If you wish to visit Australia shortly whether it be for business reasons or tourism, and if your stay will not exceed three months then you are not required to apply for a visa and can take advantage of the new official eTA or eVisitor travel scheme that will enable you to obtain an electronic travel authorisation. However this application has associated costs. Here we will explain these fees in detail and the methods of payment available to you to enable the submission of your application.
What is the cost of the online eTA visa or eVisitor visa?
When you wish to obtain official authorisation to visit Australia you will need to proceed with an online eTA or eVisitor visa. Simple, rapid and accessible to all, this application will enable you to save a lot of time compared with the application for a normal visa and you can obtain the necessary official authorisation directly from your home. Of course, this procedure is payable and you will need to settle certain fees and costs once you have completed the application that is available here on this website.
The cost of the eTA is 20AUD if you go directly via the government website, with additional charges if you decide to take advantage of the assistance, verification and data correction service.
The cost of the eVisitor application is free if you apply directly via the government website, but there is an additional charge if you apply via a service provider that offers assistance, verification and data correction services.
What is covered by the eTA application submission payment?
As with any administrative procedure an eTA visa application for travelling to Australia is not free of charge as it is necessary to complete the verification and processing procedure relating to the information given before granting travel authorisation. The amount that you will need to pay following the completion of the application form is to cover various costs and fees.
Part of the amount invoiced is paid directly to the Australian Embassy and its immigration service to pay for the processing costs of the eTA applications by official agents, and the verification of certain information supplied.
The remainder of the price stated is to cover the costs related to the services provided by the website that offers the application form in your language. These services include easy access to the questionnaire, online assistance for replying to the questions, advice relating to the application and the transmission of your form to the relevant Australian authorities.
What methods of payment can be used to pay for the eTA visa?
It is only at the end of the eVisitor visa application procedure that you will have to pay the fees required to validate your file and send it to the Australian immigration authorities.
To ensure that your application is processed as rapidly as possible it is best to settle these fees with an online credit card payment. In this case the response from the Australian authorities, either positive or negative, will be notified in a maximum of 72 hours, a rapidity that is not generally matched using other methods of payment. Of course, this payment is made on an entirely secure website.
What happens if my payment is refused?
In certain cases, if your bank account does not hold sufficient funds or your bank has blocked your card then your payment may be refused. Generally you will immediately receive a notification of this refusal which enables you, just for a very short time, to try and make payment again by using another credit card or Paypal account or contact your bank to request that they allow payment with your card.
If you cannot resolve the payment problem immediately then the information you entered on your eTA or eVisitor visa application form will not be kept and you will need to complete the entire application procedure again. This is why we highly recommend that you confirm that your credit card or Paypal account has sufficient funds available and that it works correctly online before commencing your application.
In the situation whereby you do not receive a response to your eTA or eVisitor application within 72 hours at the most then it is recommended that you confirm with your bank that payment has been completed without which the transfer and processing cannot be completed and then, if payment has not been made, you will need to undertake the entire procedure once again.
You should also be aware that you may use a credit card that is not in the same name as the person wishing to travel to Australia and who is completing the eTA or eVisitor application. If you are travelling with your family then you can use a single credit card to pay for all the application costs and fees of your family members or even use the credit card of someone else, with their authorisation of course, to pay for your eTA visa application.
It should be remembered that payment of the costs and fees is required before the application can be transferred to the Australian authorities.
Are there preferential rates for groups and families?
A question that many travellers ask themselves when they want to go to Australia is whether to benefit from a preferential rate or possibly a discount depending on the number of people traveling together.
However, unlike certain other more traditional purchases which allow a decreasing price according to the quantity ordered and like other chargeable administrative procedures, the online eTA or eVisitor application does not offer this kind of discount. You must pay the same price for each traveller accompanying you, regardless of the number.
You should also remember that anyone who goes to Australia by applying for the eTA or eVisitor visa online must pay an application and processing fee in order to validate the application form. This also concerns minors, whatever their age.
However, it is possible to simplify the procedures for families who wish to travel to Australia or groups of friends who are considering this trip together with what are called group requests. This involves making an eTA or eVisitor visa request for several people at the same time. However, you will have to fill out one form per traveller in order for this request to be admissible and, if you proceed in this way, you must ensure that you have all the necessary information in your possession, including the passport number of all the people you are requesting the eTA for. Once all the forms have been completed, you will be able to pay all the administrative costs together at the same time and by means of a single bank card. This will save you precious time for one and it will prevent one or more people accompanying you from forgetting to apply.
Please note that the elderly or those with low incomes cannot benefit from a reduction in the eTA or eVisitor application fees either.
Are the requested fees debited in the event of refusal of the eTA or eVisitor visa?
Striving to answer the questions that travellers to Australia often ask themselves regarding the price of their request, the question concerning the possible non-debit of these costs in the event of refusal of the from the Australian authorities comes up often.
In reality, it's necessary that the fees be debited from your bank account even before your application file is transmitted and therefore before your request is studied. However, some quality websites offer to reimburse you for these costs in the event that your eTA or eVisitor application is refused. This has many advantages, including the fact that you can reapply for an eTA or eVisitor visa online within ten days or even apply for a classic visa depending on the reason for the refusal.
So be sure to properly choose the website you'll be applying from.
Apply for eTA or eVisitor Australia
