Australia 601 ETA 2026: family members must apply separately, not as dependents
No — an Australian Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601) cannot be lodged as a family application. According to the Department of Home Affairs' official Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601) page, as of its July 2026 version, "you can't include family members, such as children or your spouse, in your application. Each family member, including those listed on your passport, must submit a separate application." There is no dependent or secondary applicant route on this visa, so a family of four travelling together lodges four independent ETAs, pays four times, and receives four separate decisions.
This is general information about published visa rules rather than personalised advice; a household's circumstances vary, and the official page — plus a professional opinion where your own situation is complicated — should be the final word.
Can one 601 ETA application cover my spouse and children?
It cannot. The official page states the rule twice: once in the general "Including family" section, and again in the application steps, where it adds a practical clarification — if all family members apply using the same mobile device, you can submit and pay for the applications at the same time. Submitting together is not the same as applying together. Each person still has their own application record, their own questions to answer truthfully, their own service fee, and their own outcome.
The consequence is that family travel is only as ready as the slowest application. One person's ETA may be granted in minutes while another's is held for further checks, and there is no mechanism that links the two.
Why does Subclass 601 have no secondary applicant?
The reason is structural rather than procedural. Under Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994, Subclass 601 sets out primary criteria only — there is no secondary applicant criteria for this subclass, so every person, including an accompanying spouse or child, must satisfy the same primary criteria in their own right. That is a different design from skilled and family-stream visas, where a secondary applicant can be assessed largely through their relationship to the main applicant.
Because the criteria attach to the individual, a family member is never "carried" onto someone else's ETA. Readers checking the legal text should use the current consolidated version of the Migration Regulations 1994 on the Federal Register of Legislation, as compiled legislation is updated over time, and the Department's visa page remains the practical statement of how the rules are applied.
Does each family member pay the same charge?
Yes, per application. The official page states there is no Visa Application Charge, but there is an application service fee of AUD 20 to use the Australian ETA app. Since each person files a separate application, a family of four incurs four service fees; paying them in one session is convenient, not cheaper.
Can the whole family apply from one phone?
Yes, and this is the main concession the official page makes to family travel. The same device can be used to scan each passport, take each live facial image, and pay for each application. What the device cannot do is remove the person: the app requires a live facial image, and the Department states it will not grant a visa if a live image is not taken.
The app also requires a mobile device with a camera that can photograph the passport data page, near-field communication enabled, location services enabled, a valid email address, and a ready payment method. Any adult who cannot meet those technical conditions needs another route rather than a family workaround.
Do children and babies need their own ETA?
Yes. The wording covers "each family member, including those listed on your passport" — so a child endorsed in a parent's passport does not ride along on the parent's grant. A hypothetical helps: suppose a couple travels with a toddler and an infant, and only the infant is still listed inside the mother's passport. That infant still needs a separate ETA, scanned against its own entry in the passport and linked to the passport it will actually travel on.
What does each person need at the moment of applying?
For every application, three conditions are worth checking before anyone starts:
- Physical presence. You can get help from a friend or family member to apply through the app, but you must be physically with them when the application is made. Authorised travel agents and industry representatives may also lodge on your behalf using the app, but you must still be physically present, take your photo, and have your passport available to scan.
- Outside Australia. You must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the visa is granted.
- Exact detail matching. You must check that all details, including name and date of birth, are correct before submitting. Details cannot be changed once the ETA is issued, and mismatches with passport details can cause boarding delays or refusal of entry.
What if one family member's ETA is delayed or refused?
Plan for that possibility rather than assuming a shared outcome. In most cases the Department notifies the result immediately, but an application can take longer if questions were not answered correctly, more information is needed, or the information is hard to verify. The Department advises not making travel arrangements until each ETA has been granted, and not arranging travel until written confirmation of the grant arrives.
If an application cannot be processed without further information, the applicant receives a letter explaining how to respond through an online form in ImmiAccount, with Form 1554: ETA Request for further processing attached. The Department also warns against submitting further ETA applications through the app in that situation, because the same result will follow. A refusal is communicated in writing, with reasons and information about any review rights.
Does each ETA follow its own passport?
Yes, and this is where families most often get caught out. Your ETA is digitally linked to your current passport; there is no label. If that passport expires or is replaced, the ETA ceases and a new ETA is required. So a parent who renews a passport mid-year does not transfer a valid ETA to the new document — the child's ETA is unaffected by the parent's renewal, and vice versa. Each person's 12-month validity (or passport-validity period, whichever is shorter) and 3-month-per-entry stay run on their own clock.
When should a family member use a different visa instead?
An ETA is not always the right instrument for every member of the household. The official page points to alternatives in several situations:
| Route | Where it fits | Family members on one application | Charge per official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| ETA (Subclass 601) | Tourism, visiting family or friends, business visitor activities, study or training of up to 3 months in total | Not permitted — separate application each | No Visa Application Charge; AUD 20 app service fee |
| eVisitor (Subclass 651) | Eligible European passport holders | Not covered here — check the official page | No charge to make an application |
| Visitor (Subclass 600) | Stays longer than 3 months at a time, training at a childcare centre, study to be a doctor, dentist, nurse or paramedic, entering health care or hospital environments, and applicants with criminal convictions who must provide evidence. If study is your main reason, the page directs you to a student visa | Not covered here — check the official page | As set out on the official page |
An ETA cannot be extended; staying longer requires a different visa, and remaining after the ETA ceases without another visa makes a person an unlawful non-citizen. The ETA is also not a work visa — paid work for an Australian employer is not permitted and can lead to cancellation. A person with a criminal conviction in any country is directed to the Visitor (Subclass 600) visa with evidence about the conviction rather than the app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I add my spouse to my ETA after it has been granted?
No. Subclass 601 has no mechanism for adding family members before or after the grant, and ETA details cannot be changed once issued. Your spouse needs to lodge a separate application through the Australian ETA app and receive their own grant before travelling.
Does a baby listed inside a parent's passport need an ETA?
Yes. The official page explicitly extends the separate-application requirement to family members "including those listed on your passport." The child's details must be scanned from the passport they will travel on, and a live facial image is required.
Can I pay for everyone's applications in one go?
You can submit and pay for multiple applications at the same time if the whole family uses the same mobile device. Each application still carries its own AUD 20 service fee, and each produces a separate decision.
Can my partner fill in my application while I am somewhere else?
No. You can receive help through the app, but you must be physically present with the person helping, take your own photo, and have your passport available to scan. The Department states it will not grant a visa without a live image.
Does one family member's refusal affect the others?
Applications are assessed individually, so there is no automatic spill-over. Because each person's result arrives on its own timeline, the practical risk is travel booked before every family member has a written grant — which is why the Department advises against making travel arrangements until then.
If a child's passport is renewed, does the existing ETA transfer?
No. The ETA is digitally linked to the passport it was issued against; if that passport expires or is replaced, the ETA ceases and a new ETA must be applied for. Other family members' ETAs are unaffected by one person's passport renewal.