eVisitor Visa (Subclass 651)
Free online visa for Irish citizens visiting Australia for tourism or short business trips. Valid 12 months, with stays of up to three months each visit.
Subclass 651 · Last reviewed: 21 September 2026 · Official visa page
Key eligibility
- • Irish passport holder, or holder of another eligible European passport
- • Travelling for tourism or business visitor activities
- • Outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted
- • No intention to work for an Australian employer
- • Meet health and character requirements
The eVisitor (subclass 651) is how most Irish citizens visit Australia. It is free, it is usually decided quickly, and the whole application is a short online form.
There is no government application fee. That is worth stating plainly, because a number of commercial sites charge for what is a free application.
What the three months actually means
This is the most misunderstood part of the visa, and it works in your favour.
The eVisitor is valid for 12 months from the date it is granted. Within those 12 months you can enter Australia as many times as you like, and each visit can last up to three months.
So it is not a three-month allowance to use once. Someone travelling to Australia in March for six weeks and again in October for a month uses one eVisitor for both trips.
What you cannot do is stay for longer than three months continuously, or leave and immediately re-enter to reset the clock. Repeated back-to-back visits with short breaks look like living in Australia on a visitor visa, and border officers can and do refuse entry on that basis even with a valid visa.
eVisitor or ETA?
Irish citizens are eligible for both, and they do a similar job.
| eVisitor (651) | ETA (601) | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Service charge applies |
| How you apply | ImmiAccount, online form | Official Australian ETA app |
| Validity | 12 months | 12 months |
| Stay per visit | Up to 3 months | Up to 3 months |
For an Irish passport holder there is rarely a reason to pay for the ETA. The eVisitor is the default.
Be careful with search results here. Plenty of sites present themselves as the place to apply and add a fee of anywhere from €30 to €100 on top of a free application. The only place you need is the Department of Home Affairs.
What you can and cannot do
You can:
- Holiday and travel anywhere in Australia
- Visit family and friends
- Attend business meetings, conferences and contract negotiations
- Undertake a short course of up to three months
You cannot:
- Work for an Australian employer, paid or otherwise
- Stay more than three months at a time
- Extend the visa or apply from inside Australia
- Travel with the main purpose of receiving medical treatment
The work restriction is the one that matters most. If your plan involves earning money in Australia, the Working Holiday visa is what you want if you are 35 or under, and employer sponsorship if you are older or the role is skilled.
Applying from Ireland
- Create an ImmiAccount on the Department of Home Affairs website.
- Select eVisitor (subclass 651).
- Complete the form with your passport details and travel plans.
- Submit while you are outside Australia.
- Wait for the grant notification in your ImmiAccount.
Have ready your valid Irish passport, your travel dates if you have them, and details of any previous Australian visas or refusals.
Many applications are decided within days, but that is not guaranteed and some are referred for further checks. Apply a few weeks before you fly rather than the night before.
After it is granted
The eVisitor is electronic and linked to your passport. There is no label or sticker, and you do not need to print anything, though keeping the grant notice on your phone does no harm.
Two things to watch:
A new passport breaks the link. If you renew your passport after the grant, you must apply again with the new details. It is free, but if you renew a week before flying you have created an avoidable problem.
Check the grant before you fly. An airline can deny boarding without a valid visa, and "I applied" is not the same as "it was granted".
When the eVisitor is not the right visa
Move to the Visitor visa (subclass 600) if:
- You want to stay longer than three months in one visit
- You are visiting family and want a longer stay under the Sponsored Family stream
- You have a previous visa refusal or a complicated immigration history
- Your circumstances do not fit the straightforward profile the eVisitor is built for
The 600 costs money and takes longer, but it does things the eVisitor cannot.
Healthcare while you are there
Ireland's reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia gives you access to medically necessary treatment, which is a real benefit on a short trip. It does not cover ambulance transport in most states, dental, or repatriation.
Our Medicare guide sets out what is and is not covered. Travel insurance is still worth having.
How we can help
Most Irish visitors do not need help with an eVisitor, and we will say so. It is free, short and straightforward, and we would rather tell you that than charge you for it.
Where we do help is when the answer is not obvious: a previous refusal, a long intended stay, a family visit that may suit the 600 better, or an immigration history that needs handling carefully. Get in touch if that is you.