eVisitor (subclass 651)

What the eVisitor lets you do

Your eVisitor lets you:

• enter Australia for up to three months during each visit during the 12 months from the date the eVisitor is granted
• have a holiday or visit family and friends in Australia
• study in Australia for up to three months in some circumstances
• engage in business visitor activities while in Australia provided you:
  • do not work for or provide services to, a business or organisation
  • do not sell goods or services to the public.

Business visitor activities include:

• making general business or employment enquiries
• investigating, negotiating, signing or reviewing a business contract
• activities carried out as part of an official government-to-government visit
• participating in conferences, trade fairs or seminars, as long as you are not being paid by the organisers for your participation.

Volunteer work tourism schemes

In general, an eVisitor does not allow you to work in Australia. However, you might be able to work as a volunteer if:

• your main purpose in visiting Australia is tourism and the voluntary work is incidental to tourism
• the work is genuinely voluntary and you are not paid for it, other than for meals, accommodation or out of pocket living expenses
• the work would not otherwise be done in return for wages by an Australian resident

Before you apply

Your passport

Your eVisitor is linked to the passport number you use in your application, and you should use the same passport to travel to Australia.

If you get a new passport, you should advise the department of immigration and border protection of the new passport details before you travel to Australia. Otherwise, you will be delayed at the airport and might be denied permission to board your plane.

You might be able to update your passport details using ImmiAccount.

If you get a new passport while you are in Australia, you do not need to apply for another eVisitor as long as the one you have is still valid. If you leave Australia while your eVisitor is still valid, you can travel on your new passport but you should keep your old passport with you, as your eVisitor is attached to that passport.

If you already hold another eVisitor

If you already have an eVisitor and apply for another one, if the new eVisitor is granted it will:

• be valid as soon as it is granted
• replace your existing eVisitor.

If you already hold another visa

If you already hold another visa and are then granted an eVisitor, the eVisitor could:

• be valid as soon as it is granted
• replace your existing visa.

The eVisitor may be less beneficial than your current visa. If you already hold a visa, you should contact your nearest immigration office outside Australia before lodging an eVisitor application.

Cost

There is no charge for an eVisitor application.

Who could get this eVisitor visa

You may be eligible for an eVisitor if you:

• intend to visit Australia only temporarily and for tourism or business visitor purposes
• are outside Australia
• hold an eVisitor-eligible passport
• are free of tuberculosis when you enter Australia
• have not been convicted of an offence or offences for which the total sentence is more than 12  months (whether or not the sentence has been served).

eVisitor-eligible passports

eVisitor-eligible passports are citizen passports issued by the following countries:

• Andorra
• Austria
• Belgium
• Bulgaria
• Croatia
• Cyprus
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Latvia
• Liechtenstein
• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Monaco
• The Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Republic of San Marino
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom — British Citizen
• Vatican City.

You are not eligible to apply for the eVisitor if your only passport is a British National Overseas, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person or British Subject passport.

Criminal convictions

If you have had one or more criminal convictions (in any country) for which the sentence or sentences (whether served or not) total 12 months or more you will not be permitted entry to Australia whilst holding an eVisitor. If you have had any criminal conviction in any country, a more appropriate visa for you to apply for may be a  Visitor visa (subclass 600), rather than an eVisitor.

Health requirements

You must meet certain  health requirements. You might not be able to enter Australia if you have active tuberculosis. ​

Health insurance

You are responsible for all your health costs while you are in Australia. You will not be covered by Australia’s national health scheme (Medicare) unless your country has a  reciprocal health care agreement  with Australia.

Debts to the Australian Government

You must have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts to the Australian Government before this eVisitor visa can be granted.

Biometrics

You might be asked to provide  biometrics  (a scientific form of identification) as part of the application.  Countries and visa subclasses included in the biometrics program  has more information.

Including family in your application

You need a separate eVisitor for each family member travelling with you to Australia, including those who are  younger than  18 years of age and are included on your passport.

How to apply for an eVisitor

This information explains what you need to do to apply for an eVisitor.

You should apply for your eVisitor at least two weeks before your proposed date of travel.

Apply online

Apply online using the:

• Application for an eVisitor form.

You must complete the application form for each person travelling to Australia, including children.

If you do not receive an email from the department of immigration and border protection within 12 hours of lodging your application, login to your ImmiAccount  to check the status of the application.

More information

There is more information to help you  prepare your application, such as certifying and translating documents into English, communicating with the department of immigration and border protection, using a migration agent, authorising another person to receive information from the department of immigration and border protection, and receiving assistance with your application.​​

After you have applied for an eVisitor

After you lodge your application, the department of immigration and border protection will let you know that they have received your information.

You can track and manage your application using  ImmiAccount.

Wait for a decision

Most eVisitor applications are granted quickly, but some will take longer. See  service standards  for processing times.

If your eVisitor is approved

If your application is approved, the department of immigration and border protection will send a notification of grant by email. Keep a copy with you when you travel to Australia, as it provides:

• your eVisitor grant number
• the date your eVisitor starts
• the eVisitor conditions.

No label will be placed in your passport. When you check in to fly to Australia, the airline staff will electronically confirm your passport and eVisitor details.

If your eVisitor is not approved

If your eVisitor is not approved, the department of immigration and border protection will send you an email about the decision.

How long your eVisitor lasts

You can stay in Australia for up to three months on each visit within 12 months from the date your eVisitor is granted.

An eVisitor cannot be extended. If you want to extend your stay after arriving in Australia, you should apply for another visa before your eVisitor ends. Another visa can be granted if you:

• have complied with the conditions of your eVisitor
• meet all the requirements of the visa that you are applying for.

If you apply for a different type of visa, you might need to have a health examination. If you are granted a different visa, it will replace your eVisitor and its entitlements.

If a decision has not been made on your visa application before your eVisitor ends, you might be granted a Bridging visa until your visa application has been decided.

If your visa application is refused, you must leave Australia before your eVisitor or your Bridging visa ends.

What the eVisitor lets you do

Your eVisitor lets you:

• enter Australia for up to three months during each visit during the 12 months from the date the eVisitor is granted
• have a holiday or visit family and friends in Australia
• study in Australia for up to three months in some circumstances
• engage in business visitor activities while in Australia provided you:
  • do not work for or provide services to, a business or organisation
  • do not sell goods or services to the public.

Business visitor activities include:

• making general business or employment enquiries
• investigating, negotiating, signing or reviewing a business contract
• activities carried out as part of an official government-to-government visit
• participating in conferences, trade fairs or seminars, as long as you are not being paid by the organisers for your participation.

Volunteer work tourism schemes

In general, an eVisitor does not allow you to work in Australia. However, you might be able to work as a volunteer if:

• your main purpose in visiting Australia is tourism and the voluntary work is incidental to tourism
• the work is genuinely voluntary and you are not paid for it, other than for meals, accommodation or out of pocket living expenses
• the work would not otherwise be done in return for wages by an Australian resident

Your obligations

You must comply with all eVisitor conditions and Australian laws while you are in Australia. You cannot study or do any training for longer than three months.

Source: The Australian Department of Home Affairs (www.homeaffairs.gov.au). Please visit www.border.gov.au to get updated information.