Australian Embassy
Belgium, Luxembourg and Mission to the European Union and NATO

 

Latitude Financial Services data breach

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is aware of a cyber incident impacting Latitude Financial Services.

Copies of approximately 103,000 identity documents have been stolen from Latitude Financial. This includes a small number of passports.

Latitude Financial Services is contacting impacted customers directly and continues to investigate the matter to determine the full extent of the cyber-attack.

Foreign passports were also compromised through this cyberattack. If Latitude Financial Services have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do.

More information is available via the following webpage: Latitude Financial Services data breach

 

Luxembourg – Local Municipal Elections – 11 June 2023

Local municipal elections will take place in Luxembourg on Sunday 11 June 2023.

These will be the first municipal elections in which non-Luxembourgish residents of the Grand Duchy will be able to participate without having to have resided for more than 5 years in the Grand Duchy:

  • For foreign nationals, you must have a valid residence card or permit, be domiciled in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and have resided there at the time of the application for registration on the electoral list.

Voters must be registered on the electoral lists in Luxembourg at least 55 days before the date of the municipal elections (by Monday 17 April 2023). It is possible to participate by postal vote. Further information is available via the following link: https://guichet.public.lu/fr/citoyens/citoyennete/elections/elections-communales/inscription-listes-electorales-communales.html

Further information on these elections are available from the Ministry of Family, Integration and the Greater Region: https://mfamigr.gouvernement.lu/fr/campagnes/integration/voter.html

 

Medibank Private/ahm and other recent data breaches – advice for foreign passport holders

Medibank Private/ahm have advised the Australian Passport Office (APO) that some foreign passports for international students were compromised through this cyberattack. Medibank Private/ahm are contacting impacted customers directly.

If Medibank Private/ahm have advised you that your foreign passport information was compromised, you should contact the government that issued the passport for advice on what to do. This is also the case for all data breaches that impact foreign passport holders, including the recent breaches at Optus and Medlab.

The APO has advised that no Australian Travel Document information was compromised in this breach.

More information is available via the following webpage: Medibank Private/ahm and other recent data breaches

 

Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)

If you are a Belgium or Luxembourg passport holder, you can apply for an Australian Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) using the AustralianETA app. An ETA allows you to visit Australia as often as you would like within a 12-month period, and stay up to 3 months each time.

To apply for an Australian ETA, use the AustralianETA app available from the Apple Store or Google Play.

For help using the app, the Australian Department of Home Affairs’ website has a step-by-step guide as well as instructional videos (listed under Step 1).

Further information is available on the Department of Home Affairs’ ETA webpage.

 

If you are unable to use the AustralianETA app, you can explore other visa options using the Visa Finder webpage.

European passport holders may be eligible for an eVisitor (subclass 651).

 

Whether you are visiting Australia for a short period of time or planning to migrate, you must have a valid Australian visa.

 

COVID-19 – Information

From July 6 2022, the way you ​travel to and from Australia has changed.

You no longer need to:

  • fill out a Digital Passenger Declaration or Maritime Travel Declaration when entering Australia
  • declare or prove your vaccination status
  • seek exemptions to enter Australia

Destinations, airlines and cruise ships may have their own COVID-19 vaccination, testing and masking requirements that you are still required to meet.

Masks are still required on flights to Australia.

More information can be found here:

 

 
 
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AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT NEWS LINKS
Prime Minister The Hon Anthony Albanese MP
Minister for  Foreign Affairs  Senator the Hon Penny Wong
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment  Senator the Hon Don Farrell
Treasurer The Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP
Senator the Hon Murray Watt
Minister for Home Affairs The Hon Clare O’Neil MP
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
 

AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS LINKS
Austrade - Frankfurt office
Austrade - Paris office
Australian Network in Belgium (ANiB)

 

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