Visa Enquiries Telephone: Mon - Thu 1pm to 5pm, Fri 1pm to 4pm - Telephone: +49 (0)30 700 129 129 - Fax: +49(0)30 22 48 92 93
Counter Hours Visa Section: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 9am and 11am
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Medical or Legal Elective
Visa requirements for students undertaking a medical or legal elective in Australia - Short Stay Business Visa (subclass 456).
If you are a medical or legal student who wishes to undertake a practical term in Australia of less than three months, you may apply for a short-stay business visa. If you plan an elective of longer than three months, you will need to apply for an occupational trainee visa. Visas for medical and legal electives are normally issued for a single entry to Australia.
How to apply for a Short Stay Business Visa if you are undertaking a medical or legal elective in Australia:
1. Application Form
You need to apply for a Short Stay Business Visa at the Australian Embassy. Please complete, sign and date Form 456.
Download Form 456 - DIAC Website (PDF)
Please attach to your application one recent passport photograph of yourself (and all family members included in the application). Please note that if you are undertaking a medical elective, an Electronic Travel Authority is NOT the appropriate option for you.
2. Visa Application Charge
The Visa Application Charge is levied per person except for children who are included in a parent's passport. This is a processing charge and cannot be refunded irrespective of the outcome of the application.
3. Documents to be included with your application
If you are a legal elective student who wishes to go to Australia to gain experience in a legal office, you should submit the following documentation when you make an application for your visa: a completed Application Form 456,
one passport-sized photograph,
credit card payment authorisation;
Credit Card Authorisation Form (PDF)
a letter from your current college or university supporting your placement in
Australia, a letter of invitation from a legal practice in Australia, confirming the exact dates
of your traineeship with them.
Medical elective students should provide the above documentation but their invitation must be provided by the hospital they intend to work at, again confirming the exact dates of their traineeship with them. Medical electives must also provide a chest x-ray undertaken by one of our panel radiologists. Additional medical examinations may be required. Please see "health requirements".
See: Panel Doctors - DIAC Website
4. Health Requirements
In addition to the requirements mentioned for medical electives above, please refer to the Health Requirements form to see if your circumstances and the nature/duration of your visit require you to undergo any health clearance formalities.
Health Requirements - DIAC Website
5. Valid Passport and Return Envelope
Your passport must be enclosed with your visa application. It should be valid for the period of proposed stay, and must contain at least one blank page. Please enclose a self-addressed envelope for the return of your passport and add €3 to your fee payment to cover registered return postage.
6. Where do I apply ?
Please mail your application or deliver personally to the following address:
(Visa Counter Opening Hours: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9.00 - 11.00 hrs):
Australian Embassy
Visa Office
Wallstrasse 76-79
D-10179 Berlin
Germany
7. Additional Information
Visa applications are processed as fast as possible and in the order of receipt. Processing times may vary and you should allow for this when making your travel plans.
See: Target Processing Times
We are not liable for any financial loss incurred by applicants whose applications are late or unsuccessful. You can do the following to help us process your case quickly:
ensure that your application is complete;
telephone enquiries should be limited to urgent matters.
See: How to contact the department?
Under the terms of the Australian Privacy Act, we cannot provide information about applications in progress to third parties.