Go, but pay attention.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Australia
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go, but pay attention.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Big city petty crime
Sydney experiences standard big city petty crime. Stay alert and keep your belongings secure to avoid theft.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Tram traffic laws
It is illegal to U-turn across tram tracks in Melbourne. You must also not pass a tram while its doors are open and passengers are disembarking.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Tap water safe to drink: Yes
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hepatitis B, Japanese Encephalitis, Measles, Rabies
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
The visa policy of Australia deals with the requirements that a foreign national wishing to enter Australia must meet to obtain a visa, which is a permit to travel, to enter and remain in the country. A visa may also entitle the visa holder to other privileges, such as a right to work, study, etc. and may be subject to conditions.
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Australia. Attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals. You should be vigilant, keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities. In December 2025, 15 people were killed in an antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach, Sydney. In April 2024, several people were injured in a terrorist incident at a church in Wakeley, Sydney. See the Australian government’s national terrorism threat level .
Source: UK FCDO →Real, not invented
Cultural & legal notes
LGBT+ travellers
Same-sex marriages are legally recognised. Australia is generally open-minded about homosexuality, but there are isolated incidents of homophobic crime. Visit Gay Australia is a useful travel planning resource alongside LGBT+ information from the Australian Human Rights Commission . Read more advice for LGBT+ travellers .
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Emergencies: The number [tel:000 000] (called 'triple zero' or 'triple oh') can be dialled from any telephone in Australia free of charge.
- •If you want to contact these services but the situation is not an emergency, don't call 000: you can call the police assistance line on [tel:131444 131 444].
- •If you require assistance during a flood, storm, cyclone, tsunami, earthquake or other natural disaster you can contact the State Emergency Service in each state (except for Northern Territory) on [tel:132500 132 500].
- •You can dial 000 from all mobile phones.
- •Hearing or speech impaired people with TTY equipment can dial [tel:106 106].…
Staying healthy
- •Skin: Exposure to the sun at Australian latitudes frequently results in sunburn, and Australians have the highest skin cancer rate in the world.
- •Re-apply sunscreen every 2–3 hours throughout the day as it wears off quickly if you are sweating or swimming.
- •Spray-on sunscreen from an aerosol bottle is popular because of its ease of use; however, it is far less effective than traditional sunscreen.
- •If you are heading to the beach, consider buying a sun-tent (less than $20 from discount and hardware stores).
- •Food preparation: Australia has high hygiene standards, with restaurants required to observe strict food preparation standards. Food poisoning rates are comparable to other first world nations.
- •Water: The tap water in urban Australia is always safe to drink.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Right now
In the news the last few days
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- B . C . Wildfires Updates : High potential for new fires | New evacuation order for Bald Range blaze | State of emergency declared2026-08-09
- Wildfire forces 20 , 000 people to flee as British Columbia declares state of emergency2026-08-09
- British Columbia district declares state of emergency , issues evacuation orders as wildfire rages2026-08-09
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
I · 230V
Driving side
left
Emergency
police: 000 / ambulance: 000 / fire: 000
Tipping
Tipping is not customary in Australia, although tips are somewhat accepted if you freely choose to give one; however, tips are becoming increasingly frowned upon. Restaurants are required to include the cost of service and taxes in posted prices. You may, however, choose to leave a small tip if the service was exemplary. When paying by credit card, a few restaurants give the option of adding a tip
SIM / Data
Australia has three mobile phone networks: Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. All three operate LTE (4G) and 5G networks; 3G has been phased out. Generally speaking, Telstra provides the best coverage, but is the most expensive, while Vodafone often does not have coverage in rural towns, but is the cheapest. Unpopulated or sparsely populated areas away from major roads are unlikely to have service at al
Cash vs. Card
The most commonly accepted credit cards are MasterCard and Visa, including those in a digital wallet, such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay. American Express and Diners Club are accepted at most major supermarkets and department stores. Cards showing the Cirrus or Maestro logos can be used anywhere those logos are displayed. JCB, UnionPay, AliPay and WeChat Pay are available intermittently
Zoom in
16 Australia cities on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (9 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- reddit — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09