Travellers heading to Australia must apply for an Australia visa. Only Australian citizens are exempt from the requirement to apply for an Australia visa. Travellers from the UK and Ireland always need to apply for an Australia visa.
Australia's immigration laws are particularly strict. When boarding for Australia in the UK or Ireland, it is already necessary to show proof of having an Australia visa. Australia offers many variants of the visa, such as the eVisitor and the ETA Australia, and that makes it difficult for many travellers to know which Australia visa to apply for. Read on to find out the difference between the two.
Digital visas
Over the past few years, Australia has been committed to increasing the level of digitisation of its visa application and processing procedures. As a result, travellers need to visit the Australian embassy less and less often to deal with the necessary paperwork. The number of countries offering digital travel authorisations is increasing rapidly, and in recent years Australia has introduced the possibility of obtaining a visa fully online.
The advantage of applying for an Australia visa online lies in the quick processing time and lower costs. When it comes to Australia, it can be difficult to choose the most appropriate visa, as it is possible to apply for both an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) or the cheaper eVisitor visa. The variant to choose may depend on several factors, but usually the eVisitor visa for Australia is sufficient.
When to apply for an eVisitor Australia visa
The eVisitor visa (subclass 651) is by far the most popular Australia visa among UK and Irish travellers. This variant of the Australia visa can easily be applied for online without having to visit the Australian embassy.
The Australia eVisitor visa is always valid for 12 months and allows you to enter and leave the country an unlimited number of times. During each trip, you are permitted to stay in Australia for up to three consecutive months.
The eVisitor Australia is the most popular visa. On this site we always recommend applying for this type of visa rather than the more expensive ETA Australia, as it is almost always sufficient. With a price of £24.95, the eVisitor is much cheaper than the ETA.
The eVisitor Australia is also easier to apply for. The application process takes place completely online in just a few minutes and without the need to leave the house. The visa is then granted within just five days. The only disadvantage of the eVisitor is that it cannot be used for all travel purposes. Travellers who want to stay in Australia for more than three months or who want to work for an Australian employer cannot use this visa. Furthermore, the eVisitor Australia can only be applied for by European travellers. Travellers from outside Europe often have to use the ETA Australia. UK and Irish travellers can use the cheaper variant.
Australia strictly monitors for misuse of the eVisitor visa. Therefore, it is important to always apply for the correct visa. Failure to do so may result in the traveller being banned from entering Australia for a certain number of years.
When to apply for an ETA Australia
The ETA Australia is mainly intended for travellers who do not have a UK, Irish or other European citizenship. This visa has the same conditions as the eVisitor visa, so it does not allow you to work for an Australian employer and only allows a maximum stay of three months. An advantage of the ETA Australia over the eVisitor visa is that it can be applied for by more nationalities. Please note that this visa is considerably more expensive. We therefore always recommend applying for an eVisitor Australia visa, unless there are reasons to apply for an ETA.
Applying for an eVisitor e-visa Australia
If you are travelling to Australia, it is necessary to apply for a mandatory visa Australia. Only people holding an Australian passport do not need to apply for a visa. Children travelling with you must have their own visa. The visa check already takes place at the time of boarding. Make sure that you submit your visa application on time, as it usually takes several working days for the application to be approved.
Choose the eVisitor Australia. This visa is suitable for business, tourism, voluntary work and short studies. Applying for this visa only takes a few minutes and costs £24.95 per person. Make sure that you also keep in mind the conditions of use of the visa.
Urgent eVisitor Australia application
If you need your visa Australia urgently, submit an urgent application. In 95% of cases, you will then receive the visa by email within an hour. In very few cases, applications are randomly selected for further review, which might delay the process of granting the visa. Therefore, always make sure to submit your application on time.
Please note: this news article about the visa for Australia is more than one year old. It might contain outdated information and advice, and no rights can therefore be derived from this article. Are you going on a trip soon and do you wish to do know what rules currently apply? Read all about the up-to-date information about the visa for Australia.