Seven years ofworld events.One visa plan forevery person you bring.
Between now and 2032 Australia hosts two Rugby World Cups, a Netball World Cup, a T20 World Cup, the Presidents Cup, a track cycling world championship and the Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. Each one brings teams, crews, broadcasters, sponsors and fans, and each group needs a different visa. This page is the map. The event pages carry the detail.
The calendar, 2026 to 2032
- Men's Rugby World Cup 2027seven host cities1 October to 13 November 2027
- Netball World Cup 2027Sydney25 August to 5 September 2027
- ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2028Australia and New Zealand21 October to 19 November 2028
- Presidents Cup 2028Kingston Heath, Melbourne2028
- Women's Rugby World Cup 2029Australia2029
- UCI Track Cycling World Championships 2029Brisbane2029
- Brisbane 2032 Olympic GamesParalympic Games follow23 July to 8 August 2032
Dates as published by the organisers. The Australian Open, the Grand Prix, the Melbourne Cup, Vivid Sydney and SXSW Sydney run every year and have their own page.
Four visas carry almost every event visitor to Australia.
People coming to Australia for a major event use one of four visas: the subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa for athletes, performers, officials and crews at $535, the subclass 400 for short specialist work at $535, the subclass 600 for business visitors at $250, and the free ETA or eVisitor for fans with eligible passports. Which one applies depends on the role, whether the person is paid, how long they stay and who in Australia supports the entry.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs pages for subclasses 408, 400, 600, 601 and 651 and the published event dates from each organiser.
Which visa do I need? A 30-second check
Answer the questions to see where you stand.
A guide only, not legal advice. The consultation is where the real answer comes from.
Seven world events, seven visa timelines.
Each event has its own page with a live countdown, the visas by role, a delegation calculator and the lead times. Start with the one you are planning for.
- 01
Men's Rugby World Cup 2027
1 October to 13 November 2027 across seven host cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville. Squads and staff on the 408, broadcasters on the 400 or 600, fans on the ETA, eVisitor or 600. Rugby World Cup 2027 visas.
- 02
Netball World Cup 2027
25 August to 5 September 2027 in Sydney. A compact tournament with national squads, umpires, officials and a travelling media contingent. Netball World Cup 2027 visas.
- 03
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2028
21 October to 19 November 2028, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand. Teams, officials and fans cross the Tasman mid-tournament, so re-entry and both countries' rules matter. T20 World Cup 2028 visas.
- 04
Presidents Cup 2028 and the 2029 world championships
The Presidents Cup at Kingston Heath, Melbourne, in 2028. The Women's Rugby World Cup in Australia and the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in Brisbane, both in 2029. The same 408, 400 and 600 pattern applies. Organisers should confirm the endorsed events status of each with the Department.
- 05
Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games
23 July to 8 August 2032, with the Paralympic Games following. The Games themselves are a 408 and visitor visa exercise. The six years before them are a workforce exercise: construction, infrastructure and hospitality through the 482, 494 and DAMA pathways. Brisbane 2032 visas.
- 06
The annual calendar
The Australian Open in January, the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix in March, the Melbourne Cup in November, Vivid Sydney and SXSW Sydney. Every year, the same visas, shorter lead times. Annual events visas.
When to start, event by event.
Lead times are planning guidance from our work on group applications, not Department processing times. Processing times vary and are published monthly. Decision-ready applications move faster.
| Event | Visas most groups use | Start planning |
|---|---|---|
| Men's Rugby World Cup 2027, 1 October to 13 November 2027 | 408 for squads, staff and officials; 400 or 600 for broadcast and media; ETA, eVisitor or 600 for fans | Sponsorship from late 2026, visas lodged by mid 2027 |
| Netball World Cup 2027, 25 August to 5 September 2027 | 408 for squads and umpires; 600 business visitor for federation delegates; ETA, eVisitor or 600 for fans | Sponsorship by early 2027, visas lodged by May 2027 |
| ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2028, 21 October to 19 November 2028 | 408 for squads and match officials; 400 for short specialist crews; multiple-entry visitor visas for fans crossing to New Zealand | Sponsorship from early 2028, visas lodged by July 2028 |
| Presidents Cup 2028, Kingston Heath | 408 Sporting stream for players and caddies; 600 business visitor for sponsors and guests | Six to nine months before the event |
| Women's Rugby World Cup 2029 and UCI Track Cycling 2029 | 408 for squads, staff and officials; 400 or 600 for media; visitor visas for fans | Six to nine months before each event |
| Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 23 July to 8 August 2032 | 408 for athletes, officials and crews; 482, 494 and DAMA for the build-up workforce from 2026; 858 for elite coaching and sports science talent | Workforce sponsorship now; Games visas from mid 2031 |
| Australian Open, Grand Prix, Melbourne Cup, Vivid, SXSW Sydney | 408 Sporting or Entertainment; 400 for short specialist crews; 600 business visitor; ETA or eVisitor for fans | Three to six months before each event |
Sponsorship approval, nominations and visa applications each take their own time. Allow two to four months for sponsorship, one to two for nominations and one to three for visas, longer where health or character checks apply.
Sponsor once, nominate the activity, lodge in batches.
Most event groups follow the same four moves. The order matters because each step waits on the one before it.
