How Long Does the eVisitor Take for Irish Passports? When to Apply
Most eVisitor applications are decided in less than a day. Home Affairs' processing-times tool (page updated 4 September 2026) shows 50% and 90% of eVisitor applications processed in less than 1 day. That's a guide, not a promise. Apply before you pay for flights you can't change, but not so early that the 12-month validity ends before your trip does.
Independent guide — not a government service. Australian Visa Online is an independent information resource. We are not affiliated with the Australian Government or the Department of Home Affairs, and we do not lodge applications on your behalf.
Irish passports are eligible for both the free eVisitor (subclass 651) and the $20 ETA (subclass 601). This page is about timing. For eligibility, conditions and the application itself, see our eVisitor guide for Irish citizens or the wider guide to Australian visas for Irish citizens.
The official processing figures
These are the published numbers, not estimates from other travellers:
| Visa | 50% decided within | 90% decided within | Where the figure comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| eVisitor (651) | Less than 1 day | Less than 1 day | Home Affairs' global processing-times tool. The eVisitor page shows "Less than 1 Day" at the 25th and 75th percentiles too |
| ETA (601) | Less than 1 day | Less than 1 day | Processing-times tool. Home Affairs adds that "In most cases we will tell you of the result of your ETA application immediately" |
| Visitor visa (600), Tourist stream | 18 days | 38 days | Processing-times tool. Relevant if someone in your group isn't on the eVisitor or ETA lists |
The tool carries its own warning: "This estimated timeframe is based on how long it has taken to process recently decided applications. It does not guarantee that applications will be decided within the timeframe."
Read the percentiles carefully. "90% in less than 1 day" also means about 1 application in 10 takes longer. Home Affairs doesn't publish how much longer. The official pages point to causes in the application itself, covered below.
What happens after you press submit
- Acknowledgement. Home Affairs lets you know it has received the application. Its instruction: "If you don't receive an email from us within 12 hours of applying, check your application status in ImmiAccount."
- Decision in writing. The outcome arrives in writing, with your visa grant number, the date the visa starts and your visa conditions. Keep a copy with you in Australia.
- Location rule. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the decision is made. You can't lodge from Sydney after landing and wait it out there.
What slows an Irish eVisitor application
A "yes" on the character questions. This one can add weeks, not hours. Home Affairs' advice is: "If you have a criminal conviction in any country, apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead." If you apply for the eVisitor anyway, you must declare everything, and Home Affairs may ask for a police certificate. For an Irish police certificate, An Garda Síochána quotes approximately three weeks. Home Affairs also warns that it "will not prioritise a case because you have made travel arrangements." Our guide to visiting Australia with a criminal record from Ireland explains the 600 route.
Details that don't match your passport. Home Affairs' own checklist asks you to spell your name as it appears in your passport, including your middle name, and to make sure your device hasn't auto-corrected it. Names with a fada or an apostrophe deserve a second look. It also asks you to enter your date of birth in dd/mm/yy format and to check your email address. A visa granted with wrong details can cause delays or refusal of entry later, even if the grant itself was quick.
Other names. If you've been known by another name, such as an Irish-language version of your name or a name before marriage, answer any question about other names fully. The ETA app asks about prior names outright.
More than one passport. Irish–British dual citizens can use either passport. Choose one, apply with it and travel on it. Applying with one and flying on the other creates problems at check-in, not faster processing.
Health or hospital settings. Home Affairs says applicants who will "enter health care or hospital environments", or who are studying to be a doctor, dentist, nurse or paramedic, should apply for the Visitor visa (subclass 600). Irish healthcare students planning a clinical visit should check this before choosing the eVisitor.
When to apply: working back from your trip
There are two official rules to plan around:
- Wait for the grant before booking. Home Affairs says: "Do not arrange to travel to Australia until we let you know in writing that we have granted you the visa."
- The clock starts at grant. The eVisitor is valid for travel for 12 months from the date it is granted. The Migration Regulations (clause 651.511) let you enter within those 12 months and stay up to 3 months after each entry. Apply too early and part of that year is used up before you've left Ireland.
The practical sweet spot is once your dates are roughly fixed and your arrival, plus any repeat visit you're planning, falls within the next 12 months. With a typical decision in under a day, you can apply, get the grant and then book.
