Australian eVisitor Visa (651) for Belgian Citizens

Australian eVisitor Visa (651) for Belgian Citizens

Updated: 15 July 2026

Belgian citizens visiting Australia for tourism or business use the eVisitor (Subclass 651), not the ETA. Belgium is an EU member on the eligible passport list, so Belgian nationals apply free of charge online through ImmiAccount. The eVisitor allows stays of up to three months per visit and multiple entries across a 12-month validity — there is no visa application charge.

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. Always confirm current requirements before you apply.

Are Belgian Citizens Eligible for the eVisitor (651)?

Yes. Belgium sits on the list of eligible countries for the eVisitor (Subclass 651), the visitor visa built specifically for European passport holders. If you hold a valid Belgian passport, you can apply for the eVisitor for tourism or business visitor purposes, and there is no visa application charge.

Here is the point that trips up the most Belgian travellers: you are not eligible for the Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) Subclass 601. The ETA is reserved for a separate, mostly non-European group of passports — the USA, Canada, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Brunei and Hong Kong SAR. Belgium is not on that list, and a Belgian passport will not produce a valid ETA. The two visas grant almost identical travel rights, but eligibility is split strictly by nationality, and Belgium falls firmly on the eVisitor side.

If you take one thing from this page: Belgian passport → eVisitor (651). Not the ETA, and not the ETA app.

eVisitor (651) Quick Facts for Belgian Passport Holders

For current decision expectations, see our visa processing times guide. The eVisitor is typically one of the faster visas to be decided, but a minority of applications go to manual review, so timeframes are never guaranteed.

How Belgian Citizens Apply for the eVisitor (651)

The eVisitor is lodged online in a web browser. Unlike the ETA — which runs through a dedicated mobile app — the eVisitor is processed through ImmiAccount, the Department of Home Affairs' online portal. Here is the process for a Belgian passport holder.

Step 1: Create an ImmiAccount. Register a free account on the Department of Home Affairs ImmiAccount portal. Use an email address you check often — your grant notification lands there.

Step 2: Start an eVisitor (Subclass 651) application. Select the eVisitor from the list of visa types. Make sure you choose 651 and not a different visitor product — the portal lists several.

Step 3: Enter your Belgian passport details. Provide your passport number, full name exactly as printed, date of birth and nationality. Accuracy is critical: the visa is linked electronically to this passport number, and a typo can strand you at check-in.

Step 4: Answer the declaration questions. A short set of questions covers character (any criminal history), health, and the purpose of your visit. Answer honestly — false or misleading declarations can lead to refusal, cancellation and future exclusion.

Step 5: Submit. There is no visa application charge for the eVisitor, so there is no payment step for the visa itself. Submit the application while you are outside Australia.

Step 6: Receive your grant notice. You'll be notified by email through ImmiAccount. The eVisitor is electronic and linked to your passport — there is no label or stamp in the passport. Save the grant notification for your own records.

You must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the eVisitor is granted. If you are already in Australia on another visa, the eVisitor is not the right product and you would look at an onshore option instead.

Validity, Stay Length and Multiple Entries

The eVisitor for Belgian citizens runs on exactly the same clock as it does for every other eligible nationality.

This flexibility suits Belgian travellers who want to split their year — a holiday now, a return trip a few months later — all on a single grant. But two limits sit on top of that freedom. First, the three-month cap per visit is firm. Second, even though each new entry resets the three-month clock, condition 8558 caps your total presence at 12 months in any rolling 18-month window. You cannot use back-to-back visits to live in Australia indefinitely.

If you need a single continuous stay longer than three months, the eVisitor will not work — look at the Subclass 600 Visitor visa instead, which can be granted with longer stay periods. The Department also monitors travel patterns: repeatedly chaining consecutive three-month visits to reside in Australia semi-permanently can prompt questions at the border or lead to a visa being cancelled.

What Belgian Citizens Can (and Cannot) Do on an eVisitor

The eVisitor covers two broad categories of activity — tourism and business visitor activities — and grants no work rights.

Tourism activities include:

• Holidays, sightseeing and travelling around Australia
• Visiting family and friends
• Recreational activities such as surfing, diving and road trips
• Short-term study of up to three months
• Receiving medical treatment, where you are not a public health risk

Business visitor activities include:

• Attending conferences, seminars and trade fairs
• Making general business enquiries
• Conducting negotiations or contract discussions
• Attending business meetings

What the eVisitor does not allow:

• Working for an Australian employer
• Selling goods or services directly to the public
• Providing services to an Australian business
• Filling a position or doing paid work, including freelance or contract work

The grey zone for many Belgian professionals is the line between a "business visitor activity" and "work." Attending an industry conference in Melbourne is fine. Being paid to deliver a session at that same conference is work, and that needs a different visa. Remote work counts too: logging in to do paid work for your Belgian employer while physically in Australia is still work performed on Australian soil, and the eVisitor does not authorise it. If any part of your trip involves paid activity on the ground in Australia, the eVisitor is the wrong visa.

