Australia 601 ETA 2026: paying the AUD20 service fee and who can charge for help

There is exactly one government charge on an Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601) in 2026: an AUD20 application service fee for using the Australian ETA app. There is no Visa Application Charge (VAC) on this visa. That is the position on the Australian Department of Home Affairs official Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601) page as at July 2026, and it sets the boundary for everything below — no one who helps you can add a second "visa fee" on the government's behalf, because there is none to collect.

Is the AUD20 a service fee or a visa fee?

It is a service fee, and the distinction is not cosmetic. The Department states plainly that there is no VAC for the Subclass 601, but that there is an application service fee of AUD20 to use the Australian ETA app. The charge is attached to the channel — the app — rather than to a visa assessment. The same page notes that other pathways are priced differently again: there is no charge to make an eVisitor (subclass 651) visa application for eligible European passport holders.

The practical consequence is simple. When you are quoted a figure for an ETA, only the AUD20 line corresponds to anything the Australian Government levies for this subclass.

What you pay for	Amount in official information	Who receives it
Using the Australian ETA app to lodge a Subclass 601	AUD20 service fee	Australian Government
Downloading the Australian ETA app	Free	App stores distribute it at no cost
Applying for an eVisitor (subclass 651) instead, if eligible	No application charge	Not applicable
Help from a travel agent or industry representative	Whatever they quote privately	The business itself

When is the service fee actually paid?

Payment sits inside the application flow, not before it. To apply through the app you need a mobile device with a camera able to photograph you and your passport data page, near-field communication (NFC) enabled, location services enabled, a valid email address, and a valid payment method ready to pay the service fee.

Once you have opened the app, the sequence is: scan your passport to pre-fill your name, date of birth, passport number and other details; take a photo of yourself; answer questions, including whether you have criminal convictions, any prior names, and contact details in Australia; pay the service fee; then submit. The official guidance adds that you must check every detail, including name and date of birth, before submitting — details on an ETA cannot be changed once it has been issued. If<｜hy_place▁holder▁no▁813｜> Anything requiring further information arises, the Department says not to submit further ETA applications through the app, because you will receive the same result.

Who may lodge an ETA application for you?

Three categories, with different conditions:

A friend or family member can help you apply through the app, but you must be physically with them when they do it.
Authorised travel agents and industry representatives can make an ETA application on your behalf using the app. You must still be physically present, and you will need to take your photo and have your passport available to scan.
Travel industry representatives using the app to help must take a live facial image of you at the time they lodge. The Department states it will not grant the visa if a live image is not taken.

That last requirement is the one that catches people out. No application submitted without you present and without a live image can succeed, so any arrangement that involves handing your passport details to someone and waiting for a result without appearing in person does not match how this visa works.

Family members cannot be added to your application. Each person — including those listed on your passport — must submit a separate application. If everyone applies on the same mobile device, the applications can be submitted and paid for at the same time, which means a family of four generates four separate applications and four service fees, paid in one session.

Can someone else pay the AUD20 for you?

The official instructions require a valid payment method to be ready at the payment step; they do not state whose card it must be. Because family applications on one device can be submitted and paid for together, paying for another person's application is built into how the app is described.

That is different from who holds the money in the middle. If a representative collects the fee from you and pays it later, you lose sight of whether it was paid at all.

What may an agent or travel agent charge?

Helping someone apply is work, and charging for work is normal. What this subclass does not allow is presenting that charge as a government visa fee — there is no VAC to pass through, and nothing in the Department's published process authorises a third party to collect an additional government charge for an ETA.

So a reasonable invoice separates two things: the AUD20 service fee that goes to the Australian Government, and the representative's own charge for lodging the application or assisting with it. A line described as "visa fee", "government processing fee" or similar on a Subclass 601 invoice does not correspond to any published government charge for the visa. Ask for the breakdown in writing before you pay, keep the app's payment confirmation, and check that the application was lodged with you physically present and with a live image taken.

This article is general information about published charges and who may charge for assistance; it is not advice about your own arrangements, and where a dispute over money or representations about services arises, rely on the Department's current official information and, if needed, independent professional advice.

Why do unofficial sites quote far more than AUD20?

Usually because the quote bundles things the government does not charge for. The app itself is free to download from the Apple Store and Google Play, and the application runs inside it rather than through a government web form. Applicants who cannot use the app are directed to apply online for another visa suited to their circumstances through ImmiAccount, or to check whether they qualify for an eVisitor (subclass 651) or Visitor (subclass 600) visa. A higher price is therefore either a private service charge or a charge for a different product — not a different government price for the same ETA.

Price also tells you nothing about the outcome. Most applicants are notified of the result immediately; the Department says applications take longer when questions are not answered correctly, more information is needed, or information is hard to verify. Those are the stated causes of delay, and none of them is something an extra payment can change. Decisions are notified in writing, and a refusal notice states the reasons and whether there is a right to review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there any visa application charge for the Australia 601 ETA in 2026?

No. The Department states there is no Visa Application Charge for this visa, and the only amount named is an AUD20 application service fee for using the Australian ETA app. The fee is charged per application, since each traveller must submit their own.

Can a travel agent or representative charge me on top of the AUD20?

They can charge for their own work, but not as a government visa fee — the subclass has no VAC to collect. Ask for a written breakdown separating the AUD20 service fee from any private charge for assistance.

Do I have to be present when someone else lodges my ETA?

Yes. If a friend, family member, travel agent or industry representative applies on your behalf, you must be physically present, take your photo, and have your passport available to scan. Industry representatives must take a live facial image, and the Department says no visa will be granted without one.

Does each family member need their own AUD20 payment?

Yes. Family members cannot be included in one application, so every traveller — including children listed on your passport — needs a separate application. If everyone applies on the same device, the applications can be submitted and paid for together.

Will I get the service fee back if the application is refused or has wrong details?

Neither the visa page nor the step-by-step guide for Subclass 601 sets out a refund process for the AUD20 service fee. Because the official pages do not address refunds, treat the position as unconfirmed and check the Department's current published information before assuming anything either way.

Can I apply for an ETA through a government website form instead?

The Subclass 601 is lodged through the Australian ETA app, which is free to download. The Department directs applicants who are ineligible or unable to use the app to another suitable visa online through ImmiAccount, such as the eVisitor (subclass 651) or Visitor (subclass 600) visa.

Does paying more speed up my ETA?

No published process says it does. The Department says most outcomes are notified immediately, and that delays come from incorrectly answered questions, requests for further information, or information that is hard to verify. If the Department needs more information, further ETA applications through the app return the same result.