Venezuela entry requirements for Australian passport holders (2026): visa and passport validity
Visa (Smartraveller): Read the official visa text below
Passport validity (Smartraveller): Read the official text below
Official source: Smartraveller (Australian Government) – Venezuela travel advice, section “Travel” · page updated 2 September 2026, still current at 17 October 2026 (Australian time) · checked on 17 October 2026 · Content from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website - www.smartraveller.gov.au, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (copyright notice). Changes: we quote excerpts unchanged and leave out some general notes; the short summaries are ours.
Whether Australians need a visa for Venezuela and how long an Australian passport must be valid, as published by Smartraveller, the Australian Government's travel advice service, quoted word for word with the date of the official page.
Other passports: British passport · Canadian passport
Do Australians need a visa for Venezuela?
We quote the official text word for word and do not summarise it. The first official sentence does not match a wording we summarise.
Official text, “Visas and border measures”:
Each country or territory decides its own entry and exit rules, including health border screening measures. To find out what you need to enter a destination, ask their embassy, consulate or immigration office.
If despite our advice, you travel to Venezuela, in most cases you won't need a visa for tourist visits of less than 90 days. However, you'll need:
- a passport valid for at least 6 months after you plan to depart the country
- proof of return or onward travel
Before you travel, check with Venezuelan migration authorities (SAIME - Servicio Administrativo de Identificación Migración y Extranjería) (Spanish).
If you're coming to Venezuela to work, bring a letter from your employer and details of your local contact organisation (including a Spanish translation).
Ensure your visa status is up to date by contacting the Venezuelan migration department (Spanish).
Entry and exit conditions can change. Contact the nearest Venezuelan embassy or consulate for details about visas, currency, customs and quarantine rules.
Border measures
You may need a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate to enter Venezuela. Some airlines may want to see one when you leave.
Find out about returning to Australia after exposure to yellow fever.
More information:
- Countries with a risk of yellow fever
Also in the official “Travel” section:
Other formalities
Travel with children
To enter and leave Venezuela, children of any nationality under 18 years who travel alone or with one parent will need a certified copy of their birth certificate and a notarised permit. The permit must be obtained through the nearest local SAREN office or the respective Court for Children and Adolescents. It must include all the relevant travel details.
If the child resides overseas, the permit and birth certificate must be certified by a Venezuelan embassy or consulate.
The child must carry this permit while in Venezuela and when departing, otherwise they may be denied exit. Both documents must be translated into Spanish.
More information:
Advice for people travelling with children
Departure tax
You'll have to pay a tax if you leave the country via an international airport.
Payment can be made in cash, in Venezuelan Bolivar.
The cost of your ticket sometimes includes the departure tax. Check with your airline.
Don't make any non-official payments at airports and ask for a receipt for any customs duty payments you make.
There have been occasions where passengers have been asked for bribes at the airport.
The National Guard carries out random drug and security checks at Maiquetia airport, particularly on departure. Departing passengers are sometimes asked to accompany an officer to a local hospital for an x-ray. Beware of people claiming to be security officials, if in doubt ask other airline or airport staff.
Official source: Smartraveller (Australian Government) – Venezuela travel advice, section “Visas and border measures” · page updated 2 September 2026, still current at 17 October 2026 (Australian time) · checked on 17 October 2026 · Content from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website - www.smartraveller.gov.au, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (copyright notice). Changes: we quote excerpts unchanged and leave out some general notes; the short summaries are ours.
How long must my Australian passport be valid for Venezuela?
We quote the official text word for word and do not summarise it. The official sentence does not match a wording we summarise.
Official text, “Passport”:
Validity
Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months before entering or departing. This includes for transit.
If your passport expires too soon, you might not be able to travel.
The Australian Government doesn’t make these rules. Check your passport’s expiry date before you go. If you’re not sure, it’s a good idea to get a new passport.
The same section also has Smartraveller's general notes (“Lost or stolen passport”, “Passport with ‘X’ gender identifier”), the same on every destination page: read them on the official page.
Official source: Smartraveller (Australian Government) – Venezuela travel advice, section “Passport” · page updated 2 September 2026, still current at 17 October 2026 (Australian time) · checked on 17 October 2026 · Content from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller website - www.smartraveller.gov.au, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (copyright notice). Changes: we quote excerpts unchanged and leave out some general notes; the short summaries are ours.
For Australian passport holders. These rules are published by Smartraveller, the Australian Government's travel advice service (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), for Australian citizens. Before You Fly is an independent site: it is not an Australian Government site and is not endorsed by DFAT. The airline and the border officials of the destination decide whether you can travel or enter: this site is information, not legal advice. British passport? See the UK (FCDO) rules.
Read the full official travel advice for Venezuela (safety, health, local laws) before you travel.
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