For a working holiday, paid work, or a longer stay, the eVisitor won't help — see the Subclass 600 Visitor visa for extended tourism, or explore work and skilled options separately.

What's Different for a Belgian Passport Compared to ETA Nationalities

A Belgian citizen's route into Australia differs from, say, an American or Japanese traveller's in a few concrete ways. Both groups end up with very similar travel rights — the road there is what changes.

The headline difference is the application channel: Belgian citizens use ImmiAccount in a browser, while ETA nationalities use the phone app. The second difference is cost structure — the eVisitor carries no visa application charge at all, whereas the ETA has a service charge attached to its app. Once granted, the permitted activities, stay length and validity are effectively the same, which is why our ETA vs eVisitor comparison treats them as twins separated only by passport.

If you hold dual nationality — for example, a Belgian passport plus a passport from an ETA-eligible country — apply using whichever passport you will actually present at the Australian border, and apply for the visa product that matches it.

Common Mistakes Belgian Applicants Make

Trying to use the ETA app. The Australian ETA app is for ETA-eligible nationalities only. A Belgian passport entered into the ETA app will not produce a valid visa. Use ImmiAccount and apply for the eVisitor (651) instead.

Applying from inside Australia. The eVisitor must be applied for, and granted, while you are outside Australia. If you're already onshore, this is not the right pathway.

Assuming it covers remote work. Doing paid work for a Belgian or any other employer while physically in Australia is still work on Australian soil. The eVisitor does not authorise it.

Renewing your passport after the grant. The eVisitor is tied to a specific passport number. If you renew your Belgian passport, the visa attached to the old one no longer works for travel — you'll need to re-apply with the new passport details. Because the eVisitor is free, applying again costs nothing but your time.

Ignoring the 12-in-18 cap. Each entry resets the three-month clock, but condition 8558 still limits you to 12 months of presence in any 18-month period. Frequent long visitors should track their cumulative time, not just each individual stay.

Overstaying. Staying beyond your permitted period — even briefly — can trigger an exclusion period and serious consequences for future Australian visas. Track your three-month limit carefully on every visit.

eVisitor vs Other Options for Belgian Travellers

For most Belgian tourists and business visitors, the eVisitor is the obvious choice: it's free, usually fast, and built for European passports. It isn't the only door into Australia, though.

• For a single stay longer than three months, the Subclass 600 Visitor visa can be granted with longer stay periods.
• To see how the eVisitor compares with the near-identical ETA, read the ETA vs eVisitor comparison.
• For the full feature breakdown of the visa product itself, see the dedicated eVisitor (Subclass 651) guide.
• For current charges across all visitor products, check the visa fees complete schedule.
• For a wider view of every route open to Belgian nationals, start at the Australia visa guide for Belgian citizens.

The eVisitor is the right answer for the vast majority of Belgian citizens making short, free trips to Australia. Reach for an alternative only when your stay length or planned activity falls outside what the eVisitor permits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Belgian citizens need a visa to visit Australia?

Yes. There is no fully visa-free entry for Belgian passport holders, but the visa you need — the eVisitor (Subclass 651) — has no visa application charge and is applied for online through ImmiAccount. It permits tourism and business visitor activities for up to three months per visit across a 12-month validity.

Can Belgian citizens use the Australian ETA?

No. The ETA (Subclass 601) is reserved for a different group of mostly non-European passports, such as the USA, Canada, Japan and Singapore. Belgium is not on that list. Belgian citizens are eligible for the eVisitor (651) instead, which offers near-identical travel rights but is applied for online rather than through the ETA app.

How long can a Belgian citizen stay in Australia on an eVisitor?

Up to three months per visit. The eVisitor is valid for 12 months from grant, and within that period you can enter multiple times — each entry allows a fresh stay of up to three months. Note that condition 8558 still caps your total presence at 12 months in any 18-month period, and the visa cannot be extended past three months per visit.

Is the eVisitor free for Belgian passport holders?

Yes. The eVisitor carries no visa application charge — it is free (AU$0) for eligible applicants, including Belgian citizens. Because government fees and related costs can change, confirm the current position on the visa fees schedule before you apply.

Can Belgian citizens work in Australia on an eVisitor?

No. The eVisitor allows tourism and business visitor activities — meetings, conferences and negotiations — but it grants no work rights. Paid work, including remote work for a Belgian employer performed while physically in Australia, is not permitted. Any paid activity on Australian soil requires a different visa.

How do Belgian citizens apply for the eVisitor (651)?

Create an ImmiAccount online, start an eVisitor (Subclass 651) application, enter your Belgian passport details, answer the character and health declaration questions, and submit while you are outside Australia. Because there is no visa application charge, there is no payment step for the visa itself.

What happens if a Belgian citizen needs to stay longer than three months?

The eVisitor cannot be extended past three months per visit. If you need a longer continuous stay, the Subclass 600 Visitor visa can be granted with longer stay periods. You would generally apply for it before your eVisitor stay runs out to avoid becoming unlawful.