Which visa should you check?
Choose the route for the real trip: eVisitor and ETA permit short visits, not Australian employment, while first Working Holiday 417 has separate age, location and prior-visa rules. French residence with a different passport does not create French passport eligibility.
The eVisitor (subclass 651) may fit a short visitor trip. Eligibility depends on your exact circumstances. Home Affairs decides applications.
Explore official visa options · Read the relevant visa page · French Working Holiday 417 → · Compare short-visit visas →
What else should you know?
The current Australian Embassy in France visa page says the Paris Embassy does not process applications. Use the official Australian ETA app for an eligible ETA, or ImmiAccount when the chosen visa directs you there. If Home Affairs requests biometrics while you are in France, read your individual letter and the current overseas-services directory. The Embassy FAQ lists a centre in Paris, but confirm its location and booking instructions before travelling.
Australian Embassy in France visa guidance · Embassy FAQ: biometrics in France
Check eVisitor 651 before choosing a visitor visa
Home Affairs lists French citizens holding a valid French passport for the eVisitor (subclass 651). It is free to apply online, generally permits multiple visits during a 12-month travel period, and allows up to three months after each entry. Apply while outside Australia and wait outside for a written decision. Every family member needs a separate application. An eVisitor is for tourism, visiting family or permitted business visitor activities; it does not permit taking an Australian job.
Check the exact passport you will travel on. French residence or a French residence permit with another citizenship does not make that other passport eligible. For a longer visit or different circumstances, compare the overseas Visitor 600 Tourist stream. For a course longer than the short study allowance, check Student 500. Each route has its own conditions and evidence.
Official eVisitor passport, stay and cost rules · Compare short-visit visas →
An extended holiday with work has a different visa
Home Affairs lists French citizens with a valid French passport for the first Working Holiday visa (subclass 417). The French age range is 18–35 inclusive when applying. The deadline before the 36th birthday uses Australian Eastern time, even when applying from France. A later birthday while Home Affairs decides an already valid application is different. Apply online from outside Australia and remain outside for the first-visa decision.
Check whether you have previously entered Australia on a 417 or 462; first, second and third visas have separate rules. The first 417 also requires sufficient funds for the stay and departure, health and character checks, and no accompanying dependent children. It generally provides a 12-month first stay with short-term work and up to four months of study; the usual six-month same-employer limit and its current exceptions need checking against the visa conditions. A French passport does not receive the separate UK specified-work exception for later 417 visas.
Use the live Home Affairs page and your written grant before arranging paid work or non-refundable travel. After a 417 grant, a later eVisitor grant can end the 417 and its work rights; check the first-417 travel instructions before applying for another visa. An eVisitor grant is not permission to work. Save the private first-entry planner ↓
Official first-417 French passport and age rules · Compare the 417 passport ages →
Use the channel for your visa, and follow any biometrics letter
The Australian Embassy in Paris does not process visa applications or provide individual status updates. An eligible ETA application uses the official Australian ETA app; for a different visa lodged in ImmiAccount, keep access to that account and attach requested information there. If Home Affairs asks you for a facial image and fingerprints, read your own request letter before booking. The Embassy's current FAQ lists an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre in Paris; confirm the provider, location and appointment rules in the current overseas-services directory. A collection appointment is not a visa decision.
An older French-language Embassy visa page still appears in search with paper-application and centre details. Follow the current English Embassy page, Home Affairs instructions and your own letter instead. If you live outside France, use the services for your actual residence country. Application-channel guidance checked 7 October 2026.
Current Embassy visa instructions · Home Affairs: ETA app · Embassy FAQ: Paris biometrics · Current overseas service directory
Build a clear, consistent application
For eVisitor, follow the prompts for that visa. The points below are useful preparation questions, especially if you need to consider Visitor 600; they are not a fixed attachment list for a short-visit visa. For a Working Holiday visa, use its own eligibility and evidence page.
- Passport and identity documents that match your application.
- A simple account of your travel dates, purpose and accommodation.
- Evidence that you can fund the trip, or details of a supporter.
- Relevant work, study, family or residence evidence that explains your circumstances.
- Invitation details if you are visiting someone.
- Clear scans and translations where required.
Home Affairs can request additional evidence, biometrics or health checks. See its document preparation advice and our biometrics guide.
Find the issuing steps for France
Use the countries and periods named in your visa instructions or individual request. This passport guide does not establish that you need a certificate from France; your residence history can involve other countries too.
France police-certificate starting checks → · Find another issuing country →
The linked help includes official sources. Check the current issuer instructions before applying, and keep completed identity records in the official process.
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