With a British passport, your tourist visa is the eVisitor (subclass 651), which is free. We show you how to get it yourself, right the first time, without overpaying an agency.
Travelling to Australia on a British passport? Good news: your visa is the eVisitor (subclass 651), a free online authorisation available to British and many European passport holders. Here's how to get it from the UK — plus the flight reality and the best time to go — without mistakes and without paying an agency.
Yes. You can't enter Australia on your passport alone: you need a prior authorisation. For UK citizens, that authorisation is the eVisitor 651: it allows tourism or business, stays of up to 3 months per entry and is valid for 12 months. It is granted by the Australian Government (Department of Home Affairs).
The UK has the fastest link in Europe to Australia: Qantas flies non-stop London (Heathrow) to Perth in about 17 hours — one of the longest scheduled flights in the world. Most travellers still connect through Singapore, Dubai (Emirates) or Doha (Qatar Airways) to reach Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. Whatever you book, your eVisitor must be approved before check-in.
Britain is in the Northern Hemisphere, so Australia's seasons are reversed. Escape the UK winter (December–February) straight into Australia's summer on the east coast, or travel Australia's autumn (Mar–May) and spring (Sep–Nov) for milder weather and better prices. The eVisitor covers up to 3 months per entry over 12 months — ideal for a longer trip.
The eVisitor 651 is free: the Government charges no fee. So why do people pay? To avoid getting it wrong (a mistake can delay or sink your trip) and to avoid the £70–130 an agency charges for 15 minutes of clicking.
The eVisitor is a visitor authorisation — it does not allow paid work. If you're under 35 and want to work while you travel, the UK has a reciprocal Working Holiday (subclass 417) agreement with Australia. That's a different visa with its own rules; the eVisitor on this page is only for tourism and business visits.
Want every detail of the visa? See our full guide to the eVisitor 651, or check whether you need one at all in Do I need a visa for Australia?
Get the course and obtain it yourself in 15 minutes, without overpaying. If you have any doubts, you can also talk to an adviser.
The decision on any visa rests exclusively with the Department of Home Affairs. We do not guarantee results.
Yes. With a British passport the option is the eVisitor 651: a free electronic authorisation for tourism/business, up to 3 months per entry over 12 months.
The eVisitor 651 is free. Only a course or advice to apply for it without mistakes is optional.
100% online with your British passport, while outside Australia. Our course guides you step by step so you can do it in ~15 minutes.
No. The eVisitor (651) is for tourism and business visits only. If you're under 35 and want to work while travelling, the UK has a separate Working Holiday (subclass 417) route — and UK passport holders are currently exempt from the 88-days-of-regional-work requirement for a second year.
Correct. The Australian Government charges nothing for the eVisitor 651. The only optional cost is a course or advice to complete it without mistakes — an independent service.