Australian ETA App Official Step-by-Step Guide (2026)

ETA 601 is an App-only process. There is no official website form and this page does not contain a field validator.

A browser checker cannot pre-test the parts that make this application official: the App reads the ePassport chip through NFC, captures a live face photo, checks device state, presents current Home Affairs questions, and sends the application for a government decision. Regular expressions cannot confirm a chip read, match a live face to the passport, or predict a request for more information. Use this page as a sequence checklist, then follow the current prompts inside AustralianETA.

1. Download the App and verify the developer

Use the store links published by Home Affairs:

• AustralianETA on Apple App Store
• AustralianETA on Google Play

Before opening it, check two exact labels: the App is AustralianETA and the developer is Department of Home Affairs. The download is free. A website offering its own ETA form is not the official ETA 601 application channel.

Prepare a camera-equipped phone with NFC and location services enabled, a valid email address, and a payment method. If someone helps you on their phone, you must be physically present.

2. Scan the passport and read its NFC chip

Use the passport you will carry to Australia. The App first scans the photo page to pre-fill the name, birth date, passport number, and other details. Check every character against the passport.

Next, place the phone against the electronic passport while the App reads the chip through NFC. Remove a thick phone or passport cover if the read fails, keep the phone still, and follow the on-screen placement cue. A web form cannot replace this chip read.

3. Take the live face photo

The App asks for a live image of the applicant. This is not a saved portrait uploaded from the photo library. Use even light, keep the full face visible, and follow the framing prompts.

Every applicant must be present for this step, including when a family member, friend, or travel representative operates the device. Home Affairs says it will not grant an ETA without the required live facial image.

4. Answer the declaration questions

Complete the personal, contact, and ETA questions shown in the App. They include prior names, other passports, contact details in Australia, criminal convictions, and other eligibility declarations.

Answer truthfully and review the name and date of birth before submission. Home Affairs cannot simply edit an issued ETA when the application details do not match the passport. If you have a criminal conviction, the official guidance directs you to consider a Visitor visa 600 with supporting information instead.

5. Pay the AUD $20 App service charge

Each submitted ETA application carries an AUD $20 application service fee. ETA 601 itself has no Visa Application Charge, so the correct description is “AUD $20 App service charge,” not “AUD $20 visa fee.”

Each person submits a separate application. A family using one phone may submit and pay together, but the AUD $20 charge still applies to each application.

6. Submit and wait for the result

Home Affairs says most applicants receive a result immediately. Some cases take longer because an answer is incomplete, information is hard to verify, or further documents are required. Do not submit repeated ETA applications if the Department asks for more information; follow the instructions in its letter.

Keep the written decision and check the grant number, start date, conditions, and passport details. The ETA is electronically linked to that passport. No passport label is issued.

An eligible European passport holder should also compare the free eVisitor 651 route before paying the App charge.