Naval Support Activity Stirling

Service members, government civilian employees and their dependents in Australia live in country pursuant to the United States-Australia Status of Forces Agreement. U.S. service members on orders use the War Department Common Access Card and orders for official identity documents and do not need a passport or a visa to enter and remain in Australia.

U.S. civilian dependents are required to have official orders, federal or state identification such as a driver's license, CAC or Real ID and a no-fee passport with SOFA endorsement. Holders of current no-fee passports will need to get new passports with the Australian SOFA endorsement page included. This is not a sticker or a stamp and will need to be produced by Fort Belvoir.

Times for passport application processing can vary and has taken approximately 12 weeks to process. Due to how long the process can take, it is highly recommended that you apply immediately upon receiving orders. To apply for a no-fee passport, contact your local Passenger Transportation Office.

Family members of permanent change of station personnel not under COM authority entering Australia on SOFA status, must contact PACAF/JA OL-E no later than 30 days prior to travel, provide a copy of official travel orders to Australia along with a scanned copy of the passport photo page via e-mail to PACAF/JA OL-E at PACAF.JAOL-E.Canberra@us.af.mil to be registered into the government of Australia's Special Purpose Travel Authority database.

Once all documents have been sent and processed, the service member will receive notification of their Special Purpose Travel Authority for each family member. The notification will be sent via email, so it is important that if the service member’s spouse/dependents is traveling without the service member that they have access to this email. Please refrain from having these documents sent to a government or .mil email address. Improper SPTA registration will result in the inability to enter Australia.

In order to register for Australian services such as banking, you will need a HR letter from 337 ASUF and the following paperwork needs to be sent to the 337 ASUF for processing no later than 15 days prior to travel.

E-mail the following to 337ASUF.DP.ORGBOX@us.af.mil from a personal email address:

• Travel Itinerary
• Orders
• No-fee passport information including dependents
• Length of tour and position location

Entry and Departure Requirements

Needed Documents

To enter and re-enter Australia, members of the U.S. military are required to present the following documents:

• Up-to-date military identification card
• Individual or collective movement order (permanent change of station orders)

Family member of military personnel:

• No-fee passport (SOFA endorsement is required)
• Copy of sponsor’s assignment orders (dependents must be included on the PCS orders)

Military dependents must present a no-fee passport with Status of Forces Agreement endorsement provided by the appropriate United States authority. The SOFA endorsement serves in lieu of a visa.

Travel on no-fee passports is only valid for travel on official orders. Service members and family planning personal travel are required to obtain a tourist passport. You will leave and enter Australia in the same manner as you arrived, CAC and orders or no-fee passport, but to enter any other country, you will need a United States tourist passport.

During your PCS move, if someone other than yourself will be completing any of the following, it is highly recommended to obtain a special power of attorney for each task.