Travelling to Australia?
Photo Credit: Dan Freeman
Photo Credit: Victor
G’day mate! There are so many reasons to visit Australia, from all of its exciting activities to the delightful weather there all-year round, as well as their cute resident koalas. With the nation recently reopening its international travel borders and relaxing many of its travel restrictions, there is no better time than now to finally visit the land down under.
Photo Credit: Nate Johnston
Photo Credit: Ellicia
If you're already planning for your trip to Australia, the only thing that is probably in the way of your travel plans is the visa! According to their travel guidelines, Malaysians are still required to obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) in order to enter Australia, so you'll still need to apply before you can officially set off on your adventure.
To help ease your process in obtaining your visa, we’ve prepared this complete step-by-step guide that you can refer to when applying for an Australian tourist visa!
About The Australian ETA
Photo Credit: ConvertKit
The Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) is an electronically-stored document of authority that will be linked to your passport number - to put it simply, it is an electronic visa. As of right now, all Malaysian passport holders are still required to obtain the Australian ETA in order to enter the country.
What is the Australian ETA for?
- Allows ETA holders to visit all parts of Australia for tourism or business visits
- Allows ETA holders to travel as many times as you want, for up to 1 year or life of the passport (whichever is shorter)
- Allows ETA holders to stay in Australia for up to 3 months for each visit
Australian ETA Visa Requirements
Photo Credit: Leio McLaren
To ensure that you have a successful application, first make sure that you:
- Hold an eligible and valid passport
- Own an active email address to receive your visa
- Have a debit or credit card to pay the ETA visa fee
- Meet the Australian health and character requirements for foreign visitors
Steps To Apply For An Australian ETA
1. Check passport validity
Photo Credit: Agus Dietrich
Thanks to the pandemic and its worldwide border lockdowns, most of us have probably not travelled for the past couple of years, so before applying for your ETA, you must first ensure that you have an eligible and valid passport.
Fortunately, Australia does not practice the common 6-month passport validity rule - basically this means that your passport is considered valid from the date it is issued until the date it expires. However, we still highly recommend renewing your passport anyway if you've got less than 6 months left of your passport validity.
Find out more on how to renew your passport in Malaysia here:
2. Download the Australian ETA mobile app
As of right now, applications for the ETA are only available through the AustralianETA mobile app. You can find the app on the App Store or Google Play Store.
All ETA-eligible passport holders can now easily apply on your mobile devices in just a few minutes, as long as:
- Your mobile device has a functional camera
- Your mobile device is NFC-enabled (#KlookTip: to check, just search on Google if your phone model has NFC enabled)
- Your mobile device has location services enabled
3. Scan your passport
Make sure to have your passport ready with you when applying. The first step of the application process requires you to add your self as a new applicant and then scan your passport biodata page. You can find this on the second page of your passport, which includes all of your information such as your name, date of birth and passport number.
Next, the app will need to scan your passport chip that is embedded in your passport. If your mobile device is already NFC-enabled, just place it on top of your passport and let your device scan the chip via its built-in reader. We recommend removing your phone case for this step for your device to scan better.
4. Take a photo of yourself
Photo Credit: Harry Cunningham
Next, you will need to take a photo of yourself on the app itself, a verification step to ensure that the correct passport holder is applying for the ETA. Make sure you have sufficient lighting and that your face can be clearly seen when taking the photo.
5. Apply for a new ETA
Once you have successfully registered yourself as a new applicant on the app, you can proceed with applying for a new ETA. Then, you will need to select your applicant profile. and answer a few simple questions regarding:
- Your requested ETA type and your current location
- Any past criminal convictions or domestic violence offences
- Your contact details in Australia
6. Pay the service fee
The Australian ETA visa itself is free, but the service fee for application costs a total of AUD$20. You may use ApplePay, debit card or credit card to carry out your transaction.
7. Submit your application
After completing your payment, you may proceed to submit your ETA application. In most cases, you will be notified via email on the result of your application within the next 24 hours. However, your application might take longer to process if you did not fill it in correctly or if they require more information from you.
If your application cannot be processed or approved without further information, don't worry! You will be provided with a link that will lead you to a web form with clear directions and further questions to provide more details, such as the reason behind your visit, a list of travel companions and copies of official documents such as your identity card.
Additional Tips For Applying For An ETA
Apply for the ETA early
Most ETA applications are typically approved within 24 hours of applying, but in some cases, you may be asked to provide further information. Multiple people have shared that this step tends to lengthen the application process by quite a bit, sometimes even up to over a month to obtain approval, so we suggest that you apply early, at least one and a half months in advance of your intended travel date.
Finalise other arrangements after obtaining ETA
The ETA approval process cannot be expedited unless you have a compelling emergency reason, so incase your application is rejected or delayed, we recommend only finalising your other travel arrangements after you have successfully obtained your visa grant.
If you have made prior travel arrangements but have not received approval for your ETA by your departure date, this means you will not be able to enter Australia and will need to rearrange or cancel your bookings, including flights, hotels and activities.
Prepare necessary documents before application
To speed up your application process, we suggest preparing all of the necessary documents and information that will be requested before you start filling up the forms.
Documents and details for ETA application:
- Passport
- Your contact details during your stay in Australia (address, phone number)
Supporting documents for further processing form:
- Copy of passport biodata page and identity card
- Reason for your visit, including intended place of stay and activities
- List of immediate family members and their details
- List of travelling companions and their details
- List of family, friends or contacts in Australia and their details
- Bank statements from the last 3 months (if applicable)
- Evidence of your employment and commitments in Malaysia, such as an employer statement or proofs of ongoing education
Apply as a group together on the same app
Each passport holder must submit a separate application, so you cannot include friends or family members in your application. However, you can still apply as a group together using the same app on a single mobile device.
This will speed up the visa payment process as you can pay for all of the submitted applications at the same time. However, each applicant must be physically present with you when you make their applications as they will need to have their photo taken (refer to Step 4).
Book Your Australia Travel Essentials On Klook!
Ready to plan your Australia adventure? Use the promo code above to enjoy RM40 off all Australia bookings on Klook, available for a limited time only!
![[Updated] Complete List Of Official Nationwide MCO SOP 2021](https://res.klook.com/image/upload/fl_lossy.progressive,q_85/c_fill,w_160,h_104/v1633858858/blog/iso56uzsphmdguixkvzh.jpg)
![[Updated] Complete List Of Official Nationwide MCO SOP 2021](https://res.klook.com/image/upload/fl_lossy.progressive,q_85/c_fill,w_410,h_264/v1633858858/blog/iso56uzsphmdguixkvzh.jpg)