Sort every person by role
Players, staff and performers go on one list. Media and specialist crews go on another. Sponsors, delegates and fans go on a third. Build-up workers on multi-month contracts are a fourth list with a different visa altogether. See how employer sponsorship works.
Get the Australian side approved
The club, federation, promoter or organiser applies to become a temporary activities sponsor, a $420 charge that lasts five years. An organiser running several events applies once. This is the step that decides whether the timeline holds.
Nominate or invite
The sponsor nominates the activity or issues invitations naming each person, their role, the dates and who pays. Where the Department has endorsed the event, the organiser's support letter can replace sponsorship. Confirm the stream with the Department before relying on it.
Lodge the visas in batches
Each person lodges their own application. We prepare the sponsor side once and the individual 408, 400 and 600 applications together, so a squad, a crew and a business party arrive on time. Fans are told which free or paid visitor visa fits their passport.
What a delegation costs in government charges.
Model a national squad, its staff, a media crew and a business visitor party. Government charges only. Health insurance, police clearances and our fixed professional fee are additional.
As at 1 July 2026. Each field caps at twenty. A larger squad is one main applicant charge per person under the same sponsorship, so multiply for the full group.
Four visas, one rule each.
If you remember one line per visa, this is the line.
The subclass 408 in detail- 408
Temporary Activity: taking part
Athletes, performers, officials, judges and support crews taking part in the event. Sponsored by the Australian body or supported by the organiser for endorsed events. Stays to two years, or four years under the endorsed events stream. $535. Subclass 408.
- 400
Short Stay Specialist: short, specialised, unsponsored
Broadcast engineers, timing technicians, rigging specialists and other people with skills not readily found in Australia, for up to three months. An employer letter, no sponsorship. $535. Subclass 400.
- 600
Visitor: attending, not working
Sponsors, federation delegates, hospitality guests and fans who are not eligible for a free visa. Business visitor activities are allowed: meetings, negotiations, conferences. No work. $250 business visitor, $250 tourist. Subclass 600.
- 601 and 651
ETA and eVisitor: free for eligible passports
Fans and business visitors from eligible countries apply online for a free ETA or eVisitor, usually granted quickly, three months per visit. Not available to every passport, and not a work visa. ETA and eVisitor.
Event visas, answered plainly.
Which visa does a national team need for a world cup in Australia?
Almost always the subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa, Sporting Activities stream, sponsored by the Australian sporting body or supported by the organiser where the Department has endorsed the event. The charge is $535 per person. Each player lodges their own application under one sponsorship.
Is the Rugby World Cup 2027 an Australian Government Endorsed Event?
The Department publishes the list of endorsed events and updates it as events are added. Organisers should confirm the status of each event with the Department before planning around the endorsed events stream. Where an event is not on the list, the Sporting or Entertainment stream with a sponsor does the same job for stays up to two years.
Do broadcasters and media need a work visa?
It depends on who employs them and how long they stay. Crews working for an overseas broadcaster on short, highly specialised assignments usually use the subclass 400 at $535. Accredited journalists attending as visitors may fit the 600 business visitor stream or a free ETA or eVisitor, but reporting for pay is closer to work than visiting, so check before booking.
Can fans just get an ETA?
Fans holding an eligible passport apply online for a free ETA 601 or eVisitor 651. Everyone else applies for a subclass 600 Visitor visa, $250 from outside Australia. Apply well before booking non-refundable travel, because grant is not automatic and some applications are referred for further checks.
How early should an organiser start on visas?
For a tournament or tour, six to nine months before the first arrival. That allows two to four months for sponsorship approval, one to two months for nominations and one to three months for the visas, as planning guidance rather than Department processing times. For Brisbane 2032, the build-up workforce needs sponsorship planning now.
What about workers building venues and running hospitality before Brisbane 2032?
Multi-month or multi-year contracts are employment, not a temporary activity. Employers sponsor those workers on the subclass 482 at $4,015, the regional 494 outside Brisbane, or through a DAMA labour agreement in the regions that have one. Working holiday makers fill many hospitality roles. Elite coaches and sports scientists of international standing can look at the permanent 858.
Can my family come with me on an event visa?
Family members can be included in a 408 application, at $535 for each adult and $135 for each child, and generally have work rights. The 400 also allows family members but they cannot work. Visitors on the 600, ETA or eVisitor each apply in their own right.
Where this visa connects.
- 408Open
Temporary Activity visa
The visa athletes, performers, officials and crews use for a defined event.
- 400Open
Short Stay Specialist visa
Short, highly specialised work without a sponsor.
- 600Open
Visitor visa
Business visitors, sponsors, guests and fans without a free visa option.
- 601 and 651Open
ETA and eVisitor
Free online visitor visas for eligible passports.
Articles on this visa
- T20 World Cup 2028: Two Countries, Four Visa Groups, and Why a Commentator Is Not a Player
- Rugby World Cup 2027: The Visa Timeline for Teams, Staff and Broadcasters
- Rugby World Cup 2027 for Fans: ETA, eVisitor or the 600 Visitor Visa, and What a Past Refusal Means
- Netball World Cup Sydney 2027: The 408 Visa for Squads and Officials, and When an Invitation Beats a Sponsorship
Bringing a team, a crew or a delegation to Australia?
One consultation sorts every person by visa, sets the sponsorship timeline against the event date and gives you a fixed fee for the whole group.