If you regularly travel for business, you’ll know how important it is to adjust yourself to the climate and customs of the place that you’re heading to. So, if you find yourself preparing for your first trip to Australia on business, you’ll no doubt have a few questions about how things work over here.

Australians are known for their laidback way of life and happy-go-lucky attitudes, but how does that translate to their work ethic and ways of doing business? We’ve done all the research for you and have created this handy guide to everything you need to know about travelling to Australia for business.

So, now all you need to worry about is packing your case.

Fast facts

Language: English
Capital city: Canberra
Largest city: Sydney
Currency: Australian dollar (AUD)
Dialling code: +61
Population: 25.4 million (2019)
Total area: 7.692 million km²

Public holidays

• New Year’s Day (1st January)
• Australia Day (26th January)
• Good Friday
• Easter Monday
• Anzac Day (25th April)
• Christmas Day (25th December)
• Boxing Day (26th December)

Visa requirements

When it comes to entering Australia, there are a number of different types of visas available. Regardless of the purpose of your visit, everyone passing through border control needs to have the appropriate visa or travel documentation, so it’s important to ensure that you have the relevant one.

If your business trip is due to last for less than 90 days, then you may be eligible to apply for an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority), which allows you to visit for business purposes, but not to actually work in the country.

Getting around

Australia is a big place, with a lot of land to cover. If you’re flying into one of the big cities such as Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane and your business meeting is fairly central, then you should have no problem using the country’s efficient public transport system.

If, however, you’re travelling to somewhere further afield, you might need to take a look into domestic flights options or see what rental cars are available to make your journey as hassle-free as possible.

Time zones

Due to the sheer size of Australia, there are multiple different time zones, including some that are half-hour or quarter-hour zones. These can range from UTC+8:00, right through to UTC+10:30. It’s worth noting that only certain states and territories observe Daylight Saving Time, too, which can get a little confusing. For example, if you’re travelling up Australia’s east coast, New South Wales does follow DST, whereas Queensland doesn’t.

So, if you’re working anywhere near the border of the two states, your time zone may change a number of times a day. That’s definitely something to bear in mind where meeting times are concerned.

Climate

Australia is known for its year-round sunshine (wear your Ray ban sunglasses,) boasting predominantly warm and dry weather all across the country. It has two main climates – the tropical zone in the north, with its two seasons and the temperate zone in the south, which has four seasons.

Being in the southern hemisphere, its summer and winter seasons are opposite to the northern hemisphere, so the majority of tourists tend to visit between the months of October and March. Of course, travelling for business, you could be visiting at any time of year, but your usual business attire and maybe a lightweight jacket should suffice at most times.

Business etiquette

Australians are incredibly hard-working people, but they still manage to maintain their pleasant and humorous nature during most business encounters, too. Smart business attire is usually the norm and handshakes are the usual form of greeting. Despite the relaxed approach to business, punctuality is still of utmost importance.

Travel advice

It’s always best to check your local government website for any official advice when it comes to travelling to Australia. And be sure to have any recommended vaccinations in plenty of time before your trip, too.

Anything we’ve missed off? We’ve hopefully covered everything you’re likely to need to know and you should now be all set for your business trip to Australia.