Australian eVisitor Visa (651) for Italian Citizens
Updated: 16 August 2026
Italian citizens travel to Australia on the eVisitor (Subclass 651), not the ETA. As a member of the European Union, Italy is an eVisitor-eligible country, so Italian passport holders apply online for a free visitor visa that permits tourism and business visits, allows multiple entries across a 12-month period, and grants stays of up to three months per visit.
Quick Facts: eVisitor for Italian Citizens
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Visa subclass | 651 (eVisitor) |
| Who it's for | Italian and other EU passport holders |
| Visa application charge | None (free) |
| Validity | 12 months from grant |
| Maximum stay | 3 months per visit |
| Multiple entries | Yes |
| Work rights | No (business visitor activities permitted) |
| Study | Up to 3 months permitted |
| Apply via | ImmiAccount (online), before you travel |
Why Italians Use the eVisitor, Not the ETA
This is the single most common point of confusion for Italian travellers, so it's worth being precise. Australia runs two near-identical electronic visitor visas, and which one you use is decided entirely by your passport.
- The ETA (Subclass 601) is for a defined list of passports — recently expanded to more than thirty countries, including the USA, Canada, Japan, the UK and most of Europe. It costs $20 and is applied for through the Australian ETA mobile app.
- The eVisitor (Subclass 651) is for European Union citizens and a few other European passport holders. Italy is on this list, and the visa is free.
Italy now appears on both lists, so an Italian passport holder can technically pay $20 for an ETA in the app — but there is no reason to. The two visas carry essentially the same conditions — same stay length, same validity, same activities — and the eVisitor has no visa application charge at all. They remain separate subclasses with separate application systems, and for an Italian passport the free eVisitor through ImmiAccount is the sensible route.
For a side-by-side breakdown of the two, see ETA vs eVisitor: which visa. The full subclass reference is the eVisitor (Subclass 651) guide.
Eligibility for Italian Passport Holders
The eVisitor is designed to be straightforward, but you still need to meet the core requirements. For Italian applicants the eligibility logic is:
| Requirement | What it means for Italian citizens |
|---|---|
| Passport | A valid Italian (or other eligible EU) passport. The visa links electronically to this passport number. |
| Location | You must be outside Australia when you apply and when the visa is granted. |
| Purpose | Tourism, visiting family or friends, or business visitor activities (meetings, conferences, negotiations) — not paid work. |
| Health | You must meet Australia's health requirement; you may be asked to declare any significant conditions. |
| Character | You must meet the character requirement and declare any criminal history honestly. |
| No debts | No outstanding debts to the Australian Government, or a repayment arrangement in place. |
Holding an Italian passport gives you eligibility for the eVisitor pathway, but it does not guarantee a grant — every application is assessed individually. Dual nationals should apply on the passport they intend to travel on; if you also hold a non-EU passport, check whether the ETA or another route applies to that document.
How Italian Citizens Apply for the eVisitor
Unlike the ETA, the eVisitor is not handled through a mobile app. Italian citizens apply online through ImmiAccount, the Department of Home Affairs' web portal. The process is short.
Step 1: Create an ImmiAccount. Register a free account on the official Home Affairs immigration website. Use an email address you check regularly — your grant notification arrives there.
Step 2: Start a new eVisitor (651) application. Select the eVisitor visa and begin a new application.
Step 3: Enter your passport and personal details. Use the details exactly as they appear on your Italian passport. Errors in your passport number or name are the most common cause of problems at check-in.
Step 4: Answer the declaration questions. A short set of questions covering health, character and the purpose of your visit. Answer honestly — a false declaration can lead to refusal, cancellation or a future ban.
Step 5: Submit and wait for the grant. There is no visa application charge for the eVisitor. Many applications are decided quickly, but some are referred for additional checks, so apply well before you book non-refundable travel rather than at the last minute.
Apply from Italy (or anywhere outside Australia) before you fly. For a general walkthrough of the portal and supporting documents, see how to apply for an Australian visa step by step.
Because fees and decision timeframes can change, this guide does not quote current figures. Check the live numbers on the Australian visa fees complete schedule 2026 and the visa processing times complete guide 2026.
Validity, Entries and Stay Rules
Once granted, the eVisitor works the same way for an Italian citizen as for any other eligible European traveller.
