Subclass 651 visa: eVisitor

651 visa requirements

Home Affairs lists these on the Eligibility tab of its eVisitor page:

• Eligible passport. Be a citizen of, and hold a valid passport from, an eligible country (listed below).
• Genuine visitor. Intend to stay only temporarily and obey the visa's conditions and stay period.
• Money. Enough money to support the stay and to leave Australia at the end of it.
• Health. Meet the health requirement. People who have failed the health requirement before apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead.
• Character. Meet the character requirement. People with a criminal conviction in any country apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead.
• Debts. Any debt to the Australian Government has been paid back, or there is an arrangement to pay it.
• Best interests of the child. Home Affairs may refuse the visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.

Eligible passports

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, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (British Citizen) and Vatican City (the passport must show Vatican City nationality).

Home Affairs says the eVisitor can't be applied for with a non-citizen passport, certificate of identity or other travel document, or with a British National Overseas, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person or British Subject passport.

What the visa lets you do

According to Home Affairs' eVisitor page, the visa lets holders travel to Australia:

• as a tourist, for example for a holiday or a cruise
• to visit family or friends
• as a business visitor, to make business or employment enquiries, negotiate or review a contract, take part in an official government visit, or attend a conference, trade fair or seminar (without being paid by the organisers)

Holders can study or train for up to 3 months in total. People who plan to train at a childcare centre, study to be a doctor, dentist, nurse or paramedic, or enter health care or hospital settings apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) and do the health checks instead.

The eVisitor is not a work visa. Holders can't work for or provide services to an Australian business, or sell goods or services directly to the public.

The eVisitor is valid for travel for 12 months from grant and is multiple entry, with stays of up to 3 months after each entry. It can't be extended. For a further holiday stay, holders may be able to apply in Australia for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) Tourist stream.

Family members and cost

Family members can't be included. A separate application is made for each family member, including those listed on the same passport.

Home Affairs' eVisitor page says the eVisitor is free.

Step by step

This follows the Step by step tab of the eVisitor page.

Apply

1. Check all details before submitting: the name exactly as in the passport, an eligible passport, the date of birth (dd/mm/yy) and the email address.
2. Declare any criminal conduct and answer all questions truthfully. Home Affairs may ask for a police certificate.
3. Have non-English documents translated into English.
4. Create the application online, attach documents and submit.

After you apply

1. Home Affairs confirms it has received the application. If no email arrives within 12 hours, the status can be checked in ImmiAccount.
2. Applicants must be outside Australia to be granted the eVisitor, and Home Affairs says not to arrange travel until it is granted.
3. Home Affairs tells the applicant its decision in writing.

Applying in or outside Australia

Applicants must be outside Australia when they apply and when the eVisitor is decided (eVisitor page).

651 visa processing time

Home Affairs publishes current processing times in its visa processing times guide.

Compare: 651, 601 and 600