Subclass 601

Electronic Travel Authority

Visit Australia as often as you wish in a 12-month period. Stay up to 3 months each time you enter Australia.

Overview

Important information about the ETA

All ETA-eligible passport holders must apply for an ETA using the Australian ETA app. For more information, see our Step by step guide.
If you are unable to use the app, you can apply online through ImmiAccount for another visa that suits your needs.
European passport holders may be eligible for an eVisitor (subclass 651)

Australian citizens are ineligible to apply for an ETA, refer to Entering Australia.

Stay

Up to 3 months at a time

Cost

There is a service charge of AUD20 to use the Australian ETA app. There is no other charge payable for an ETA.

Processing times

In most cases you will be notified of the result of your ETA application immediately. Your application may take longer if you do not complete the application process correctly or we require further information. We recommend that you apply well ahead of when you want to travel.

With this visa you can

visit family or friends
cruise or have a holiday
undertake some business visitor activities

See all conditions

Check your eligibility

You must

apply from outside Australia
have an eligible passport
use the Australian ETA app
watch the ETA video guides.

About this visa

Important information about the ETA

Australian citizens are ineligible to apply for an ETA, refer to Entering Australia.

With this visa you can

How long you can stay

Stay longer

Including family

Cost

Apply from

Processing times

Your obligations

Health insurance

Travel

Visa label

Other visas

With this visa you can

Travel to Australia:

as a tourist - for example, to cruise or have a holiday
to visit family or friends
as a business visitor

You can study or train for up to 3 months in total on this visa. If your main reason for travelling to Australia is to study, you should apply for a student visa.

Note: You should apply for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa and complete the relevant health checks if you are seeking to:

train at a childcare centre
study to be a doctor, dentist, nurse or paramedic
enter health care or hospital environments.

Cruise

You will need a visa if you enter Australia during a cruise.

If your cruise is a round trip cruise starting from Australia, the time you spend on the cruise counts as time spent in Australia - that is, we do not consider you have left Australia. A round trip cruise will not reset your stay period on your visa.

Ask your cruise operator or travel agent if we consider your cruise to be a round trip cruise.

Business visitor

As a business visitor, you can:

make general business or employment enquiries
investigate, negotiate, enter into or review a business contract
conduct activities as part of an official government visit
take part in a conference, trade fair or seminar. The organisers can't pay you to take part.

You can't:

work for or provide services to a business or organisation based in Australia
sell goods or services directly to the public

The ETA is not a work visa. You cannot undertake paid work for an Australian employer. If you work or intend to work in Australia on an ETA, your ETA may be cancelled. You may be removed or refused entry to Australia.

To work in Australia, you must hold a visa that permits you to work. See Working in Australia.

How long you can stay

This is a temporary visa. It is valid for travel to Australia for either 12 months, or for the period your passport is valid, whichever is shorter.

The visa is granted with multiple entry. You can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while it is valid. You can remain in Australia for 3 months after each entry.

If you stay in Australia for long periods or make frequent visits to Australia, we may ask you about your travel purpose next time you enter Australia. If you are found not to be a genuine visitor, your ETA may be cancelled.

If you want to stay longer than 3 months at a time, you need to apply for a different visa that suits your circumstances.

The 12 month visa period starts on the date it is granted unless you hold another substantive visa that is already in effect.

Stay longer

You can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. You must apply for another visa.

To find out about other visas, explore your visa options.

If you remain in Australia after your ETA ceases, and do not hold another visa to remain, you will become an unlawful non-citizen and you may be removed from Australia.

Including family

You can't include family members, such as children or your spouse, in your application. Each family member, including those listed on your passport, must submit a separate application.

Cost

There is no Visa Application Charge (VAC) however there is an application service fee of AUD20 to use the Australian ETA app.

Apply from

You must be outside Australia when you apply for the ETA and outside Australia when the visa is granted.

Processing times

In most cases, you will be notified of the result of your ETA application immediately.

Your application might take longer to process if:

you don't answer the questions in the ETA app correctly
we need more information from you
your information is hard to verify.

If you have a criminal conviction in any country, we will need more information from you. You should apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) and provide evidence about your criminal convictions.

Your obligations

You must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws.

Health insurance

We recommend you take out health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment you might need in Australia. You are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Insurance can help limit your financial liability.

See what we consider adequate health insurance.

Learn more about health insurance for overseas visitors.

Reciprocal healthcare agreements

Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from Services Australia about reciprocal healthcare agreements.

Travel

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid.

Visa label

We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.