Worked example (hypothetical). Say you live in Galway and want to spend three weeks with your sister in Brisbane over Christmas. A fare sale opens in September. You apply for the eVisitor in ImmiAccount that evening, the grant arrives by email, and you book the flights once it does. The visa then stays valid until the following September, so a second visit at Easter would also be covered, as long as no single stay runs past 3 months.
Worked example (hypothetical). Say you have a conviction from years ago and are planning a trip for next spring. You're on the subclass 600 route, not the eVisitor. The Tourist stream's published 90% figure is 38 days, a police certificate may be requested, and character assessments aren't sped up for booked travel. Start months ahead and book nothing until the grant arrives.
Family and group timing
There's no family application. Home Affairs says: "A separate application must be made for each member of your family, including those listed on your passport." So a family of four lodges four eVisitors. Lodge them close together so the grant dates, and the 12-month windows, line up.
If someone in the family holds a passport that isn't on either list, their usual route is the Visitor visa (subclass 600), where the Tourist stream's published figures are 18 days (50%) and 38 days (90%). Start that application first and lodge the Irish eVisitors once it's granted. Our family and mixed-passport guide has worked examples.
eVisitor or ETA if you're short on time
For a straightforward application, both are published at under 1 day, and the ETA often gives a result immediately. What neither offers is a fast lane for complicated cases. Home Affairs says an ETA "might take longer to process" if you don't answer the questions correctly, if it needs more information, or if your information is hard to verify. If your ETA is held up, it also says: "Do not submit further ETA applications through the Australian ETA app. You will receive the same results."
So paying $20 for the ETA doesn't fix whatever is slowing an eVisitor. If you're flying within days, apply for whichever suits you right away, answer every question accurately, and don't lodge duplicate applications.
How to check your status
- eVisitor: log in to ImmiAccount. That's where the application sits, and where Home Affairs points you if the 12-hour acknowledgement email hasn't arrived. See our ImmiAccount guide if you've never used it.
- After the grant: your grant letter and VEVO both show your conditions. Home Affairs says to use VEVO to prove you have a visa.
- ETA: use the app's "Visa check" function or VEVO. Home Affairs says to check your email, "including your junk mail folder", because notifications can be delayed.
If it's taking longer than a day
Don't panic, and don't lodge a second application. Check ImmiAccount and your email, including junk, for any request for more information. If Home Affairs asks for something, send exactly what it asks for, in full.
For the ETA, a request for more information comes as a letter with a link to an online form in ImmiAccount, plus Form 1554 (ETA Request for further processing). Our guide to an ETA stuck in processing walks through that route.
If a character question is behind the delay, Home Affairs recommends that you "do not finalise travel plans" until the assessment is done. Moving a flight is cheaper than losing one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the eVisitor take for Irish citizens?
Home Affairs' processing-times tool shows 50% and 90% of eVisitor applications decided in less than 1 day. Irish passports aren't singled out. The figures cover all eVisitor applications, and the tool says they're a guide, not a guarantee.
Can I apply for the eVisitor a year before my trip?
You can, but it's rarely wise. The eVisitor is valid for travel for 12 months from the grant date, so you need to arrive within that window. Apply when your arrival date, and any repeat visit, falls inside it. Decisions usually come in under a day, so there's little to gain from applying very early.
Why haven't I heard anything 12 hours after applying?
Home Affairs says that if you don't receive an email within 12 hours of applying, you should check your application status in ImmiAccount. Look in your junk folder as well, and check you typed your email address correctly.
Is the ETA faster than the eVisitor for an Irish passport?
Both are published at under 1 day for 90% of applications, and the ETA often returns a result immediately. The ETA costs $20, and it's no quicker when an application needs extra checks. For most Irish travellers, the free eVisitor is fast enough.
Can I book flights while my eVisitor is processing?
Home Affairs advises against it: "Do not arrange to travel to Australia until we let you know in writing that we have granted you the visa." With most decisions coming in under a day, waiting usually costs you very little.
Will a character question slow my application down?
It can. Home Affairs advises anyone with a criminal conviction in any country to apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead, may ask for a police certificate, and won't prioritise a case because travel is booked. Allow weeks, not days.
