Australia Electronic Travel Authority (ETA, subclass 601)

Who can get an ETA

You must hold a valid passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction ¹. The Department of Home Affairs lists 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, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan (not official or diplomatic passports), the Netherlands, the United States and Vatican City ¹.

United Kingdom British Citizen and British National (Overseas) passports are eligible ¹. You cannot apply with a non-citizen passport, certificate of identity or other travel document ¹.

Who should not use it

Australian citizens cannot apply, even with an eligible second passport ¹. If you have a criminal conviction in any country, Home Affairs says to apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead ¹. European passport holders may be eligible for the eVisitor (subclass 651) visa, which Home Affairs lists as free ^1,3. The eVisitor is valid for 12 months from grant, with stays of up to 3 months per entry ³. You apply for it through ImmiAccount, not the ETA app ^1,3.

Cost

There is no visa application charge for the ETA. There is a A$20 service fee to use the Australian ETA app ¹. The UK Foreign Office describes it the same way, with no visa charge but a possible service fee ². The app itself is free to download ¹.

How and when to apply

You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted ¹. In most cases you get the result immediately. Home Affairs suggests not making travel arrangements until the ETA is granted ¹.

• You need a phone with a camera, NFC and location services turned on, a valid email address and a payment method ¹.
• Scan your passport, take a photo of yourself, answer the questions and pay the service fee ¹.
• Each family member needs a separate application. Families using one device can submit and pay together ¹.
• A friend, relative or travel agent can help, but you must be present for the live photo ¹.

How long it lasts

The ETA is valid for 12 months or until your passport expires, whichever is shorter. You can enter as many times as you like and stay up to 3 months each time ¹. It cannot be extended ¹.

The ETA is linked to your passport. If the passport expires or you get a new one, the ETA ends and you must apply again ¹.

Apply only through the official app

Home Affairs says you must use the Australian ETA app to apply if you hold an eligible passport ¹. Any website offering an ETA for a larger fee is not the government service. The official charge is the A$20 app service fee ¹.