Which visa should you check?
Check the exact passport and purpose: a short visit and a Working Holiday 417 are different routes. The rules for a British National (Overseas) passport also differ by visa.
The eVisitor (subclass 651) may fit a British Citizen passport holder; a British National (Overseas) passport is listed for ETA instead. Working Holiday 417 has a separate eligible UK passport list. Eligibility depends on your exact circumstances. Home Affairs decides applications.
Explore official visa options · Read the relevant visa page · Read ETA passport eligibility · UK Working Holiday 417 → · Compare short-visit visas →
What else should you know?
The Australian High Commission in London says there is no Australian Biometrics Collection Centre in the UK. If Home Affairs requests biometrics, follow the instructions in your letter and consult the overseas-services directory.
British Citizen or British National (Overseas)?
Home Affairs lists a United Kingdom – British Citizen passport for the eVisitor (subclass 651). Its eVisitor page excludes British National (Overseas), British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person, British Subject and British Dependent Territories Citizen passports. The ETA (subclass 601) list includes both British Citizen and British National (Overseas) passports. Do not choose a visa from the word “British” alone; check the nationality printed in the passport you will travel on.
If you also hold Australian citizenship, Home Affairs says you cannot apply for an ETA or eVisitor as an Australian citizen. Follow its Australian-passport guidance instead. A non-citizen travel document is not an eligible eVisitor or ETA passport.
Official eVisitor passport list · Official ETA passport list · Australian citizen entry guidance
Compare the visa and the way you apply
For an eligible British Citizen passport holder making a short tourist or family visit, the eVisitor is free and is applied for online. An eligible British Citizen or British National (Overseas) passport holder may instead check the ETA, which requires the official Australian ETA app and has an app service charge. Both visas generally allow multiple entries during a 12-month travel period, with a stay of up to three months after each entry. The ETA period can end sooner when the passport expires.
Neither visa permits taking a job in Australia. If the visit needs a longer stay, the passport is not eligible, or the app cannot be used, compare another suitable visa, such as the Visitor 600 Tourist stream. A criminal conviction or particular health circumstances may also mean the Visitor 600 route is more appropriate under Home Affairs' instructions. Read the chosen visa's complete eligibility and conditions before applying.
Apply from outside Australia and wait for the written decision
- Check the passport type, travel purpose and current visa conditions. If family members travel with you, each person needs a separate application.
- For eVisitor, use the online application on Home Affairs. For ETA, use the Australian ETA app with the passport, a phone that can scan it, a live photo, an email address and a payment method for the app service charge. Check every passport detail before submitting.
- Stay outside Australia while applying and when the eVisitor or ETA is granted. Monitor the application channel and email for requests or the written outcome; do not make non-refundable travel commitments before a grant.
- Read the grant dates and conditions for each traveller. If Home Affairs asks for biometrics while you live in the UK, follow the letter. The High Commission says there is no Australian Biometrics Collection Centre in the UK; if your application was lodged in ImmiAccount and you cannot comply, explain your circumstances there rather than assuming the requirement is waived. For an ETA app application, follow the app and your individual request. Application-channel note checked 6 October 2026.
Official eVisitor steps · Official ETA app steps · UK High Commission follow-up · Biometrics guide →
UK passports have their own 417 arrangements
If your aim is an extended holiday with short-term work, check the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417), rather than using eVisitor, ETA or Visitor 600 to take a job. Home Affairs' first-417 page lists the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, including British National (Overseas) passports. That is a different passport rule from eVisitor. It lists ages 18–35 inclusive for UK applicants; you must lodge before your 36th birthday under the Australian time rule shown on the page. The first application must be made online from outside Australia. Check the full criteria, including funds, health, character and no accompanying dependent children, on the official page.
The first 417 normally allows a 12-month stay from first entry, short-term work and up to four months' study. Home Affairs says work with one employer is usually limited to six months unless an exemption or written permission applies. Your grant notice and VEVO control your actual conditions. The first entry can start the 12-month period even if you only transit or also hold an ETA; plan the timing before arriving.
Second or third 417: UK passport holders who lodge on or after 1 July 2024 using their UK passport can be granted these visas without the usual three or six months of specified subclass 417 work. That does not remove the other second- or third-visa criteria, including prior-visa history, age, location and visa conditions. Home Affairs gives examples for people who held an earlier 417 using another eligible passport; check your own sequence against its UK arrangements rather than assuming a new first visa.
First Working Holiday 417 · Official UK 417 arrangements · Second 417 rules · Compare 417 and 462 →
Build a clear, consistent application
For eVisitor or ETA, 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 United Kingdom
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 United Kingdom; your residence history can involve other countries too.
United Kingdom 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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