How do US citizens get an Australia ETA?

Since 2022, the only way to apply for an Australian ETA is the official AustralianETA app, made by the Department of Home Affairs. The old website application was retired, so if a site offers to process your ETA online, it is a third party, not the government. Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

The app works by scanning your passport chip (your passport must be the chipped, electronic kind) and taking a live selfie. If your passport cannot be scanned, or you have a complication like a past visa refusal, you apply for a different visa (Subclass 600) instead.

There is no visa application charge, but the app charges a flat AUD $20 service fee (roughly 13 US dollars), and that is the only legitimate cost. It is non-refundable.

The ETA is valid for 12 months (or until your passport expires), with multiple entries of up to 3 months each. It covers tourism, visiting family, and business visitor activities like meetings and conferences, but not paid work. It is linked to your passport, so there is nothing to print.

Most people finish in under ten minutes.

1. Download the free AustralianETA app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. Check it is the one by the Department of Home Affairs.
2. Scan your passport chip with your phone, then take the live selfie the app prompts for.
3. Fill in your details and answer the questions honestly. Traveling as a family? Use the Group ID function.
4. Pay the AUD $20 by card. Most applications are approved within minutes, though some take up to 72 hours.
5. Check the result in the app. Once granted, the ETA is tied to your passport automatically.

Because the ETA is a paid, required document, plenty of lookalike sites rank in search and charge well above the AUD $20 to file it for you. The app is the only official channel and the fee is always just AUD $20, so anything higher is a markup.

The gotcha: if you renew your passport, your ETA becomes invalid and you need a new one, because it is linked to the specific passport. And the ETA cannot be extended, for a longer stay you would need a Subclass 600 visitor visa. For how money works once you land, see the Australia money guide.

Common questions

Quick answers.

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