You can use the links provided on this site to obtain general information about all of these topics. Our on-line assistance is, however, limited to Internet ETA operation issues. We are unable to respond to requests about any other issues.

The Department of Immigration And Citizenship (DIAC) is the government department in Australia responsible for managing the entry of people to Australia, the successful settlement of migrants and refugees enabling them to participate equitably in society, and promotion of the benefits of citizenship and cultural diversity.

Part of this responsibility is processing and deciding applications for visas and ETAs for travel to Australia. A more detailed description of DIAC's roles and structure can be found on the DIAC web site.

All you need to make an application for an ETA through this site is your valid passport and your credit card (American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Mastercard or Visa).

No. You do not need to arrange your flight to Australia before applying for an ETA.

If you have applied for an ETA through this site, you can enquire through this site to find out the current status of your ETA. You will need to provide some data from your passport and the Reference Number displayed by this site when the application was processed.

If you did not apply for your ETA through this site or did not make a note of the Reference Number, you will not be able to make an enquiry through this site. You will need to contact your travel agent or airline office and they can make the enquiry for you.

Airlines have access to the ETA database through their reservation systems. They will make an enquiry to determine your visa status when you check in for your flight.

If you do not hold a passport that can be used to apply for an ETA through this site then you will need to obtain an ETA at your travel agent, an airline office or at an Australian visa office. A full list of Australian visa offices can be found on the DIAC web site or by clicking on the link on this site.

This site operates under the principles outlined in the Privacy Statement. Only the data required to process your application will be collected. It will only be used for that purpose by this site. Limited audit information will be stored on this site. The full data on your application and ETA status will only be permanently stored on secure servers operated for DIAC in Australia. Please see the full Privacy Statement for further details.

Payments by credit card are processed through the internet payment gateway operated by SecurePay Pty Ltd, a leader in the provision of on-line payment services. SecurePay provides a secure method for authorising credit card transactions over the Internet and has been specifically evaluated and approved by the providers of the credit cards you can use on this site.

Your credit card details are encrypted the moment they are transmitted by you and are encrypted as they are transmitted through to the banking network. If your browser does not support the level of encryption required by this site, you will not be able to apply for an ETA.

We will hold your credit card details only for the duration of the transaction. Once payment has been completed and the application for an ETA has been finalised, your credit card number is deleted from the site.

We are authorised to accept payment by American Express, Diners Club, JCB, Mastercard and Visa.

If you apply for an ETA and the system determines that you already have a current visa or ETA with a longer period of stay than the ETA you are applying for, or the current visa or ETA has work rights or residency rights, the application will not be processed. There will be no charge for this application.

In a small percentage of cases, this site may not be able to evaluate and approve an application. In these cases, you should finalise your application through the nearest Australian visa office. The locations and ETA contact procedures of these offices can be found on the DIAC web site or by clicking on the link on this site.

Once this site validates your application and determines that you do not already have a visa or ETA, the service charge against your credit card is not refundable.

The service charge is applied to recover the costs of running the service. As successful and unsuccessful applications use system resources the charge is non-refundable.

However, if you are referred to an Australian visa office to follow up your application for an ETA, you will not be charged again if you are granted an ETA.

If you need to attend an Australian visa office, please take your passport.

Once an application has been submitted and processed, and the credit card payment has been processed, you cannot cancel the transaction and the payment cannot be refunded. It is important that you are very careful when you type in your personal details.

You will have an opportunity to review all the details you have provided on your screen and can change the details at any time until you confirm all details as correct. If you have made an error, it is important that you correct it before proceeding. Once you have confirmed the details, your credit card will be debited for the non-refundable service charge. If you find out later that you have made a mistake, you can either make a new application (and incur another service charge) or contact your nearest Australian visa office. A full list of visa offices can be found on the DIAC web site or by clicking on the link on this site.

To ensure the security and privacy of your information, this site uses a secure protocol (HTTPS) for all transmissions of personal data between your browser and the site. This means that your browser must be able to support HTTPS. The site will attempt to establish a secure session using 128 bit encryption. If the browser does not support this level of encryption, then the session will not be established and you will not be able to submit an application for an ETA.

Specifically, the site will work with the following browsers:

• Netscape Navigator 6.0 or later
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later

If you cannot connect to the 'Apply' or 'Check' components of this system from a site behind a firewall, the firewall may be preventing the establishment of a secure connection. Please speak to your webmaster or Internet Service Provider.

If your browser does not support the secure protocol (HTTPS), you should update your browser. The most recent versions of commonly used browsers can be downloaded free of charge from the web sites of the suppliers.

The service charge for short-term visitors (business and tourist) using this site is currently $20.00 (Australian dollars). There is no additional Visa Application Charge for an ETA. The costs associated with offering this service on the Internet are being offset by the current service charge. Travel agents may impose a processing fee for obtaining an ETA on your behalf.

No. To apply for a Long Validity Business ETA, please see your travel agent or airline office.

Unfortunately, ETAs for Taiwan passport holders are not available on the Internet at this stage. Taiwanese passport holders are only able to apply for an ETA through their travel agent or the offices of Australian Visa Services (AVS) located in Taipei, Kaohsiung or Taichung.

Unfortunately, ETAs for holders of UK British National (Overseas) (GBN) passports are not available on the Internet at this stage. You will be able to apply for an ETA through the nearest Australian visa office. Your travel agent or airline office may also be able to arrange an ETA for you.

Note, however, that holders of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passports are eligible to apply through this site.

The ETA will allow you to stay in Australia for a maximum of three months on each visit.

You will need to apply for a visa which allows for a longer stay from your nearest Australian visa office.

VISITOR ETAs have a multiple entry facility. You can enter Australia as many times as necessary within the validity of the ETA. Provided you have a valid visa for New Zealand (or are exempt), you can travel to New Zealand from Australia and then return as long as your ETA remains valid.

BUSINESS (Short Validity) ETAs have a multiple entry facility. You can enter Australia for business reasons as many times as necessary within the validity of the ETA. Provided you have a valid visa for New Zealand (or are exempt), you can travel to New Zealand from Australia and then return as long as your ETA remains valid.

The conditions applying to ETAs are:

• You hold an ETA-eligible passport.
• You must be outside Australia to apply for an ETA.
• Your visit to Australia is for:
  • Tourism,
  • Visiting relatives,
  • Business meetings, or
  • A convention or conference.
• You will not work in Australia.
• You will not stay in Australia for more than three months.
• You are in good health (including free from tuberculosis).
• You have no criminal convictions.
• You use the ETA within twelve months, or before the expiry date of your current passport (whichever comes first).

You should note that you must not overstay your visit to Australia, that is, you must depart Australia before your authorised stay period expires. If you do not, Australian law requires that you be detained and/or removed from Australia. Overstaying may also affect your ability to acquire another Australian visa, including an ETA, in the future. Where exceptional circumstances arise while you are in Australia, on an ETA, that require you to stay longer than three months, you must obtain another visa from an Australian visa office in Australia before the end of the three month visit period.