Australia ETA (subclass 601) Checklist
The Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) is an electronically stored travel authority for eligible passport holders visiting Australia. The most useful fact is also the least known: under current Australian law the visa application charge for a 601 is nil. This checklist sets out who is eligible, which passports qualify, and what to prepare. Facts are drawn from the current text of the Migration Regulations 1994 and the current ETA-eligible passport instrument on legislation.gov.au, September 2026.
Three quick facts
- No visa application charge. The Migration Regulations state that the visa application charge for an Electronic Travel Authority (Class UD) visa is nil.
- Outside Australia when you apply. The application must be made from outside Australia, and the ETA is granted as an electronic authority rather than a stamp or label in your passport.
- Eligible passports only. The ETA-eligible passport list is set by a separate legislative instrument, which currently names 33 countries and territories.
Who can apply
An ETA (subclass 601) is available to travellers who hold an ETA-eligible passport and want to visit Australia temporarily. The eligibility rules are defined in the Migration Regulations (regulation 1.11B) and the passport list in the Minister’s specification instrument (IMMI 18/084). You lodge the application from outside Australia, using a method prescribed by regulation 2.07AB.
The eligible passports (current list)
The current instrument lists these 33 passports. Some carry conditions, so read the list as a starting point and confirm your own passport against the instrument:
Andorra · Austria · Belgium · Brunei · Canada · Denmark · Finland · France · Germany · Greece · Hong Kong SAR (PRC) · Iceland · Ireland · Italy · Japan · Republic of Korea · Liechtenstein · Luxembourg · Malaysia · Malta · Monaco · Netherlands · Norway · Portugal · Republic of San Marino · Singapore · Spain · Switzerland · Sweden · Taiwan · United Kingdom · United States of America · Vatican City
Two entries carry specific notes: a Taiwan passport is eligible only if it is not an official or diplomatic passport, and the United Kingdom entry covers British Citizen and British National (Overseas) passports. The list is fixed by a legislative instrument, and instruments are amended over time, so verify the current version before you rely on it.
The checklist — what to prepare
| Eligible passport | A passport from the current ETA-eligible list above, valid for your travel. |
| Apply from outside Australia | The application must be made outside Australia. |
| Purpose of travel | Tourism or a short business visitor trip within the conditions of the authority. |
| Visa application charge | Nil — under the current regulations, the 601 visa application charge is zero. |
| Travel document | Travel on the same passport — the authority is linked to your passport details. |
| Character and health | Standard visitor requirements apply, as for other temporary visitor visas. |
What it costs — and what people get wrong
The regulation is unusually clear on cost. The note to regulation 2.07AB (Electronic Travel Authority visas) states that the visa application charge for an Electronic Travel Authority (Class UD) visa is nil, pointing to subitem 1208A(2) of Schedule 1. That is the application charge under the current law.
You may see references to a small service charge for using a mobile app to lodge an ETA. A service charge is not the same thing as the visa application charge, and the exact current wording of any app service charge is not something this page states as a fixed figure — check the official Home Affairs pages at the time you apply. What the law fixes is the application charge: nil.
Eligibility, defined by the law
Regulation 1.11B defines an ETA-eligible passport as one that is a valid passport of a kind specified in the Minister’s legislative instrument, where any conditions specified for that kind of passport are satisfied. The instrument, IMMI 18/084, is made under that regulation and sets out the passport table. Because both the regulation and the instrument are current law, they are the authoritative source for who can use a 601 — more reliable than archived web pages from earlier years, whose passport lists and wording have since changed.
Related Australian pages
If you are weighing up your options, our Australia visa documents checklist covers the visitor visa stream more broadly, and the Checklists hub collects the other document checklists. For the photo attached to a visa application, see the photo size chart and run it past the passport photo checker; the general digital file requirements explain format and dimensions.
Frequently asked questions
How much is an Australian ETA (subclass 601)?
Under the current Migration Regulations the visa application charge for an Electronic Travel Authority (Class UD) visa is nil. Any app service charge is separate — check the official Home Affairs pages at the time you apply.
Who can get a subclass 601 ETA?
Holders of an ETA-eligible passport. The current instrument lists 33 countries and territories; check your own passport against the current list.
Do I apply inside or outside Australia?
You must be outside Australia when you apply.
Is the ETA a stamp in my passport?
No. An ETA is an electronically stored travel authority; you do not get a stamp or label, though you can keep the confirmation for your records.
Can the eligible passport list change?
Yes. The list is set by a legislative instrument, which can be amended, so always verify the current version before relying on it.
Where can I check the rules myself?
On legislation.gov.au — the Migration Regulations 1994 (regulations 1.11B and 2.07AB) and the ETA-eligible passport instrument made under them.
Sources: Migration Regulations 1994 (compilation in force 2026-07-01), regulations 1.11B, 1.11C and 2.07AB; Migration (IMMI 18/084: Specification of ETA-Eligible Passports) Instrument 2018 (compilation in force 2022-02-20) — both on legislation.gov.au, retrieved 2026-09-28. Rules and fees change, so confirm the current position before you apply.