Most eVisitor applications are decided in minutes to a few days. If yours comes back refused, the important thing is to understand why before you do anything else.
Do not simply reapply
Submitting the same application again will usually produce the same result, and a pattern of repeated applications does not help you. Read the decision, which states the reason.
Common reasons
- The passport is not on the eVisitor list — in that case the ETA or a Visitor visa may be the right route instead.
- Details did not match the passport exactly. Names, numbers and dates must be entered as printed.
- A declaration about health or character required assessment rather than an automatic decision.
If you already have flights
Do not travel on the assumption that it will be resolved at the airport. Without a valid visa you will not be boarded. Contact the airline about changing dates while you sort out the correct application.
A refusal is not the same as a cancellation. If a visa you already hold is cancelled, an exclusion period of up to 3 years can apply to future applications.
Source: Department of Home Affairs — eVisitor (subclass 651)
More on the eVisitor
Children
Every traveller needs their own visa, including infants. Children are not covered by a parent's eVisitor, and the application is made the same way.
New passport
The visa is linked to the passport it was granted against. Renewing or replacing that passport does not cancel the visa, but you must tell the Department.
Which one do I need?
Similar names, very different rules. Which scheme applies to which destination, what each costs, and the mistakes that come from mixing them up.
After you land
Your visa gets you on the plane. What comes after — SmartGate, cash, tax refunds, healthcare, driving, emergencies — checked against official sources.
SmartGate on arrival
Arrival SmartGates take travellers aged 7+ on any valid passport during an ABF trial. The paper Incoming Passenger Card is still required.
Liquids in hand luggage
On international flights from Australia, liquids, aerosols and gels must be in 100 mL containers in one clear bag. Inorganic powders are limited too.