Australian visa for UK citizens: eVisitor, ETA and how to apply

Yes. A British passport does not get you into Australia on its own: GOV.UK says you must have a visa, and most British citizens can obtain one of two permissions, the eVisitor or the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA). The eVisitor has no application charge and no service fee. The ETA has no application charge either, but GOV.UK says it may carry a service fee.

This guide is for travellers leaving the UK on a British passport for a holiday or a family visit. It explains the two permissions, what each costs, how to apply, what your passport must meet, what to declare when you land and the seasonal risks that catch visitors out. It does not sell a visa and files nothing on your behalf: the Australian government decides every application.

GOV.UK names both as the usual route for British citizens, so the real choice is between a free application on the Home Affairs website and an application in the official app that may add a service fee. The word to notice is "usually": the advice does not promise that every applicant qualifies, and a person who does not should look at the other visas on the Home Affairs visa finder.

• eVisitor
  Applied for through the Home Affairs eVisitor page. GOV.UK says there is no application charge and no service fee.
• ETA
  Applied for through the official app, which GOV.UK links for both iPhone and Android, and described on the Home Affairs ETA page. No application charge, but a service fee may apply.

On cost alone the eVisitor is the simpler choice, since nothing is payable at any stage. We have left out the permitted stay, how long each permission lasts and how quickly it is granted. GOV.UK's advice does not state them, and we only print figures we have checked at the source. Read them on the two Home Affairs pages before you pay for flights.

The eVisitor costs nothing: GOV.UK says it has no application charge and no service fee. The ETA has no application charge, but a service fee may be added, and GOV.UK does not give an amount. Check the figure on the app screen before you confirm, and treat anything beyond it as a sign you are in the wrong place.

Because the eVisitor is free, a website that asks you to pay for one is not charging the government's price. It is charging for its own service, and you can get the same permission without it.

There is no form to fill in at the airport: you need your permission before you travel.

1. Choose the permission. The eVisitor if you want nothing to pay, the ETA if you would rather use the app.
2. Start from an official address. For the eVisitor, open the Home Affairs eVisitor page. For the ETA, use the Home Affairs ETA page or the app that GOV.UK links in the Apple and Google stores.
3. Use the passport you will travel on. GOV.UK says it must be valid for the length of your planned stay, so check its expiry date first.
4. Read every charge before you confirm. The eVisitor shows none. If a page asks for money to process an eVisitor, stop.
5. Keep the confirmation with your travel documents.

GOV.UK points British travellers to the Home Affairs visa finder for any other visa type. That is the page to use for a stay that is not a holiday or a family visit.

The simplest test follows from the fee rules above. If the eVisitor is free, any price attached to it belongs to the website, not to Australia.

• ✕
  A charge for an eVisitor: GOV.UK states there is no application charge or service fee, so a price here is the website's own.
• ✕
  An address that is not an official one: Reach the application from a link on GOV.UK or the Home Affairs site, not from an advert in a search result.
• ✕
  An ETA service fee that looks large: The fee is real but its amount is set by Australia, so compare any other price with the one on the official application.
• ✕
  A promise of a guaranteed outcome: The decision rests with the Australian authorities, and no website can promise it.

The passport rule in GOV.UK's advice is short: it must be valid for the length of your planned stay. It does not ask for extra months of validity for Australia itself.

• Stopovers
  GOV.UK warns that many countries on the way ask for six months' validity, even if you only change planes. Check each country on your route.
• Dual nationals
  A British and Australian dual citizen must leave and enter Australia on the Australian passport.
• Yellow fever
  A certificate is needed if you arrive from a country GOV.UK lists as a transmission risk.
• Children
  GOV.UK's Australia entry page gives no separate rule for children. Ask the Australian High Commission before you travel with one parent only.

Australia applies strict biosecurity rules. GOV.UK says you must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty, and you complete an Incoming Passenger Card on arrival.

• Food, animal products and plant material
  Declare them, wooden articles included, or leave them in the bins at the airport or seaport.
• Contact with the land
  Declare any contact with farms, farm animals, wilderness areas, or freshwater streams and lakes in the past 30 days.
• Luggage checks
  Bags are X-rayed, and items of concern can be confiscated and destroyed.
• Penalties
  GOV.UK warns that breaking quarantine can lead to a heavy fine.

The Incoming Passenger Card is the document where you make that declaration.

A British visitor arrives from the opposite season, and the risks follow the Australian calendar. GOV.UK's advice sets them out by hazard.

Bushfire smoke can travel far, into cities as well as the countryside. The full list is on the GOV.UK safety and security page for Australia.

Rip currents are the main hazard for swimmers and surfers, according to GOV.UK. They can form at any beach, and they can carry even a strong swimmer out to sea.

