Rugby World Cup 2027.Seven cities, six weeks,and a visa forevery seat in the squad.
The Men's Rugby World Cup runs from 1 October to 13 November 2027 across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville. Squads, coaches, referees, broadcast crews, sponsors and travelling supporters all need the right visa, and the sponsorship that sits behind the 408 takes months. This page sets out who needs what and when to lodge.
Government charges, Rugby World Cup 2027
- Days to the opening match1 October to 13 November 2027388 days
- 408 Temporary Activity, each player or staff memberSporting or endorsed events stream$535
- 400 Short Stay Specialist, each crew memberunder three months, no sponsor$535
- 600 Visitor, business visitor streamsponsors, delegates, guests$250
- 600 Visitor, tourist stream from outside Australiafans without a free option$250
- ETA 601 or eVisitor 651eligible passports only$0
- Temporary activities sponsorshiponce, valid five years$420
As at 1 July 2026. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing after the consultation.
Squads on the 408, crews on the 400, everyone else a visitor.
Players, coaches, match officials and team staff at the Rugby World Cup 2027 use the subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa at $535 each, sponsored by the Australian rugby body or supported by the organiser where the Department endorses the event. Broadcast and technical crews on short assignments use the subclass 400 at $535, sponsors and delegates the 600 business visitor stream at $250, and fans a free ETA or eVisitor where their passport is eligible.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs pages for subclasses 408, 400, 600, 601 and 651 and the tournament dates published by the 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.
Six roles, four visas.
A World Cup delegation is not one group. It is a squad, a staff, a media pack, a commercial party and a wave of supporters, each on a different visa with a different timeline.
The subclass 408 in detail
- 01
Players and team staff: 408
The full squad, coaches, analysts, physios, doctors and team management use the 408 Sporting Activities stream, sponsored by the Australian rugby body or club, or the Australian Government Endorsed Events stream if the tournament is confirmed on the Department's list. $535 each, family members can be included.
- 02
Match officials and judiciary: 408
Referees, assistant referees, television match officials and citing commissioners take part in the competition, so they are 408 applicants too. The organiser or the national body sponsors or supports them under the same stream as the players.
- 03
Broadcast and technical crews: 400
Camera operators, broadcast engineers, timing and data specialists and rigging crews on assignments of under three months use the 400 Short Stay Specialist visa at $535. An employer letter replaces sponsorship. The work must be highly specialised and non-ongoing. Subclass 400.
- 04
Sponsors, union delegates and corporate guests: 600 business visitor
Attending matches, hosting clients, negotiating and attending congress are business visitor activities. The 600 business visitor stream is $250; eligible passports use a free ETA or eVisitor instead. No paid work on any of them. Subclass 600.
- 05
Supporters: ETA, eVisitor or 600 tourist
Fans from eligible countries apply online for a free ETA 601 or eVisitor 651, three months per visit. Everyone else applies for the 600 tourist stream at $250. Apply before paying for flights and tickets. ETA and eVisitor.
- 06
Build-up contractors and event workers: 482 or 400
Overlay, venue and event operations roles running for months are employment, not a temporary activity. Employers sponsor those workers on the 482 Skills in Demand visa at $4,015, or use the 400 where the assignment is short and specialised. Subclass 482.
Counting back from 1 October 2027.
Planning guidance from group applications we have run, not Department processing times. Processing times vary and are published monthly. Decision-ready applications move faster.
| Group | Visa | Lodge by |
|---|---|---|
| Australian sponsoring body | Temporary activities sponsorship, $420 | Late 2026, allow two to four months |
| Squads, staff and officials | 408, $535 each | Nominations by April 2027, visas by June 2027 |
| Pre-tournament camps arriving early | 408 with earlier start date | Visas by April 2027 |
| Broadcast and technical crews | 400, $535 each | Two to three months before travel |
| Sponsors and delegates | 600 business visitor, $250 | Two to three months before travel |
| Supporters without a free option | 600 tourist, $250 | Two to three months before travel, before non-refundable bookings |
| Supporters with eligible passports | ETA or eVisitor, $0 | Weeks before travel, still before non-refundable bookings |
Sponsorship approval, nominations and visa applications each take their own time. Health examinations and character checks add to it for some nationalities. Start with the sponsorship.
One sponsorship, one nomination, thirty applications.
The 408 is built for groups. The Australian side is done once and the individual applications follow in a batch.
Confirm the stream
Check the Department's list of Australian Government Endorsed Events for the tournament. If it is listed, the organiser's support can replace sponsorship and stays can run to four years. If not, the Sporting Activities stream with an approved sponsor covers stays to two years. Organisers should confirm this with the Department rather than assume it.
