How Long Does the eVisitor Take for UK Passports? When to Apply
For most British Citizen passport holders, the eVisitor is decided in less than a day. Home Affairs' own figures show 90% of applications processed in under 1 day. There is no official "apply X weeks before" rule. The official advice is simpler: apply before you book, and don't arrange travel until you're told in writing that the visa is granted.
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.
This page is only about timing. If you're still choosing between the free eVisitor and the $20 ETA, our guide to the ETA and eVisitor for UK citizens covers that choice, and the Australian tourist visa guide for UK citizens covers what the eVisitor lets you do.
Quick facts: eVisitor timing
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Published processing times (eVisitor page) | 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% of applications: "Less than 1 Day" |
| Global processing-times tool | 50% and 90% processed in less than 1 day (page updated 4 September 2026) |
| First email | Expect one within 12 hours; if not, check your status in ImmiAccount |
| Which UK passports qualify | British Citizen only. BN(O), British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person and British Subject passports are excluded |
| Cost | Free |
| Valid for | Travel to Australia for 12 months from the grant date |
| Official "apply by" deadline | None published |
| When to book flights | After Home Affairs tells you in writing that the visa is granted |
What Home Affairs actually publishes
The eVisitor (subclass 651) page shows four percentiles, and every one reads "Less than 1 Day". Home Affairs' global processing-times tool gives the same answer for the 50th and 90th percentiles. So at least nine in ten applications are decided within a day.
Two things those figures don't tell you:
- How long the slowest 10% take. The tool doesn't publish a ceiling for them.
- When the data is from. The tool shows no "as at" date. The only date on the page is "Last updated: 4 September 2026".
Home Affairs also adds a caveat: the estimate "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."
That is why you'll see different numbers elsewhere. Any fixed number of days you read online, whether "a few hours", "48 hours" or "a week", is someone's rule of thumb. It isn't an official Home Affairs figure.
After you press submit
The eVisitor is lodged online through ImmiAccount. Home Affairs says: "If you don't receive an email from us within 12 hours of applying, check your application status in ImmiAccount."
Two other official rules affect your timing:
- You must be outside Australia when the decision is made. If you're a British expat already in Australia, you can't be granted a new eVisitor until you've left.
- Don't book until it's granted in writing. "Do not arrange to travel to Australia until we let you know in writing that we have granted you the visa."
Why some eVisitor applications take longer
These are the things in your own application that can slow it down.
A "yes" to a criminal-conviction question. Home Affairs' advice is direct: "If you have a criminal conviction in any country, apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead." If you still apply for an eVisitor, you must declare all criminal conduct, give details of the offences and any fines or sentences, and you may be asked for a police certificate. For a character assessment, Home Affairs says it "will not prioritise a case because you have made travel arrangements." Our guide to visiting Australia with a criminal record from the UK covers this properly, including spent convictions and drink-driving.
Name and date errors. Home Affairs' own tips are to make sure "your name is spelt as it appears in your passport, including your middle name, and that it has not been auto-corrected by your device", and to check you've "entered your date of birth in dd/mm/yy format".
A passport about to change. If you apply on a passport you're about to renew, you then have to tell Home Affairs about the new one. Renewing first and applying second avoids the extra step.
Two passports. If you're British and, say, Irish, apply on the passport you'll actually travel on. Home Affairs says dual nationals "must use the passport you used when applying for your visa for both entering and leaving Australia." The ETA also requires you to declare any other passports you hold.
Money owed to the Australian Government. If you or a family member owes the Australian Government money, Home Affairs requires it to be paid back, or a repayment arrangement to be in place.
