Visiting Australia in 2026? How the ETA, eVisitor and visitor visa actually work

Visas & Entry Australia has no visa on arrival, so every short-stay visitor needs an authorisation before flying. The ETA, the free eVisitor and the Visitor visa… By Bishnu Adhikari · Aug 26, 2026 Read the full story

If Australia is on your 2026 list — a city stopover, a beach summer, or a break between Himalayan seasons — there is one rule to understand before you book a flight: Australia has no visa on arrival. Every visitor except New Zealand citizens must hold an… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

There is no visa on arrival — plan before you fly

Australia runs what is often called a universal visa regime: every non-citizen in the country must hold a valid visa or authorisation, and there is no counter at Sydney or Melbourne airport where a tourist can buy one on landing. The single exception is New… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The three authorisations — and which one is yours

The distinction comes down to nationality. Passport holders from a specific set of mostly Asia-Pacific and North American countries use the ETA; European and UK passport holders use the free eVisitor; and everyone else applies for the broader Visitor visa… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The ETA (subclass 601)

The ETA — Electronic Travel Authority — is for eligible passport holders, a group that includes the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Brunei, among others. It is electronically linked to your passport rather… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The eVisitor (subclass 651)

Travellers on European Union, EFTA and United Kingdom passports use the eVisitor instead. It covers the same kind of short tourism or business visits — up to three months at a time within a 12-month validity — and, importantly, it is free of charge . It is… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

The Visitor visa (subclass 600)

If your passport is not eligible for either of the streamlined options, the Visitor visa (subclass 600) is the route. It is a broader visa category, applied for online through ImmiAccount, and it carries a government application charge — check the current fee… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

A note for Nepali travellers — and for Australians heading the other way

Nepali passport holders are not on the ETA or eVisitor lists, so the correct route is the Visitor visa (subclass 600) , applied for online through ImmiAccount with the required supporting documents and the government application charge. It takes longer than a… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Heading from Australia to Nepal

The traffic runs both ways. Australia is one of the largest source markets for Himalayan trekking, and a great many of the walkers we guide to Everest Base Camp and around the Annapurna Circuit fly in from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Nepal's own… Travel Himalaya Nepal · News Read the full story

Everest Base Camp Trek — 14 Days

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