Visas

All international World Youth Day participants will need a visa to enter Australia for the event. The Australian Government has announced that visas for World Youth Day pilgrims are free of government charges, and a standard stay of 3 months with multiple entry to Australia.

The World Youth Day visa will be either an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or Tourist visa depending on your passport.

Pilgrims who register for World Youth Day through Egeria, and whose nomination is supported by their local bishop, will be eligible to apply for a World Youth Day visa. Media attending World Youth Day will need to apply for an appropriate visa according to normal processes, including paying the normal Visa Application Charge.

For more information on visas, please visit the Department of Immigration and Citzenship . You can also contact the call centre, on telephone (Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm (AEST)): +61 1300 550 684 (outside Australia) or 1300 550 684 (within Australia - for the cost of a local call).

Time

Australia has three time zones:

• East: GMT + 10
• Central: GMT + 9.5
• West: GMT + 8.

Sydney is in the eastern time zoneand in July, will be GMT + 10 hours.

Travel within Australia

Flight time Sydney-Perth (East to West): 5 hours

Flight time Adelaide-Darwin (north to south): 3 hours 40 minutes

As a guide here are the distances from the major cities to Sydney:

• Canberra: 292km or 181 miles
• Melbourne: 873km or 543 miles
• Brisbane: 984km or 611 miles
• Adelaide: 1415km or 879 miles
• Perth: 3972km or 2468 miles
• Darwin: 4301km or 2673 miles

Weather in July (in Australian major cities)

Sydney enjoys a temperate climate with a mild winter, and has more than 340 sunny days a year. Average daily temperatures in July in Sydney are similar to those of: Rome, Madrid and Washington D.C. in April or Paris, London, Toronto and Buenos Aires in May

Entering and departing Australia

Customs and quarantine

Overseas pilgrims should also be aware that Australia has strict customs and quarantine laws to prevent the movement of certain goods and protect our island continent from the spread of disease.

Yellow fever vaccination is the only health requirement for entering Australia and is only required in some circumstances. For more information visit the Department of Health and Ageing website at www.health.gov.au .

When arriving at an Australian international airport everyone must complete an Incoming Passenger Card and declare any restricted or prohibited goods. These include all medicinal products (including prescription medications), firearms, weapons, heritage items, protected wildlife items and currency over $10,000.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service also require that any food, plant or animal products be declared on the Incoming Passenger Card. Items of quarantine concern include but are not limited to: wooden crosses or icons, rosary beads, beeswax candles, holy water and soil, and any food stuffs, including snacks and airline food.

If you are ever unsure whether goods need to be declared, it is always better to declare it than to try and hide it. Customs and Quarantine officers may check your baggage contents with an x-ray machine, a detector dog team or by manual inspection. Customs and Quarantine officers may also question travellers at any time, selecting people and their baggage for detailed examination. Any items that have not been declared on the Incoming Passenger card will be found and passengers could be given an on-the-spot fine. More serious breaches risk prosecution.

For further information on customs and quarantine laws visit:

• Australian Customs Service: www.customs.gov.au
• Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service: www.aqis.gov.au which includes the ICON database ( www.aqis.gov.au/icon ) for a complete list of what you can and cannot bring into Australia.

Carry-on baggage on international flights

There are restrictions on the items you're allowed to take in your carry-on baggage on domestic and international flights. Aviation security legislation regulates and prohibits, unless exempted, possession of prohibited items and weapons on board aircraft. You should check for a list of these prohibited items at the airport.

Recent restrictions have also been introduced on the amount of liquids, aerosols and gels which can be taken on flights into and out of Australia. These rules also apply when transiting on international flights within Australia.

Each container of liquids, aerosols or gels in your carry-on baggage must be 100 millilitres/grams or less. All the containers must be sealed in a transparent, one-litre plastic bag. You are only allowed one plastic bag. Any transparent resealable bag of one litre capacity or less is allowed. Please note, these bags must be independently resealable. Bags sealed with items such as sticky tape, rubber bands or ribbons will not be accepted.

You may still carry on board prescription medicines. Baby products and non-prescription medicines that you need for the flight are also allowed. Proof of need may be required.

When you get to the screening point, you will have to surrender any liquids, aerosols or gels greater than 100ml/g that you still have with you, including duty free items.