- Validity: the visa is valid for 12 months from the date it is granted.
- Stay length: you may stay up to three months on each visit. This is per arrival, not a total — three months is the limit for any single stay.
- Multiple entries: during the 12-month validity you can come and go as often as you like, with each separate entry permitting up to a fresh three-month stay.
- No stamp or sticker: the eVisitor is entirely electronic and linked to your passport. There is nothing to print, although it's sensible to keep your grant notification.
The three-month-per-visit rule is firm. If you need a single continuous stay longer than three months — for an extended holiday or a long family visit — the eVisitor is the wrong visa, and you should look at the Visitor visa (Subclass 600), which can be granted with longer stay periods. Repeatedly leaving and re-entering to reset the clock and effectively live in Australia is not what the visa is for and can lead to questions on arrival.
What Italian Citizens Can and Cannot Do
The eVisitor is a visitor visa. The activities it permits are deliberately limited.
| Activity | Permitted on eVisitor? |
|---|---|
| Tourism and holidays | Yes |
| Visiting family and friends | Yes |
| Business visitor activities (meetings, conferences, negotiations) | Yes |
| Short study or training (up to 3 months) | Yes |
| Paid work for an Australian business | No |
| Selling goods or services directly to the public | No |
| Ongoing work or an extended single stay | No |
"Business visitor activities" is a narrow category: you can attend meetings, conferences and trade negotiations, but you cannot take up employment or be paid by an Australian source. An Italian citizen who wants to work in Australia needs a different visa entirely — depending on age and goals, that might be a Working Holiday-type visa, an employer-sponsored work visa, or a skilled migration route. Trying to work on an eVisitor breaches the visa and risks cancellation and future refusals.
What Differs for an Italian Passport Specifically
Most of the eVisitor rules are nationality-neutral, but a few points matter particularly for Italian citizens:
- You use ImmiAccount, not the ETA app. This is the practical difference travellers most often get wrong.
- EU membership is what makes you eligible. Eligibility flows from Italy being an EU member state, so the eVisitor is the standard pathway rather than a special arrangement.
- The Schengen exit is irrelevant to Australia. Your Italian/EU travel rights inside Europe have no bearing on Australian conditions — Australia's three-month-per-visit and 12-month-validity rules apply regardless.
- Dual nationality changes the calculation. If you hold both an Italian passport and, say, an American or another passport, you may have a choice of pathways — but you must travel on the passport your visa is linked to.
If you're weighing the eVisitor against other short-stay options, the eVisitor vs ETA comparison sets out the differences cleanly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Italian citizens need a visa to visit Australia?
Yes. There is no visa-free entry to Australia for Italian passport holders. However, the appropriate visa — the eVisitor (Subclass 651) — is free of any visa application charge and is applied for entirely online before you travel.
Can Italian citizens use the Australian ETA app?
Yes, since the ETA (Subclass 601) list was expanded to include Italy and most other European countries — but the ETA costs $20, while the eVisitor (Subclass 651) is free. The conditions are nearly identical, so as an EU citizen you would normally apply for the eVisitor through ImmiAccount and keep the $20.
How long can an Italian citizen stay in Australia on the eVisitor?
Up to three months per visit, with multiple entries allowed across the 12-month validity of the visa. The three-month limit applies to each individual stay, not to a yearly total. For a longer single stay, look at the Subclass 600 Visitor visa instead.
Is the eVisitor free for Italian passport holders?
The eVisitor itself carries no visa application charge for eligible applicants, including Italian citizens. Because government fees and any related costs can change, check the current position on the Australian visa fees schedule before you apply.
Can an Italian citizen work in Australia on an eVisitor?
No. The eVisitor permits tourism and business visitor activities only — meetings and conferences are fine, but paid work is not. An Italian citizen wanting to work needs a separate work, working-holiday, or skilled visa.
How long does the eVisitor take to be granted for Italians?
Many eVisitor applications are decided quickly, but some are referred for further checks and take longer, so timeframes vary. Apply before booking non-refundable travel and check current estimates on the visa processing times guide.
Does an Italian citizen need to print the eVisitor before flying?
No. The eVisitor is fully electronic and linked to your passport number, so airlines and border systems read it automatically at check-in and arrival. It's still wise to keep a copy of your grant notification for your own records.
