Tourist Visa Information for Australia

If you are coming to Australia as a tourist, you can apply for your visa (an Electronic Travel Authority or ETA) online http://www.eta.immi.gov.au, or ask your travel agent to arrange one for you.

Australia's Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) system is the most advanced and streamlined in the world. It is the replacement for a visa label or a stamp in your passport, although stamps are still used where the ETA is not yet available.

An ETA enables visitors from passport-approved countries to obtain authority to enter Australia at the same time as they book their travel arrangements. There is no need for the traveller to complete an application form for a visa. The ETA is issued within seconds by computer, which links between the Department, over 300,000 travel agents, more than 75 airlines and specialist providers around the world.

A tourist ETA is free, allows a stay in Australia for up to three months, and is valid for multiple travel for one year.

For US and Canadian citizens, there is a free business ETA which is valid for a single entry to Australia within one year. There is also a fee-based business ETA which is valid for multiple entries for the life of your passport.

A list of countries (in addition to the US and Canada) whose citizens are also eligible for an ETA is listed at http://www.immi.gov.au/eta/countries.htm

For more information, visit the Department of Immigration website. For citizens not listed above, please contact the Visa Office at your local consular office.