Apply to be a visiting overseas tattooist

An overseas visitor tattooist is a person who:

  • lives outside of Australia and visits Queensland
  • performs body art tattooing procedures for fee or reward.

You need to hold a current permit to do this. To hold a permit, you must:

A visitor permit may be issued for a maximum of 31 days with a maximum of 2 permits per person per year.

You can not hold an overseas visitor tattooist permit if you live in Australia. You must hold a tattoo operator or tattooist licence.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a permit, you must:

  • be 18 years or older
  • give us proof of where you will do the body art procedures.

Lodgement

You can lodge your application with the Office of Fair Trading at the address below, at one of our regional offices or at a Queensland Government service centre.

By mail:

Industry Licensing Unit
Office of Fair Trading
GPO Box 3111
Brisbane QLD 4001

Fees

You will need to pay the required fees when you lodge your application.

You can pay by:

  • cheque
  • money order
  • credit card.

Passport and visa

When you lodge the form, you will need to attach a photocopy of your passport and visa. These documents must be certified copies.

Processing time

You must lodge your application at least 28 days before the proposed start date of the permit.

We will decide your application as quickly as we can. It may take some time, as multiple government agencies take part in the approval process. For this reason, you should lodge your application as soon as possible.

We will not decide your application unless:

  • you’ve filled it out completely
  • you include all the required documents.

Refunds

Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to a partial refund if:

  • you withdraw your application
  • we refuse your application.

Unsuccessful application

If your application fails, we will send you a letter to explain the reason for the decision.

If you disagree, you may apply to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal for a review.