Information about the ETA Tourist Visa
30 June 2008
What is an ETA?
An ETA, or Electronic Travel Visa, is a visa for short-term travellers to Australia from specified countries. The visa is an electronic authorisation designed for non-business related travel to Australia.
Being the most streamlined visa authorisation in the world, the ETA removes all hassles associated with paperwork, stamps, and visa labels.
What you can do
The ETA visa allows visitors to stay in the country for up to three months at a time, provided the visa is used within twelve months of it being approved.
Please note you cannot engage in any type of work-related activities, including studying or training, while visiting Australia on an ETA.
Who can Apply
To be eligible for an ETA visa, you must hold a passport from participating countries or regions as specified by the Australian Government. The following countries currently participate in the ETA programme:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong SAR, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City.
How to Apply
You must apply for an ETA visa while outside Australia. You can apply for the visa online and generally it is processed instantly.
The passport number you use in the online application is linked to your visa, so make sure you use the same passport when you arrive in Australia. If you lose your passport or have it stolen from you, make sure you re-apply for a new visa.
You can apply online for an Australia ETA visa with the Australian Visa Bureau.