Your ETA is attached to your current passport. If your current passport expires or you get a new passport:

your ETA will cease
you must apply for a new ETA

Other visas

Maritime Crew visa or Special Purpose visa

If you hold a Maritime Crew visa or a Special Purpose visa and you are granted an ETA, you will hold both visas concurrently. When you arrive in Australia, you will enter on both visas. You can stay in Australia for the longer of the 2 visa periods.

If the longer period exceeds 3 months the ETA will cease, but you can remain for the duration of the other visa's stay period.

Any other substantive visa

If you hold any other substantive visa and an ETA when you arrive in Australia, you will enter Australia on your other substantive visa, not your ETA. Your ETA will come into effect when the other visa ceases.

However, the 3-month ETA stay period still begins when you enter Australia.

Check your other substantive visa is valid for more than 3 months if you want to stay in Australia longer than the 3-month ETA stay period.

Eligibility

Important information about the ETA

Australian citizens are ineligible to apply for an ETA, refer to Entering Australia.

Have an eligible passport

You must hold a valid passport from one of these countries or jurisdictions to be eligible for an ETA. You cannot apply for an ETA with a non-citizen passport, certificate of identity or other travel document, such as a Titre de Voyage.

Andorra
Austria
Belgium
Brunei
Canada
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hong Kong (SAR of China)
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Malaysia
Malta
Monaco
Norway
Portugal
Republic of San Marino
Singapore
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan (excluding official or diplomatic passports)
The Netherlands
United Kingdom—British Citizen
United Kingdom—British National (Overseas)
United States of America
Vatican City

If you hold more than one passport, you must declare this in your ETA application and provide details of your other passports.

If you hold an ETA eligible passport, but you are also an Australian citizen, you cannot apply for an ETA. Australian citizens have an automatic right of entry and do not need a visa to enter Australia. See Travelling as a dual citizen.

Be a genuine visitor

You must only intend to stay temporarily in Australia and obey any condition or stay period attached to your visa.

Meet our health requirement

You must meet our health requirement.

Where a visa applicant has previously failed to meet the health requirement, the most appropriate visa for these applicants is a Visitor (subclass 600) visa.

If you will be entering health care or hospital environments, you should apply for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa.

Meet our character requirement

You must meet our character requirement.

If you have a criminal conviction in any country, you should apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) and provide evidence about your criminal convictions.

If you are granted an ETA, but we find that you provided incorrect information, your ETA may be cancelled.

Have paid back debt to the Australian Government

If you or any family members (including those who don't apply for the visa with you) owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or have arranged to pay it back.

Best interests of the child

We might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Meet all these criteria? Check how to apply in our step by step guide.

Step by step

Important information about the ETA

Australian citizens are ineligible to apply for an ETA, refer to Entering Australia.

Step 1

Before you apply

Check you have a valid passport.
Download the Australian ETA app for free from the Apple Store (Apple) or Google Play store (Android).
Watch the ETA video guides.

Help with your application

Travel industry representatives can use the Australian ETA app to assist you in lodging an application. They must take a live facial image of you when they lodge the application. Failure to take a live image may result in your visa not being granted.

More information for industry representatives is available at:

Step 2

Apply for the visa

Apply using the Australian ETA app

To apply for an ETA using the Australian ETA app, you need to have:

A mobile device with a camera which can take your photo and an image of the Passport data page.
Near-field communication (NFC) enabled on your mobile device.
Location services enabled on your mobile device.
A valid email address.
A valid payment method ready to pay the service fee.

You can't include family members in your application. Each family member, including those listed on your passport, must submit a separate application. If all family members apply using the same mobile device, you can submit and pay for the applications at the same time.

You can get help from a friend or family member to apply through the app but you must be physically with them when you apply. Authorised travel agents and industry representatives can also make an ETA application on your behalf using the app.

More information for industry representatives is available at:

If an agent makes the application on your behalf, you must still be physically present when they make the application. You will need to have your photo taken and have your passport available for scanning.

After you have downloaded and opened the app on your mobile device, you need to:

scan your passport to pre-fill your name, date of birth, passport number and other details
take a photo of yourself
answer some questions, including whether you have any criminal convictions, any prior names and contact details in Australia
pay the service fee
submit the application.

Note: You must check that all details of your application, including name and date of birth, are correct before submitting your application. You must also check that you have answered all questions in the app correctly.

If you need more help, check the Frequently Asked Questions within the app.

Other ways to apply

If you are ineligible or unable to apply for an ETA using the Australian ETA app, you can apply online for another visa that suits your needs through ImmiAccount.

European passport holders may be eligible for an eVisitor (subclass 651) visa.
There is no charge to make an eVisitor application.

Other passport holders may be eligible for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa.

Provide accurate information

When applying, you must truthfully answer all questions. This includes declaring:

if you hold any other passports
if you have been known by any other name
any criminal conviction or domestic violence history.