Sponsorship approval
The Australian union, club or organiser applies to be a temporary activities sponsor. Lawful operation, a genuine activity, no adverse information. $420, valid five years, so it also covers the Women's Rugby World Cup in 2029.
Nomination and squad list
The sponsor nominates the activity and lists every person, their role, the dates and who pays. Squads change late, so we lodge the core list and add late call-ups as separate applications.
Individual applications
Each player and staff member lodges online with passport, health where required, character, health insurance and the nomination. Family members included at $535 per adult and $135 per child.
Arrival and conditions
Work only in the sponsored activity, keep health insurance, tell the Department of changes. Players who later want to join an Australian club move to a fresh 408 or a sponsored work visa, not an extension.
What a Rugby World Cup delegation costs in government charges.
Model a squad, its staff, a broadcast crew and a commercial 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 33-player squad is 33 main applicant charges under the same sponsorship, so add the balance to the staff line or multiply.
Where the tournament goes, the visa goes with it.
A 408 or a visitor visa covers all of Australia, so a squad moving between host cities needs nothing extra. Two points still catch people out.
Australia's major events to 2032- 01
Regional venues and regional visas
Newcastle and Townsville are host cities. Anyone working in those regions on a longer contract, rather than at the tournament, may have the regional 494 available to their employer. That is a workforce question, not a tournament one. Subclass 494.
- 02
Leaving and coming back
Squads eliminated in the pool stage sometimes fly out and return for the final. The 408 is a multiple-entry visa for its validity period. Visitor visas and the ETA also allow multiple entries within their validity, but each entry restarts the stay limit, so check the dates.
- 03
Staying on after the final
Players offered a contract by an Australian club need a new visa before starting, usually the 482 or a fresh 408 sponsored by the club. Supporters cannot work at all. Anyone thinking of staying should ask before the current visa ends, not after.
Rugby World Cup 2027 visas, answered plainly.
What visa do Rugby World Cup 2027 players need?
The subclass 408 Temporary Activity visa, $535 per person. The Sporting Activities stream needs an Australian sponsor such as the national body, club or organiser. If the Department lists the tournament as an Australian Government Endorsed Event, that stream applies instead and the organiser's support replaces sponsorship.
Is the Rugby World Cup 2027 an endorsed event?
The Department publishes and updates the list of Australian Government Endorsed Events. Organisers and unions should confirm the tournament's status with the Department before building the plan around that stream. Either way the 408 is the visa; the stream changes who sponsors and how long the stay can run.
When should a union lodge visas for the 2027 tournament?
Sponsorship approval from late 2026, nominations by April 2027 and visa applications by June 2027, as planning guidance rather than processing times. Teams arriving early for camps and warm-up matches move everything forward. Late squad changes are handled as separate applications.
Which visa do broadcast crews need for the Rugby World Cup?
Crews employed by an overseas broadcaster on assignments of under three months usually use the subclass 400 Short Stay Specialist visa at $535. The work has to be highly specialised and non-ongoing, with a letter from the employer. Crews staying longer or employed by an Australian broadcaster need a different visa.
Can fans get a free visa for the Rugby World Cup?
Fans with an eligible passport apply online for a free ETA 601 or eVisitor 651, allowing visits of up to three months. Other passports apply for the subclass 600 tourist stream at $250. Apply before booking non-refundable travel because grant is not automatic.
Can a sponsor's guests or a union delegate work while here?
No. The 600 business visitor stream, the ETA and the eVisitor allow meetings, negotiations, hosting and attending, not paid work for an Australian business. Anyone providing paid services in Australia needs the 400 or the 408.
What if a player's 408 is refused?
An applicant inside Australia can usually seek review at the Administrative Review Tribunal within strict time limits, for a fee of $3,727. A refusal from outside Australia usually means fixing the sponsorship or nomination and lodging again, which is why the timeline needs slack.
Where this visa connects.
- 408Open
Temporary Activity visa
The visa the squad, staff and officials will hold.
- 400Open
Short Stay Specialist visa
Short, highly specialised work for broadcast and technical crews.
- 601 and 651Open
ETA and eVisitor
Free visitor visas for supporters with eligible passports.
- EventsOpen
Australia's major events to 2032
Netball World Cup 2027, T20 World Cup 2028, Brisbane 2032 and the annual calendar.
Articles on this visa
- 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
- Rugby World Cup 2027 for Employers: Staffing the Hospitality Surge With 482 Sponsorship and Working Holiday Makers
- Netball World Cup Sydney 2027: The 408 Visa for Squads and Officials, and When an Invitation Beats a Sponsorship
Bringing a squad, a crew or a corporate party to the Rugby World Cup?
One consultation maps every person to the right visa, sets the sponsorship timeline against 1 October 2027 and gives you a fixed fee for the whole group.