If you go on holiday to Australia, you most likely need a tourist visa. Australia offers various types of visas for tourists. On this page, you can read about the visa types that suit your trip and how to apply for an Australia visa.
What type of tourist visa Australia do I need?
This depends on a number of things, including:
- The nationality according to your passport
- The intended duration of your stay in Australia
- The activities you wish to carry out in Australia
Most tourists (including UK and Irish citizens) may use the eVisitor visa.
The eVisitor visa is the cheapest visa for Australia. You can easily apply for this visa type online. It allows you to stay in Australia for up to three months.
Apply for this tourist visa right away
The nationality according to your passport
Are you a national of the UK, Ireland, another country of the European Union or Switzerland? If so, you are eligible for all types of tourist visas that are listed on this page. Do you have another nationality? Then you should check whether you are eligible for an Australia ETA first.
The desired length of stay in Australia
Do you want to stay in Australia for less than three consecutive months? Then you may apply for all the tourist visas listed on this page. If you wish to stay longer than 3 months, you cannot use the ETA or eVisitor visa.
The activities you wish to carry out in Australia
Is your trip solely for the purpose of tourism?
In that case, you can apply for all visa types mentioned on this page, except for the Working Holiday visa and the Work and Holiday visa. Do you want to visit friends or family in Australia? This is also a tourist travel purpose. Therefore, you may also apply for any visa listed on this page, except for the Working Holiday visa and the Work and Holiday visa.
Do you want to combine a holiday with a business trip?
In that case, the work you will be doing determines which type of visa you need. Is all the work you do in Australia commissioned by an employer which is based outside Australia? Then you should check the page about business trips to Australia.
Do you want to work and travel in Australia?
Read more about the Working Holiday and the Work and Holiday visa.
Do you want to do voluntary work during your holiday?
Under certain conditions, you may use an eVisitor visa. Read more about volunteering in Australia.
The Sydney Opera House
Which types of tourist visas does Australia offer?
Subclass 651: the eVisitor visa
Tourists with a passport from the UK, Ireland, another country in the European Union or Switzerland usually meet the requirements for the eVisitor visa. This tourist visa is a multiple-entry visa, allowing its holders to travel an unlimited number of times to Australia. Keep in mind that each arrival must take place within one year after the visa is issued. The visa allows you to stay in Australia for up to is 3 months.
Applying for an eVisitor visa with this online form costs € 24,95. This visa is also suited for business travellers, as long as they are not employed by an employer that is based in Australia. The application procedure is as follows:
- Fill in the online application form
- Pay the application cost of € 24,95 with Visa, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal, Google Pay or Apple Pay.
- Upload a scan or photograph of your passport.
- Print the visa after you receive it. The average processing time is 5 days
Apply for an eVisitor visa for Australia now
Subclass 601: the Australia ETA
Besides the eVisitor tourist visa, you may also apply for an Australia ETA. The ETA has the same requirements and validity period as the eVisitor visa. The ETA is available to nationals of more countries. However, applying for an ETA is more complicated. In that case, you have to download a special app by the Australian immigration service. This is not required for an eVisitor visa application if you use the form on this website. Therefore, the ETA is only recommended for tourists who cannot apply for an eVisitor due to their nationality. Read more about the ETA Australia.
Subclass 600: the visitor visa
There is also a general visitor visa (subclass 600) which can be used by tourists. This visa type is suitable for travellers who are not eligible for an eVisitor visa or an ETA, and for travellers who want to stay in Australia for more than 3 months. The permitted lenght of stay depends on your personal situation and is assessed on a case-by-case basis by the immigration authorities. The visa allows you to stay in Australia for up to 3, 6 or 12 months. The disadvantages of the visitor visa are its relative high cost of AUD 195 per person (around GBP 100 or EUR 120) and the long processing time of several weeks.
Subclass 417: the Working Holiday Visa
This visa may only be applied for by travellers aged between 18 and 30 years of age (or 35 years in certain cases). Working Holiday visas are very popular among this age group. This visa allows its holder to spend a year in Australia and to engage in paid work. However, this is the most expensive tourist visa; it costs AUD 650, equivalent to approximately GBP 330 or EUR 400 per person. Additionally, the application procedure is more complex, and it can take multiple weeks for the visa to be issued. Read more about the Working Holiday visa.
Subclass 462: the Work and Holiday visa
The Work and Holiday tourist visa is almost identical to the Working Holiday visa Australia. Which of the two you should apply for depends solely on your nationality. Read more about the Work and Holiday visa.
e-Visa.ie is a commercial and professional visa agency, and supports travellers in obtaining, among others, the Australia visa. e-Visa.ie is an official partner of the International Air Transport Association, IATA, with membership number 57231226, acts as an intermediary, is no law firm, nor does it employ lawyers, does not provide legal advice, and is in no way part of any government. You can also apply for a visa directly with the immigration service (0 AUD per visa, via immi.homeaffairs.gov.au). However, not with our level of support. If you submit your application via e-Visa.ie, our support centre is available to you 24/7. In addition, we manually check your application and all the documents you provide before submitting it to the immigration authorities on your behalf. If we suspect any errors or omissions while doing so, we will personally contact you to ensure that your application can still be processed quickly and correctly. To use our services, you pay us 0 AUD in consular fees, which we pay to the immigration service on your behalf, as well as € 24,95 in service fees as compensation for our services, including VAT. Our services have saved many travellers from major problems during their trip. Should an application be rejected despite our support and verification, we will refund the full purchase price (unless an application for a previous Australia visa was rejected for the same traveller). Read more about our services here.