Australia Subclass 601 ETA 2026: which nationalities and passports qualify?
A passport only supports an Australian Subclass 601 Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) if it was issued by one of 34 listed countries or jurisdictions — Andorra through Vatican City in the list below — and it must be a citizen passport in the ordinary sense, because the Department of Home Affairs states on its "Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601)" official page that you cannot apply with a non-citizen passport, a certificate of identity or another travel document such as a Titre de Voyage. This is general reference drawn from that page and from the Migration Regulations 1994; individual eligibility turns on your own facts, so check your circumstances against the department's current published requirements or take professional advice before you rely on anything here.
Which passports are on the ETA eligible list?
The department publishes a closed list. If the country or jurisdiction that issued your passport is not on it, no amount of documentation converts it into an ETA-eligible passport.
| Region | Countries and jurisdictions |
|---|---|
| Europe | Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Republic of San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City, United Kingdom—British Citizen, United Kingdom—British National (Overseas) |
| Asia-Pacific | Brunei, Hong Kong (SAR of China), Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan (excluding official or diplomatic passports) |
| North America | Canada, United States of America |
Two administrative details matter more than the list country itself. It is the type of British passport that counts — "British Citizen" and "British National (Overseas)" are named separately on the department's page, and other British passport categories are not listed. And for Taiwan, only non-official, non-diplomatic passports qualify; an official or diplomatic Taiwan passport is expressly excluded.
Can I use a non-citizen travel document instead?
No. The exclusion is aimed at documents issued to people who are not citizens of the issuing authority, and the department names three: non-citizen passports, certificates of identity, and other travel documents such as a Titre de Voyage. That is why nationality planning can change your answer here — the question is not where you live or how much you travel, but which citizenship document you would present at the boarding gate.
Do I have to declare a second passport?
Yes. If you hold more than one passport, you must declare this in your ETA application and provide details of your other passports. The app asks about criminal convictions, prior names and Australian contact details as part of the same truthfulness obligation, and the department warns that an ETA may be cancelled if you provided incorrect information.
One combination defeats eligibility outright: if you hold an ETA-eligible passport but are also an Australian citizen, you cannot apply for an ETA. Australian citizens have an automatic right of entry and do not need a visa to enter Australia.
Does holding a listed passport mean I will get the ETA?
No — the passport is the entry ticket to the process, not the outcome. According to the official page, you must meet every one of these at the same time:
- Genuine visitor: you intend to stay only temporarily and obey any condition or stay period attached to the visa.
- Health: if you will be entering health care or hospital environments, you should apply for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa instead; the same applies if you have previously failed to meet the health requirement.
- Character: if you have a criminal conviction in any country, you should apply for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa and provide evidence about those convictions.
- Debt: money owed to the Australian Government by you or any family member — including family members who are not applying with you — must have been repaid or arranged to be repaid.
- Best interests of the child: the visa might not be granted if doing so is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18.
Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 frames the same points as clauses 601.211 (holding an ETA-eligible passport), 601.212 (a genuine intention to visit temporarily as a tourist or to engage in business visitor activity), 601.213 (public interest criteria 4002, 4003, 4004, 4005, 4013, 4014 and 4020) and 601.214 (special return criteria 5001 and 5002). The regulations also provide that there are no secondary applicant criteria — every traveller, including accompanying family, must satisfy the primary criteria on their own application.
Do the passport details have to match the application exactly?
Yes, and the consequences are practical rather than theoretical. Details on an ETA cannot be changed once issued; if they do not exactly match your passport, you may face delays boarding your aircraft or be refused entry in Australia. Each family member must submit a separate application, including children listed on your passport, although applications can be submitted and paid together on the same device.
Applying also assumes your passport is machine-readable and current: the Australian ETA app scans the passport data page by near-field communication (NFC) to pre-fill your name, date of birth and passport number, and the device needs NFC, a camera, location services, a valid email address and a payment method for the service fee. A passport that expires mid-travel creates its own problem, because the ETA is tied to the travel document.
Are there channel limits for certain listed passports?
Sometimes the passport is eligible but the route is narrower. Departmental policy guidance indicates that online application channels are available only for some listed jurisdictions, with Taiwan and British National (Overseas) passports generally excluded from them; confirm the current position against the department's published guidance before relying on it.
My passport is not on the list — what else applies?
European passport holders may be eligible for an eVisitor (subclass 651) visa, and there is no charge to make an eVisitor visa application. Other passport holders may be eligible for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa. Both sit outside the ETA app; the department points applicants who are ineligible for or unable to use the app to ImmiAccount for another visa that suits their needs.
Suppose an applicant holds a passport from a country outside the list, plus a second passport issued by Malaysia: the Malaysian passport is the one that supports an ETA, and the other nationality still has to be declared in the application. The reverse case — several passports, none listed — falls to subclass 600, which is assessed on wider criteria and documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Taiwan included in the ETA eligible list?
Yes, with a restriction. The list covers "Taiwan (excluding official or diplomatic passports)", so ordinary Taiwan passports qualify while holders of official or diplomatic Taiwan passports need to look at another visa route.
Can I use a British National (Overseas) passport for an ETA?
Yes. The department lists "United Kingdom—British National (Overseas)" separately from "United Kingdom—British Citizen", and both are eligible. Other British passport categories are not named on the list, so holders should verify their specific category against official guidance.
I hold two eligible passports — must I really disclose both?
Yes. You must declare that you hold more than one passport and give details of the other passports in the application. Failing to do so counts as providing incorrect information, which can lead to cancellation of the ETA.
Can an Australian dual citizen travel on an ETA instead?
No. Australian citizens cannot apply for an ETA even if they also hold an eligible foreign passport, because they have an automatic right of entry and do not need a visa to enter Australia. The relevant comparison point is the dual-citizen travel rule rather than the ETA criteria.
Are Hong Kong SAR passports eligible?
Yes. "Hong Kong (SAR of China)" appears on the department's list as a qualifying jurisdiction, subject to the same validity and genuine-visitor criteria that apply to every other eligible passport.
My country is not listed at all — is the ETA simply unavailable?
It is unavailable on that passport. European passport holders may instead be eligible for the eVisitor (subclass 651), which has no application charge, and other passport holders may be eligible for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa lodged through ImmiAccount.
How soon after applying will I know the result?
In most cases the department says it will tell you of the result immediately, though there can be a delay before you receive notification. Processing takes longer if the application is filled in incorrectly, if more information is needed, or if the information is hard to verify.