Visiting Australia in 2026: The ETA, eVisitor and Visitor Visa Explained

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 approved entry authorisation before they board the plane. The airline checks it at the gate, and without one you do not fly. The good news is that for most short-stay travellers the authorisation is digital, quick and either free or cheap — as long as you apply through the official government channel and not one of the copycat sites that charge many times the real price for the same form.

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 Zealand citizens, who are granted a Special Category visa (subclass 444) automatically on arrival. For everyone else the paperwork has to be sorted out in advance, so the practical question is simply which of the three authorisations matches your passport.

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 (subclass 600).

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 than being a sticker or stamp, and it lets you visit for tourism or business as often as you like over a 12-month period, up to three months per stay. It carries a A$20 service charge (confirm the current amount when you apply), and it is applied for through Australia's official ETA mobile app.

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 applied for online through the Department of Home Affairs' ImmiAccount system. The eVisitor and the ETA do much the same job; they simply serve different lists of passports.

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 on the official site, as it is higher than the ETA service charge and is set by the Department of Home Affairs. Processing takes longer than the near-instant digital authorisations, so apply well ahead of your travel date and have your supporting documents ready.

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 digital authorisation, so build in time before any fixed travel date. For the full picture on how these digital authorisations compare across countries, see our explainer on the 2026 entry-rule changes to ETIAS, the UK ETA and the US ESTA.

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 entry rules are far simpler in the other direction — most nationalities, Australians included, can obtain a Nepal tourist visa easily — which is part of why the Himalaya remains such an accessible adventure for Australian travellers.

If a Nepal trek is what follows your Australian summer, our team can handle permits, guides and fixed departure dates end to end. Have a look at the 14-day Everest Base Camp trek or the 13-day Annapurna Circuit, and message us on WhatsApp to talk dates — we will tell you honestly which season and route fits you best.

Cover photo: Donovan Kelly via Pexels (Pexels License).