Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
601 Electronic Travel Authority vs 651 eVisitor
Your passport decides, not your preference. The eVisitor is for passport holders of the European Union countries and a handful of others, is free, and is applied for online; the ETA is for passport holders of the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and a few more, carries a small service charge, and is applied for through the Department’s app. Both allow visits of up to three months at a time over twelve months, for tourism or business visitor purposes, with no work, and both are granted in minutes to a clean record. A person eligible for neither, or refused either, applies for the Visitor visa 600.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Who
- Passport holders of the ETA-eligible countries (US, Canada, UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and others) · Passport holders of the EU member states and other eVisitor-eligible countries
- How you apply
- The Australian ETA app, from outside Australia · Online through the Department, from outside Australia
- Charge
- A service charge of $20 · Free
- Stay
- Up to 3 months per visit, multiple entries over 12 months · Up to 3 months per visit, multiple entries over 12 months
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Side by side
| 601 Electronic Travel Authority | 651 eVisitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Passport holders of the ETA-eligible countries (US, Canada, UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and others) | Passport holders of the EU member states and other eVisitor-eligible countries |
| How you apply | The Australian ETA app, from outside Australia | Online through the Department, from outside Australia |
| Charge | A service charge of $20 | Free |
| Stay | Up to 3 months per visit, multiple entries over 12 months | Up to 3 months per visit, multiple entries over 12 months |
| Work | No; business visitor activities only | No; business visitor activities only |
| Study | Up to 3 months | Up to 3 months |
| If refused | Apply for the Visitor visa 600 | Apply for the Visitor visa 600 |
| Watch out | Character declarations: a conviction usually means the 600 instead | The same; and a passport from a country on neither list needs the 600 |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
Your passport decides, not your preference. The eVisitor is for passport holders of the European Union countries and a handful of others, is free, and is applied for online; the ETA is for passport holders of the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and a few more, carries a small service charge, and is applied for through the Department’s app. Both allow visits of up to three months at a time over twelve months, for tourism or business visitor purposes, with no work, and both are granted in minutes to a clean record. A person eligible for neither, or refused either, applies for the Visitor visa 600.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
601 Electronic Travel Authority or 651 eVisitor — which is better?
Your passport decides, not your preference. The eVisitor is for passport holders of the European Union countries and a handful of others, is free, and is applied for online; the ETA is for passport holders of the United States, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and a few more, carries a small service charge, and is applied for through the Department’s app. Both allow visits of up to three months at a time over twelve months, for tourism or business visitor purposes, with no work, and both are granted in minutes to a clean record. A person eligible for neither, or refused either, applies for the Visitor visa 600.
What is the main difference between the 601 Electronic Travel Authority and the 651 eVisitor?
Who: 601 Electronic Travel Authority — Passport holders of the ETA-eligible countries (US, Canada, UK, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and others); 651 eVisitor — Passport holders of the EU member states and other eVisitor-eligible countries. How you apply: 601 Electronic Travel Authority — The Australian ETA app, from outside Australia; 651 eVisitor — Online through the Department, from outside Australia. Charge: 601 Electronic Travel Authority — A service charge of $20; 651 eVisitor — Free.
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