Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
651 eVisitor vs 600 Visitor
An EU or other eVisitor-eligible passport holder with nothing to declare uses the eVisitor: free, online, granted in minutes, three months per visit over twelve months. The Visitor visa 600 is for the same person when the visit is longer than three months, when there is a conviction to declare, when a sponsor or a parent’s longer validity is wanted, when the eVisitor was refused, or when the application must be made from inside Australia. The eVisitor is the default; the 600 is the exception that costs money and takes weeks.
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 eVisitor-eligible countries, applying from outside Australia · Any passport; inside or outside Australia
- Charge
- Free · $250 from outside Australia; $630 from inside
- Stay
- Up to 3 months per visit, multiple entries over 12 months · 3, 6 or 12 months as granted; longer validity for some parents
- Assessment
- Automated, minutes · Documents, funds, the genuine visitor test; weeks
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 651 eVisitor | 600 Visitor | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Passport holders of the eVisitor-eligible countries, applying from outside Australia | Any passport; inside or outside Australia |
| Charge | Free | $250 from outside Australia; $630 from inside |
| Stay | Up to 3 months per visit, multiple entries over 12 months | 3, 6 or 12 months as granted; longer validity for some parents |
| Assessment | Automated, minutes | Documents, funds, the genuine visitor test; weeks |
| Convictions | Must be declared; usually mean the 600 instead | Assessed on the record provided |
| Extending in Australia | Not possible; apply for a 600 onshore | A further 600 onshore unless 8503 is imposed |
| Watch out | A refused eVisitor is declared on every later application | Condition 8503 on some grants |
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
An EU or other eVisitor-eligible passport holder with nothing to declare uses the eVisitor: free, online, granted in minutes, three months per visit over twelve months. The Visitor visa 600 is for the same person when the visit is longer than three months, when there is a conviction to declare, when a sponsor or a parent’s longer validity is wanted, when the eVisitor was refused, or when the application must be made from inside Australia. The eVisitor is the default; the 600 is the exception that costs money and takes weeks.
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
651 eVisitor or 600 Visitor — which is better?
An EU or other eVisitor-eligible passport holder with nothing to declare uses the eVisitor: free, online, granted in minutes, three months per visit over twelve months. The Visitor visa 600 is for the same person when the visit is longer than three months, when there is a conviction to declare, when a sponsor or a parent’s longer validity is wanted, when the eVisitor was refused, or when the application must be made from inside Australia. The eVisitor is the default; the 600 is the exception that costs money and takes weeks.
What is the main difference between the 651 eVisitor and the 600 Visitor?
Who: 651 eVisitor — Passport holders of the eVisitor-eligible countries, applying from outside Australia; 600 Visitor — Any passport; inside or outside Australia. Charge: 651 eVisitor — Free; 600 Visitor — $250 from outside Australia; $630 from inside. Stay: 651 eVisitor — Up to 3 months per visit, multiple entries over 12 months; 600 Visitor — 3, 6 or 12 months as granted; longer validity for some parents.
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