Subclass 601 — Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)

Eligibility snapshot

General information only — not immigration assistance or legal advice. In general terms, the subclass 601 Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is a short-stay travel authority designed for people who hold a passport from one of the countries or regions the Australian Government has designated as ETA-eligible. It is intended for short visits as a tourist (for example holidays, cruises, or seeing family and friends) or to take part in business-visitor activities such as attending a conference or meeting. It is not a work visa, and paid work in Australia is typically not permitted under it. Who it is broadly shaped for, described at a high level: - Holders of an eligible passport. The list of eligible passports is set by the Department and changes from time to time, so the official page is the only authoritative source for whether a particular passport qualifies. Travellers from certain European countries are often directed instead toward a different short-stay authority (the eVisitor, subclass 651) — a registered practitioner can advise which pathway fits a person's circumstances. - People who intend only a genuine short, temporary visit, and who are typically outside Australia both when they apply and when the authority is granted. - People who can meet the standard health and character expectations that apply to visitor pathways. Where a person has matters such as prior criminal history, the ETA may not be the appropriate pathway and another visitor pathway may need to be considered — this is exactly the kind of personal assessment a registered practitioner should make. Each traveller generally needs their own ETA, including children, even where a child is listed on a parent's passport. Validity, the maximum length of each stay, and total period of validity are set by the Department; in broad terms the ETA typically supports multiple short visits across a fixed validity window rather than a single long stay. For the current rules, eligible-passport list, stay limits and conditions, always check the official page, and a registered practitioner can advise on individual circumstances.

Costs

General information only — figures and charges change, so confirm everything on the official page or in the official Australian ETA app before relying on it. Government charge. For the subclass 601 ETA the government visa application charge itself is typically nil; however, applying through the official Australian ETA app generally attracts a small non-refundable service charge — around $20 AUD at the time of writing — which is published in the app and on the official page. Because this amount can change, treat the figure as indicative only and check the current amount in the official app or the official estimator before applying. Additional applicants. The service charge generally applies per person, so a family or group will typically pay it once for each applicant — including children, who each need their own ETA even if listed on a parent's passport. Budgeting at a household level means counting one service charge per traveller. Ancillary costs. Beyond the app service charge, travellers commonly encounter other unrelated costs that are not part of the ETA charge — for example a compatible mobile device able to scan a passport and capture a photo, travel and health insurance (cover under Australia's public health system is generally not available to short-stay visitors unless a reciprocal arrangement applies), and ordinary travel expenses. None of these are government charges. Government vs platform fees. The app service charge is a government-side charge paid to the official channel and is entirely separate from any fee charged by this platform or by a registered practitioner for guidance or assistance. Platform and practitioner fees, where they apply, are always shown separately and are never part of, or a substitute for, the government charge. For current amounts, rely on the official page and the official app.

Common questions