most visa applications are no longer lodged through the Australian Embassy in Germany.

Given that the visa requirements will vary greatly based on the visa of interest, it is recommended to address to our Australia migration lawyer before starting the application process, in order to avoid any misunderstanding that can appear during the procedure.

If you want to move to Australia from Germany you must know that there aren’t any direct routes to arriving here and that, on average, a trip of this kind usually takes more than 20 hours, with at least one stopover.

It is also important to be aware of the time difference between Germany and Australia. The 2 countries have a difference of +8 to +10 hours for Sydney and Melbourne (+6 to +7 for Perth), depending on daylight saving. If you want to know more on how to move to Australia from Germany, please contact our lawyer.