I'm going to Australia in about a month's time so I'm about to buy my ETA online, and have checked out the official link provided on this website but I was just wondering if this is the best option. I've found a few cheaper options but part of me thinks for the sake of a few dollars it might be best to use the official site.
I'd just get it through the official one myself. I don't actually see how anyone else can offer it cheaper, unless it's as part of a flight booking, when you can normally get it added for very little (I think the travel agencies can add it for free). So right off the bat I'd be too wary about these others claiming to be cheaper. Maybe incorrectly so, but as you said, it's probably only going to be a few dollars difference anyway.
Since you're from the UK, you don't need an ETA, but only an , which is free.
Is an ETA the same as a visa?
I have always got mine through the Australian Immigration site at http://www.immi.gov.au/ and a 3 month holiday visa won't cost anything. It is really easy to do online using the visa wizard!
I have also come across what appears to be another government site at http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/index.html. These guys will charge you $20 though.
I have always used the government site, as there are loads of companies out there offering all kinds of stuff and charging crazy money to do it for you!
Is an ETA the same as a visa?
I have always got mine through the Australian Immigration site at http://www.immi.gov.au/ and a 3 month holiday visa won't cost anything. It is really easy to do online using the visa wizard!
I have also come across what appears to be another government site at http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/index.html. These guys will charge you $20 though.
The $20 one you mention is an ETA, the free one is an eVisitor. Both amount to pretty much the same thing, though eVisitors are only available to certain nationalities (all European ones I believe). You can still get an ETA if you're from any of those countries though, which is what you would end up with if a travel agent did it for you.
Technically both ETA and eVisitor are "travel authorisations" rather than a visa, however it acts in the same way.
Thanks for everyone's help.
I didn't know about the eVisitor so that was useful to know. I've just applied for it now so hopefully it'll all be processed quickly and smoothly.
Thanks.
Got my e-mail confirmation a few hours after completing the online form so it was all straight forward.
Does anyone know why there are two options for an Australian visa, i.e. eVisitor or ETA, when they're both basically just the same except that the eVisitor is free and the ETA you have to pay for? Are they phasing out the ETA or something?
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