If you do not provide accurate information your ETA may be cancelled.

If your ETA details do not exactly match your passport details you might experience delays when boarding your aircraft or be refused entry in Australia.

We cannot change the details on an ETA once it has been issued.

Step 3

After you apply

In most cases, you will be notified of the result of your ETA application immediately. Sometimes there will be a delay before receiving your notification. Check your emails, including your junk mail folder, for a written notification from us.

Your application might take longer to process if:

you don't fill it in correctly
we need more information from you
your information is hard to verify.

If you have a criminal conviction in any country, we will need more information from you. You should apply for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa and provide evidence about your criminal convictions.

Travel

Don't arrange to travel to Australia until we let you know, in writing, that we have granted you the visa.

Step 4

Visa outcome

We will let you know our decision on your visa application in writing. If the visa is granted we will tell you:

your visa grant number
the date your visa starts
your visa conditions.

You should keep a copy of our decision with you while in Australia.

If we refuse your visa we will let you know in writing. We will tell you why we refused your visa and whether you have a right to a review of the decision.

If your application cannot be processed or approved without further information.

You will receive a letter detailing how to provide this information. You must:

use the link in the letter to submit an online form directly in ImmiAccount
answer all questions in the online form and attach the required supporting documentation
complete and attach Form 1554: ETA Request for further processing to the online form.

If your application cannot be processed without further information you can also consider applying for another visa that is suitable for your travel needs. See explore your visa options

Please do not submit further ETA applications through the Australian ETA app. You will receive the same results.

When you have this visa

Important information about the ETA

Australian citizens are ineligible to apply for an ETA, refer to Entering Australia.

Coming to Australia

In Australia

Leaving Australia

Coming to Australia

Before you travel

Check your travel documents

You must have:

a valid visa to enter Australia
a valid passport or other travel document.

Your ETA is electronically linked to the passport you used to apply for your ETA. You must enter Australia using the same passport. If this passport expires or you get a new passport:

your ETA will cease
you must apply for a new ETA.

At the border

Complete an Incoming Passenger Card

Everyone who arrives in Australia must complete an Incoming Passenger Card.

Using the SmartGate

A SmartGate is an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

In Australia

What you must do on an ETA

You must meet all visa conditions and obey Australian laws. See your conditions in your visa grant letter or VEVO.

If you breach any visa conditions, your ETA may be cancelled. You may be removed or refused entry to Australia.

Check your ETA status and details

You can check the details and status of your ETA in VEVO.

You can also check the status of your application on the Australian ETA App by using the “Visa check” function.

Tell us about a change in your situation

Your ETA is electronically linked to the passport you used to apply for your ETA. You must enter Australia using the same passport. If this passport expires or you get a new passport, your ETA will cease and you must apply for a new ETA.

What you can do on an ETA

You can travel to Australia:

to visit family or friends
as a tourist - for example, to cruise or have a holiday
as a business visitor.

You can study or train for up to 3 months in total on an ETA. If your main reason for travelling to Australia is to study, you should apply for a student visa.

Business visitor

As a business visitor, you can:

make general business or employment enquiries
investigate, negotiate, enter into or review a business contract
conduct activities as part of an official government visit
take part in a conference, trade fair or seminar. The organisers can't pay you to take part.

You can't:

work for or provide services to a business or organisation based in Australia
sell goods or services directly to the public.

If you want to work in Australia, you need to apply for a visa that allows work.

To see your specific conditions use VEVO.

If you work or intend to work in Australia on an ETA, or breach your visa conditions, your ETA may be cancelled. You may be removed or refused entry to Australia.

Travel on your visa

The ETA is granted with multiple entry. You can leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you want while it is valid. You can stay in Australia for up to 3 months on each entry.

See how long you can stay

See when you must leave in VEVO.

Staying longer

You can't stay in Australia longer by extending an ETA. You must apply for a new visa if you want to stay longer. See your options.

Prove you have a visa

To prove you have an ETA and show your conditions to someone, use VEVO.

Leaving Australia

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have a valid passport or other travel document to leave Australia.

At the border

Departures SmartGate

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

After you leave

International Movement Record

To get proof of your travel in and out of Australia, request your international movement records.

Other visas and streams you may be interested in...

Visitor visa (subclass 600)

Tourist stream (apply outside Australia)

This visa stream lets you visit Australia as a tourist, to go on a cruise or to visit family and friends.

Stay

Up to 12 months

Cost

From AUD195.00

Processing Time

For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.

We might grant you a stay of 3, 6 or 12 months
Visit friends and family, cruise or have a holiday
You must be outside Australia when you apply and when we decide your visa.