ETA 601 vs eVisitor 651 vs Visitor 600

Australia has three visas for short tourist and business trips. Which one you can use depends mostly on your passport, and then on your history and how long you want to stay. This guide compares the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA, subclass 601), the eVisitor (subclass 651) and the Visitor visa (subclass 600), using the Home Affairs pages as they stood on 30 September 2026.

The short answer

European passport (EU and a few others)? The eVisitor is free and done online.
Passport from the US, Canada, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Brunei, or a UK BN(O) passport? Use the ETA through the Australian ETA app.
Any other passport, a criminal conviction, a past health issue, or a single visit longer than 3 months? You need a Visitor 600.

At a glance

ETA (601)

Cost: no visa charge, AUD20 app service fee. Apply: Australian ETA app, from outside Australia. Valid: 12 months, or until your passport expires if sooner. Stay: up to 3 months per entry, multiple entries.

eVisitor (651)

Cost: free. Apply: online in ImmiAccount, from outside Australia. Valid: 12 months from grant. Stay: up to 3 months per entry, multiple entries.

Visitor (600), Tourist stream

Cost: AUD250 from outside Australia, AUD630 from inside. Apply: ImmiAccount. Valid and stay: set case by case, generally 3 months and up to 12 months in certain circumstances, single or multiple entry.

ETA (subclass 601)

Who can get it

You need a valid passport from one of these: 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 Kingdom (British Citizen and British National (Overseas)), the United States and Vatican City.

Non-citizen passports, certificates of identity and other travel documents do not qualify. If you are also an Australian citizen, you cannot apply. Enter on your Australian passport instead.

How the ETA app works

You apply only through the free Australian ETA app (Apple App Store or Google Play). You will need:

a phone with a camera, NFC (for reading the chip in your passport) and location services switched on
your passport, a valid email address and a way to pay the AUD20 service fee

You scan your passport, take a live photo of yourself, answer questions (including about criminal convictions, prior names and your contact details in Australia), pay and submit. Family members each need their own application, but they can be submitted and paid together from one device. A friend, family member or travel agent can help, but you must be physically present for the photo.

Most people get a result straight away. Some are delayed if answers are wrong or need checking, so Home Affairs suggests not booking travel until the ETA is granted.

New passport = new ETA. The ETA is linked to the passport you used. If that passport expires or you replace it, the ETA ceases and you must apply again.

eVisitor (subclass 651)

Who can get it

You must be a citizen of, and hold a passport from: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom (British Citizen only) or Vatican City.

British National (Overseas), British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person and British Subject passports cannot be used for the eVisitor. BN(O) holders can use the ETA instead.

How it works

The eVisitor is free. You create an application online, attach your documents and submit, and you must be outside Australia when you apply and when it is decided. Home Affairs says to check your ImmiAccount if no confirmation email arrives within 12 hours. The visa is valid for 12 months from grant, with stays of up to 3 months per entry.

Many European passports appear on both the ETA and eVisitor lists. Either works for a normal trip. The eVisitor costs nothing. The ETA costs AUD20 but is done on your phone, and most people get a result straight away.

Visitor (subclass 600)

The Visitor visa is open to every nationality and has several streams: Tourist, Business Visitor, Sponsored Family, Approved Destination Status and Frequent Traveller. For most people it means the Tourist stream. From outside Australia it costs AUD250 per person under the current Home Affairs pricing table.

Unlike the ETA and eVisitor, the length of stay is decided case by case. Home Affairs generally grants 3 months, and up to 12 months in certain circumstances. It can be single or multiple entry. Parents of Australian citizens or permanent residents may get a visa valid for longer than 12 months. They still cannot stay more than 12 months in total in any 18-month period, the rule known as condition 8558.

You also have to prove more: genuine visitor intent, enough money, and ties to home. If yours was refused, read Visitor Visa 600 Refused? Reasons & Checklist. For this year's fee and policy changes, see Subclass 600: what changed in 2026.

When you need a 600 instead

Even with an ETA or eVisitor passport, Home Affairs directs you to the Visitor 600 if:

You have a criminal conviction in any country. Apply for a 600 and provide evidence about it. Arriving on an eVisitor with a conviction can mean being refused entry.
You have previously failed the health requirement.
You will enter health care or hospital settings, train at a childcare centre, or study to be a doctor, dentist, nurse or paramedic. You will need the relevant health checks.
You want to stay longer than 3 months in one visit.
Your passport is not on either list, or is a non-citizen travel document.

What all three allow, and don't

All three let you holiday, visit family and friends, and study or train for up to 3 months. The ETA and eVisitor also cover business visitor activities: making enquiries, negotiating or reviewing contracts, official government visits, and conferences where the organisers do not pay you.

None of them is a work visa. Working for, or providing services to, an Australian business can get the visa cancelled and lead to removal. Our guide Can I work on a tourist visa? covers the grey areas.

Already hold a Working Holiday visa? Do not apply for an eVisitor after it is granted. Home Affairs says a new eVisitor grant ends your Working Holiday visa and its work rights. An ETA does not. See the Working Holiday 417 vs 462 guide.

Round-trip cruises that start in Australia also catch people out. Time on the cruise counts as time in Australia, so it does not reset your 3-month stay.

Common mistakes

Paying for a 600 when an eVisitor would do. If you have a European passport and no conviction or health issue, check the eVisitor first.
Travelling on a new passport with an ETA tied to the old one. Apply for a new ETA before you fly.
Not declaring a conviction in the ETA app. An ETA granted on incorrect information can be cancelled.
Treating 12 months' validity as a 12-month stay. Each visit is capped at 3 months. Frequent or long visits can lead to questions at the border about whether you are a genuine visitor.
Getting an eVisitor while holding a Working Holiday visa. It ends the Working Holiday visa.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Australian ETA free?

There is no visa application charge for the ETA (subclass 601), but there is an AUD20 service fee to apply through the Australian ETA app. The eVisitor (subclass 651) is free.

I have a UK passport. Should I get an ETA or an eVisitor?

A British Citizen passport is eligible for both. The ETA is applied for through the Australian ETA app and costs AUD20; the eVisitor is applied for online through ImmiAccount and is free. Both allow stays of up to 3 months per entry over 12 months. British National (Overseas) passport holders can use the ETA but not the eVisitor.

Can I stay longer than 3 months on an ETA or eVisitor?

Not in a single visit. Both allow up to 3 months after each entry. If you want to stay longer in one go, apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) or another visa that suits your plans.

When do I need a Visitor 600 instead of an ETA or eVisitor?

When your passport is not on the ETA or eVisitor lists, when you have a criminal conviction in any country, when you have previously failed the health requirement, when you will enter health care or hospital settings or train at a childcare centre, or when you want to stay longer than 3 months at a time.

Can I work on an ETA or eVisitor?

No. Neither is a work visa. Business visitor activities such as meetings, contract negotiations and unpaid conference attendance are allowed, but working for or providing services to an Australian business is not.

Sources

All checked 30 September 2026:

Disclaimer

This article is for general information purposes only. Eligible passport lists, fees and conditions change. This guide was accurate when it was written (30 September 2026) but may not reflect the current law. Nothing in this article is legal advice or migration advice. Always check the official Department of Home Affairs website at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before you travel. For advice about your situation, speak to a Registered Migration Agent (MARA) or a qualified migration lawyer.