The eVisitor is free — if you hold a European passport
Australia charges nothing for an eVisitor: AUD $0, valid 12 months, stays of up to 3 months. The catch is eligibility — it covers 36 European countries, and everyone else needs the AUD $20 ETA.
Independent guide · not affiliated with the Australian Government · updated 17 August 2026
AUD $0
What you pay
No application charge at all
12 months
Valid for
Unlimited entries
3 months
Stay per entry
Tourism or business visits
36
Eligible countries
European passports only
What is the eVisitor?
The eVisitor (subclass 651) is Australia's free visitor visa for European passport holders. It is granted electronically and linked to your passport, so there is no label or stamp to collect. It allows tourism and business visitor activities.
It is valid for 12 months from the date it is granted, allows unlimited entries, and each stay may be up to 3 months. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when it is granted.
It is a visa, not a travel authority
The eVisitor is a full visitor visa (subclass 651) granted electronically. Nothing is stamped in your passport — the grant is recorded against it.
European passports only
Passport holders of 36 European countries are eligible, including all EU members, the UK, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland. Other passports need the ETA instead.
Free — and only on the official site
There is no application charge and no service fee. Any site asking you to pay for an eVisitor is charging for the form, not the visa.
Which visa applies to your passport?
“Free” only applies to the eVisitor, and the eVisitor only applies to European passports. This is the single thing most travellers get wrong.
| Your passport | Visa | Cost | How you apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU, UK, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and other European countries (36 in total) | eVisitor (subclass 651) | AUD $0 | Home Affairs website (ImmiAccount) |
| Japan, United States, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and others | ETA (subclass 601) | AUD $20 | Official mobile app only |
| Not eligible for either | Visitor visa (subclass 600) | Paid — see official site | Home Affairs website |
The ETA cannot be applied for on the Home Affairs website — it is granted through the official app, which reads the chip in your passport. The eVisitor is the opposite: there is no app, only the website. Checked 17 August 2026.
How to apply
STEP 1
Check your passport is eligible
The eVisitor covers 36 European countries. If yours is not on the list — for example Japan, the United States, Canada, Singapore or South Korea — you need the AUD $20 ETA (subclass 601), which is applied for in a mobile app.
STEP 2
Apply online from outside Australia
Applications are made through the Department of Home Affairs website with an ImmiAccount. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted.
STEP 3
Answer the health and character questions
You declare your health and any criminal history. Straightforward applications are decided automatically; a declaration that needs assessment is what usually causes delays.
STEP 4
Wait for the grant email
Many applications are decided in minutes to a few days, but there is no guaranteed turnaround. Apply before booking anything non-refundable, and keep the grant notice with your travel documents.
What you may and may not do
Allowed
- Tourism, visiting family and friends
- Business visitor activities: meetings, negotiations, conferences
- Study or training for up to 3 months
- Leaving and re-entering as often as you like while the visa is valid
Not allowed
- Working for an Australian employer
- Staying more than 3 months on a single entry
- Applying while you are already in Australia
- Selling goods or services to the public
At the border
Carry the same passport you applied with — your visa is recorded against it electronically, so there is nothing to print. Many travellers with an eligible passport can use the automated SmartGates at major airports. Entry is decided by the Australian Border Force officer on arrival, and Australia's biosecurity rules on food, plant and animal products are enforced strictly, so declare anything you are unsure about.
Frequently asked questions
Is the eVisitor really free?
Yes. The Department of Home Affairs charges nothing for an eVisitor (subclass 651) — no visa application charge and no service fee. Commercial sites that quote a price are charging for filling in the form on your behalf, which is not required.
What if my passport is not one of the 36 eligible countries?
Then the eVisitor is not available to you. Passport holders from countries such as Japan, the United States, Canada, Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea apply for the ETA (subclass 601) instead, which has an AUD $20 service charge and is applied for through the official mobile app. If neither applies to you, the Visitor visa (subclass 600) is the paid alternative.
How long can I stay in Australia?
Up to 3 months per entry. The visa itself is valid for 12 months from the date it is granted and allows unlimited entries during that period, so you may return as often as you like as long as each stay is within the 3-month limit.
Can I work on an eVisitor?
No. You may not work for an Australian employer. Business visitor activities — meetings, negotiations, conferences — are allowed, and you may study or train for up to three months, but paid work is not permitted.
Can I apply while I am already in Australia?
No. You must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the visa is granted. If you are already in the country and want to stay longer, you need to apply for a different visa.
Does the eVisitor guarantee entry to Australia?
No. It permits you to travel to Australia, but the decision to let you enter is made by the Australian Border Force officer on arrival.
Do children need their own eVisitor?
Yes. Every traveller needs their own visa, including infants, and each must hold an eligible passport in their own name.
Read more about the eVisitor
What is the eVisitor
The eVisitor is a full visitor visa granted electronically to holders of eligible European passports. What it covers and how it differs from the ETA.
How to apply
Applications are made free of charge through ImmiAccount on the Department of Home Affairs website. The order of the steps and the mistakes that cause delays.
Cost
The Australian government charges AUD $0 for the eVisitor: no visa application charge and no service fee. The ETA for other passports costs AUD $20.
What you need
A valid European passport, an email address and about fifteen minutes. No photo, no payment, no documents to upload for most applicants.
Processing time
Most eVisitor applications are decided automatically within a day. What causes an application to take weeks instead.
Validity
An eVisitor lasts 12 months from the date of grant, or until your passport expires, and allows as many entries as you like within that period.
Length of stay
Up to 3 months per entry, with conditions: no work for an Australian employer and study limited to 3 months.
Check your status
Where the grant notice is sent, how to check an existing visa through VEVO, and what to do if the email never arrives.
FAQ
Short answers to the questions travellers ask most about Australia's free visitor visa.
Three months per visit
The eVisitor lasts twelve months, but each visit is capped at three months. The two numbers are separate, and mixing them up is the most common planning error.
Leaving and returning
Technically each entry restarts the three-month clock. In practice, a pattern of back-to-back visits attracts questions, and the border officer can refuse entry.
At the border
Immigration, customs and biosecurity are three separate checks with different questions. Knowing which is which makes the queue much shorter.
Biosecurity
Failing to declare biosecurity goods can bring an infringement notice of up to twelve penalty units, and for visa holders it can mean cancellation and a three-year exclusion.
Customs allowances
Adults may bring A$900 of general goods, 2.25 litres of alcohol and 25 grams of tobacco duty free. Above that, you must declare.
Work and study
The eVisitor is a visitor visa. It does not permit work for an Australian employer, and study is limited to 3 months.
Passport and details
The eVisitor is linked electronically to the passport you applied with. A renewed passport, a mismatched name, or the wrong nationality on the form all stop you at check-in.
eVisitor or ETA?
eVisitor (subclass 651) is free. The ETA (subclass 601) costs AUD $20. Which one applies is decided by your passport, not by preference.
If refused
A refusal is not the end of the trip, but it changes what you must do next. What to check, what not to do, and why reapplying immediately is usually the wrong move.
Children
Every traveller needs their own visa, including infants. Children are not covered by a parent's eVisitor, and the application is made the same way.
New passport
The visa is linked to the passport it was granted against. Renewing or replacing that passport does not cancel the visa, but you must tell the Department.
Which one do I need?
They have similar names and very different rules. Which scheme applies to which destination, what each one costs, and the mistakes that come from mixing them up.
Apply for your eVisitor
Applications are free and are made on the Department of Home Affairs website. We are an independent guide and cannot submit an application on your behalf.