When to apply: a timing table
The right moment depends on your situation. The 12-month clock starts on the grant date, so applying very early uses up part of your travel window.
| Your situation | When to apply | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Dates decided, flights not booked | Now. Book once the grant arrives | That's the order Home Affairs asks for |
| Flights already booked | Today | 90% are decided within a day, but the slowest 10% have no published limit |
| Trip more than a year away | Wait until your arrival date falls within 12 months of when you apply | A grant today would run out before you arrive |
| Several trips planned | Time it so every arrival falls inside the 12 months | One grant covers multiple entries, 3 months each time |
| Passport due for renewal | Renew first, then apply on the new passport | The visa is tied to the passport you apply with |
| You have a criminal conviction | Start a subclass 600 now, before booking | Tourist stream: 50% in 18 days, 90% in 38 days |
| British National (Overseas) passport | Apply for the ETA in the app; the eVisitor excludes BN(O) | "In most cases" the ETA result comes "immediately" |
Our pre-trip checklist for travelling to Australia from the UK puts these steps into a full timeline, from booking to arrival.
Travelling as a family or group
There are no family applications. Home Affairs says "a separate application must be made for each member of your family, including those listed on your passport", and that includes babies. Each application is decided on its own, so one family member's result can arrive later than the others.
Two practical points:
- Apply for everyone at the same time. A child's eVisitor is a separate decision. Home Affairs also says it "might not grant this visa if it is not in the best interests of an applicant under 18."
- Watch for the slow application. If a partner or grandparent travels on a passport that isn't eVisitor- or ETA-eligible, they'll probably need a subclass 600, which takes weeks. Plan the whole trip around that one. Our guide to visiting Australia as a UK family with mixed passports works through an example.
If it hasn't arrived after a day
- Check your junk or spam folder. The notification comes by email.
- Log in to ImmiAccount and check the status. This is Home Affairs' own instruction when no email arrives within 12 hours.
- Answer any request for information quickly. Send exactly what's asked for, by the date given.
- Don't book, or rebook, until you're granted. Home Affairs publishes no way to speed up an eVisitor.
- If you declared a conviction, expect a longer wait. Character assessments are not prioritised because of travel plans. With a trip coming up, a subclass 600 is the route Home Affairs recommends for anyone with a conviction.
If you're using the ETA instead
BN(O) passport holders can only use the ETA, and British Citizen passport holders can choose it. Its timing works a little differently:
- Usually immediate. "In most cases we will tell you of the result of your ETA application immediately." The global tool shows 50% and 90% in less than 1 day.
- What slows it down. Not answering the questions correctly, Home Affairs needing more information, or information that's "hard to verify".
- Don't reapply in the app. If Home Affairs needs more information, it writes to you with a link to an online form in ImmiAccount. It says: "Do not submit further ETA applications through the Australian ETA app. You will receive the same results."
- No corrections after grant. "We cannot change the details on an ETA once it has been issued." A typo means a new application.
If an ETA is sitting in processing, our guide to an ETA stuck in manual review explains what's happening.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the eVisitor take for a UK passport?
Usually less than a day. Home Affairs' eVisitor page shows 25%, 50%, 75% and 90% of applications all processed in "Less than 1 Day", and its global processing-times tool agrees. It's a guide, not a guarantee, and there's no published limit for the slowest applications.
Can I apply for the eVisitor a day or two before I fly?
You can, and most applications would be decided in time. But Home Affairs doesn't guarantee its processing times, and it asks you not to arrange travel until you're granted. If you've already booked, apply today rather than waiting until the week of the flight.
How far in advance can I apply for the eVisitor?
There's no official earliest date, but the eVisitor is valid for travel for 12 months from the grant date. If your trip is more than a year away, wait until your arrival date falls within that 12-month window, or the visa will expire before you arrive.
Why hasn't my eVisitor come through yet?
Check your junk folder first, then your application status in ImmiAccount; Home Affairs says to do this if you haven't had an email within 12 hours. Things that can slow an application down include a declared criminal conviction, a name or date-of-birth error, or a request for more information.
Does declaring a conviction make the eVisitor take longer?
It can. Home Affairs' advice for anyone with a conviction in any country is to apply for a Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead. If you still apply for the eVisitor you must declare everything and may be asked for a police certificate, and character assessments aren't prioritised because you've booked travel.
Is the ETA faster than the eVisitor?
Not meaningfully. The processing-times tool shows 50% and 90% of both processed in less than 1 day. The ETA costs $20 and must be lodged in the app; the eVisitor is free and lodged through ImmiAccount. British Citizen passport holders can use either.