• Shallow water
  British nationals have been injured diving in. Check the depth first and obey warning signs.
• Snorkelling and diving
  Accidents have sometimes been fatal. Resorts legally require a medical declaration, and you must be honest about any condition.
• Wildlife
  Crocodiles, jellyfish, sharks, venomous insects, spiders and snakes all live in Australia. GOV.UK points to the Beachsafe site for marine creature information.

Yes, for a temporary visit with a photocard licence. GOV.UK says a UK photocard licence is valid for temporary visitors, while holders of a paper licence may need to update it to a photocard or carry a 1949-version International Driving Permit (IDP).

• Hire cars
  Firms often ask for a year of driving experience, a higher minimum age and an IDP.
• Carry your documents
  Keep your licence and passport with you at all times.
• Rules of the road
  Seat belts are mandatory, and drink-driving and drug-driving carry severe penalties.
• Jet lag
  If you collect a car straight after a long flight, take regular breaks at rest stops.

Help can take hours to arrive, and mobile coverage can be very limited or absent. GOV.UK advises you to carry enough water, tell someone your plans, check road conditions and the weather, and avoid travel in extreme heat or severe weather.

• Prepare the vehicle
  Use a roadworthy vehicle with GPS and two spare tyres, and carry extra food, water and fuel.
• If you break down
  Stay with your vehicle.
• Unsurfaced tracks
  Northern Territory Police have warned tourists to stay off them in remote Central Australia after reports of stranded motorists.
• K'gari (Fraser Island)
  Beach speed limit 80 km/h, 30 km/h in towns, no more than eight occupants in a four-wheel-drive, and no pharmacy on the island.

GOV.UK says to check the latest recommendations on TravelHealthPro at least 8 weeks before you travel, and to see NHS travel vaccinations for availability and cost. A yellow fever certificate is only needed for travellers arriving from a listed country.

• Insect and tick-borne disease
  GOV.UK highlights dengue, Japanese encephalitis and other insect or tick-borne diseases.
• Your own medicines
  The legal status of a medicine can differ from the UK. TravelHealthPro has guidance on travelling with medicines.
• Emergencies
  Dial 000 and ask for an ambulance.

GOV.UK says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Australia, that attacks could be indiscriminate, and that visitors should follow the instructions of the authorities. For everyday safety, it advises keeping your passport and valuables in a hotel safe, carrying a photocopy of your passport, and taking particular care at night in busy tourist areas.

The scams it names are dating and romance scams and fake building-repair or website services. Scamwatch, the Australian government's reporting site, is where GOV.UK sends people to check and report them.

Our entry requirements hub for British passport holders lists the rules destination by destination. Canada asks for a similar online permission, explained in our Canada eTA guide for UK citizens.

We read the GOV.UK entry requirements for Australia and the safety and security page on 30 October 2026. GOV.UK shows no update date on either page, and its warnings page was last updated on 19 March 2026. The Home Affairs pages for the eVisitor and the ETA are the source for stay length, validity and processing time, so confirm those there.

The rule to remember: a British passport needs an eVisitor or an ETA before you travel, the eVisitor is free, and the ETA may add a service fee.

• Do I need a visa to visit Australia with a British passport?

  Yes. GOV.UK says you must have a visa, and British citizens can usually get an eVisitor or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).

• Is the Australian eVisitor free for British citizens?

  Yes. GOV.UK says the eVisitor has no application charge and no service fee.

• Does the Australian ETA cost anything?

  It has no application charge, but GOV.UK says it may carry a service fee. Check the amount in the official app before you confirm.

• What is the difference between the eVisitor and the Australian ETA?

  The eVisitor is applied for on the Home Affairs website and has no application charge or service fee. The ETA is applied for in the official app and may carry a service fee, according to GOV.UK.

• Where do I apply for the eVisitor?

  On the official Home Affairs eVisitor page, which GOV.UK links. Avoid sites that charge you to submit it.

• Where do I get the ETA?

  Through the official app that GOV.UK links for iPhone and Android, or from the Home Affairs ETA page.

• How long can I stay in Australia on an eVisitor or ETA?

  GOV.UK does not state the permitted stay, so we do not quote one. Read it on the Home Affairs page for the permission you hold.

• How long must my passport be valid for Australia?

  GOV.UK says it must be valid for the length of your planned stay. Countries you pass through on the way may ask for six months.

• What happens if I am a British and Australian dual citizen?

  You must leave and enter Australia on your Australian passport, according to GOV.UK.

• Do I need a yellow fever certificate for Australia?

  Only if you arrive from a country that GOV.UK lists as a yellow fever transmission risk.

• What must I declare when I arrive in Australia?

  Anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty, including food, animal products, wooden articles and plant material. You also declare contact with farms, wilderness areas, or fresh water in the past 30 days.

• Can I drive in Australia on a UK licence?

  A UK photocard licence is valid for temporary visitors. Paper licence holders may need to update it or carry a 1949-version IDP, and hire firms often ask for an IDP anyway.

• When is the bushfire season in Australia?

  GOV.UK says the risk is higher from October to February, and highest from November to February.