It is currently not possible to apply online for the ETA Australia tourist visa (subclass 601). It is not yet clear when this will be possible again.
Popular tourist visa
The abbreviation “ETA” stands for “Electronic Travel Authority”. The travel authorisation is digitally linked to the traveller‘s passport. As the ETA is available for many nationalities, it is the most popular tourist visa for Australia. The Australia ETA is valid for 12 months and can be used for an unlimited number of trips to Australia during this period. Any stay in Australia with an ETA may not exceed three consecutive months. Although it is a tourist visa, the ETA may also be used for short studies or training (of up to three months). One may also travel to Australia on business with an ETA. However, working in Australia is not allowed with an ETA, regardless of the duration of the stay. The application process for the ETA may vary by nationality, as may the costs.
Due to COVID-19, it is temporarily not possible to apply for an ETA for Australia. The online application system is temporarily unavailable. This means that it is not possible to apply for an ETA through a travel or visa agency. There is a special app that travellers can use to still obtain an ETA, but this is only available to a limited number of people. For the vast majority of people, applying for an ETA is therefore currently not possible.
eVisitor or ETA
The Australian government advises eligible travellers to use the eVisitor visa (subclass 651). The eVisitor visa is similar to the ETA for Australia in almost all respects: it is valid for 12 months, the stay in Australia may last up to three months and the eVisitor visa can also be used for a short study or training. The main difference and also the main reason why the ETA is more popular than the eVisitor is that not everyone is eligible for the eVisitor visa. Only people with specific nationalities can apply for an eVisitor visa to travel to Australia. This includes travellers from all countries in the European Union and the United Kingdom.
Applying for an eVisitor
An eVisitor visa for Australia is applied for online, just like the ETA. This is only possible if you are outside Australia at the time of application. Unlike the application procedure for the ETA, the application procedure for the eVisitor is the same for everyone. The price is also the same for everyone, £24.95 per person.
Filling in the online application form usually takes five to ten minutes. If you have been to Australia before, you will be asked for a so-called Visa Grant Number or Visa Label Number in order to process the new application faster. However, this is not a mandatory field.
At the end of the Australia visa application form, some security questions are asked. These are mainly related to a possible criminal past. After the form has been completed truthfully and the payment has been made, the application will be processed. The eVisitor visa is granted on average in 5 days
and urgent requests on average in 60 minutes. Like the ETA, the eVisitor can also be used as a business visa.
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.