The most widely used Australia abbreviation is AU, the two letter country code set by the international ISO standard. Its three letter partner is AUS, which you will see on sports scoreboards, passports and shipping forms. In ordinary writing, older style guides shorten the name to Aust. or Aus.
Context decides which one fits best. A drop down menu on an online order form usually wants AU. A medal table at a big sporting event shows AUS. A footnote in a book may use Aust. And Australians themselves often call their country Oz in casual talk.
Quick facts
Two letter code
AUThree letter code
AUSNumber code
036In writing
Aust. or Aus. (with a period)Web ending
.auPhone code
+61Currency code
AUD, the Australian dollarNickname
Oz, and Aussie for a person
Every common Australia abbreviation at a glance
| Form | Type | Where you see it |
|---|---|---|
| AU | ISO two letter code | Online checkouts, parcel labels, web endings, data files |
| AUS | ISO three letter code | Passports, sports results, car stickers, flight records |
| 036 | ISO number code | Banking and statistics systems |
| Aust. | Traditional abbreviation | Books, notes, reference lists |
| Aus. | Short traditional form | Informal notes, headlines |
| Oz | Nickname | Casual speech and travel writing |
The codes use capital letters only, never periods. The traditional forms start with a capital and end with a period.
AU, the two letter code
AU is what most computer systems store when they need a country. It is also the root of the web ending .au, which Australian sites use, often after another part such as .gov.au for government pages. If a checkout page asks for your country code and you live in Australia, choose AU.
Shipping form: "Country: AU, Postcode: 2000." The courier reads this as an address in Australia with a four digit postcode, which here points to central Sydney.
Be careful not to confuse AU with AT, which is Austria. Austria's three letter code is AUT, also close to AUS. You can compare them on the Austria abbreviation page.
AUS in sports and travel
AUS appears wherever a three letter tag is easier to read. Passports and visas carry it in their machine readable lines. International sports bodies, including the Olympic movement, list Australian athletes as AUS. Cars driven abroad have used AUS on an oval country sticker.
You will also see AUD for the Australian dollar on exchange boards and bank statements. That code is built from AU plus D for dollar, following the same pattern as other currency codes.
Aust. and Aus. in writing
In running text, write Australia in full. Short forms belong in tables, citations and tight spaces. Aust. is the more formal choice and appears in many reference works and legal citations. Aus. is shorter and turns up in headlines and quick notes.
People sometimes ask for the abbreviation for Australia in casual chat. In that case, Oz is common and widely understood, and an Australian person is an Aussie, said "OZ ee." Keep those for friendly writing, not forms. The how to abbreviate guide covers the general rules.
Australian state and territory codes
Australia has six states and two mainland territories, each with a short code used in addresses. Australia Post asks for these in capitals with no periods, before the postcode.
| Code | Full name |
|---|---|
| NSW | New South Wales |
| VIC | Victoria |
| QLD | Queensland |
| WA | Western Australia |
| SA | South Australia |
| TAS | Tasmania |
| ACT | Australian Capital Territory |
| NT | Northern Territory |
American readers should note that WA here means Western Australia, not the state of Washington. Context and the postcode make it clear. Compare the US code on the Washington abbreviation page.
Quick tips for the right short form
- Online forms and data: AU.
- Passports, sports, three letter fields: AUS.
- Footnotes and citations: Aust.
- Addresses inside Australia: the state code, such as VIC 3000.
- Friendly writing: Oz, if the tone allows.
For codes of other nations, such as Canada or Germany, browse the country abbreviations hub.
Questions people ask
What is Australia's two letter country code?
It is AU, the ISO country code. It is used on address forms, in databases and in the .au web ending.
Which three letter code does Australia use?
AUS is the three letter code. It appears on passports, sports scoreboards and many travel records.
Is AU Australia or Austria?
AU is Australia. Austria uses AT as its two letter code and AUT as its three letter code.
Why is Australia called Oz?
Oz is a casual nickname that comes from the sound of the first syllable of Australia. It is informal and best kept for friendly writing and speech.
Should I write Australia or AU in a sentence?
Spell out Australia in ordinary sentences. Save AU and AUS for forms, labels and tables where space is short.