Australia, New Zealand & French Polynesia Tourist Visas and eTAs

[NWT Cruiser]

We are Canadians flying into Australia on April 1, 2024 (for a couple nights before getting on a cruise ship to New Zealand and onto French Polynesia).  On the travel.gc.ca government site, it shows we DO NOT need a Tourist Visa only an ETA for Australia and New Zealand.  Is this information correct? When I went to Sydney, AU in 2020 I needed an actual Tourist Visa.

 

Also do we require a visa (whether an actual Tourist Visa or eTA) to go into French Polynesia? 

 

Are there any Canadian travellers that have gone into Australia, New Zealand and/or French Polynesia this last year?  If so can you please advise?  Thank you.

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by NWT Cruiser
Added to it

[Mikamarii]

We did a Transpacific last October that had stops in FP and NZ, ending in Sydney. You need an ETA for both Australia and New Zealand regardless of how many stops. We didn't need anything for FP.

 

The process was very simple and took maybe 10min each to fill out the forms for all for of us. We got approved within about 15 mins for each.

 

For NZ info go here

https://nzeta.immigration.govt.nz/

Cost is 17$ NZ plus 35$NZ tourist levy pp

 

For Australia info go here

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/electronic-travel-authority-601

Cost I think is 20$ AUS

 

Download the app for each country and do both applications from there. It is quick and easy (plus I think it is cheaper). Plus you will have your results on your phone within the app that you can access without internet. I screenshotted ours, plus printed them out, plus had the app.....just for added security.

 

Don't wait until a week or so before. Do it a month or two before (as long as your trip is within the eligible timeframe). If there is a snag then you want time to sort it out or you aren't getting in the country.

 

The only snag we hit is that right after I was approved for our Aus ETAs I immediately applied for our NZ ones. My credit card triggered a fraud alert for being processed in two different countries in less than an hour. I had to call my CC to authorize the charge. That was the longest/most difficult part.

 

Any questions let me know.

 

 

[CDNPolar]

I just came back from Australia - return trip from Toronto - Canadian citizen.

 

I had to have a Visa to enter Australia.

 

Done online quickly, pay the fee, and you get the Visa.

[NWT Cruiser]

7 hours ago, Mikamarii said:

We did a Transpacific last October that had stops in FP and NZ, ending in Sydney. You need an ETA for both Australia and New Zealand regardless of how many stops. We didn't need anything for FP.

 

3 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

I just came back from Australia - return trip from Toronto - Canadian citizen.

 

I had to have a Visa to enter Australia.

 

Thank you so much for the responses.

 

I suppose this is my question and I didn't word it right ... do we need a Tourist Visa along with an eTA for Australia?

 

Thanks, again.

 

 

[CDNPolar]

16 minutes ago, NWT Cruiser said:

 

 

Thank you so much for the responses.

 

I suppose this is my question and I didn't word it right ... do we need a Tourist Visa along with an eTA for Australia?

 

Thanks, again.

 

 

I think that there may be some "language" challenges here.

 

I went online and applied for my Visa, but I believe it is also referred to as an ETA.  My Visa is an Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601) Visa.  My visa includes a paragraph on "What you can do on an ETA"

 

Go to this site.  This is the official site to get your entry information for Australia.

 

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/entering-australia

 

This is where I got my ETA Visa.   I think that they are one in the same.

Edited June 30, 2023 by CDNPolar

[Fouremco]

1 hour ago, NWT Cruiser said:

do we need a Tourist Visa along with an eTA for Australia?

No, just the eTA. @Mikamarii's post is spot on.

[gnome12]

55 minutes ago, CDNPolar said:

This is where I got my ETA Visa.   I think that they are one in the same.

Technically, and ETA is NOT a visa. It is a travel authorization.

[CDNPolar]

8 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Technically, and ETA is NOT a visa. It is a travel authorization.

“Technically” both terms are on the site and the paper based Visa that I received.  Have you looked at the Australian site?   The site refers to them interchangeably.   
 

 

[Fouremco]

14 minutes ago, gnome12 said:

Technically, and ETA is NOT a visa. It is a travel authorization.

Unfortunately, Australia confuses the issue and calls it a visa. For the uninitiated traveller, that's bound to create some puzzlement. Here are a couple of examples, the first from the government website https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/electronic-travel-authority-601#Overview and the second from the major tourism website https://www.australia.com/en-ca

 

 

 

 

[NWT Cruiser]

 

Thanks to all of you.  I will apply about 6 weeks before we leave for eTAs only that are required for Australia and New Zealand.

 

I didn't think about going right into the AU and NZ sites regarding this ... I only looked at the Cdn. gov't. site. Glad to have asked the question and to receive all the responses.

 

 

 

[SilvertoGold]

Sailed the 39 day HAL cruise NZ to Vancouver a couple of months ago. Take your time with these online "visas". Websites can be down for a while.  Instructions are easy to follow, just read all it all and stay calm. NZ one is a bit more involved, so I would do the Aussie one first.  They are added to your passport and download to your iphone but I made paper copy, too, just in case. Enjoy your cruise!

[Mikamarii]

9 hours ago, NWT Cruiser said:

 

 

Thank you so much for the responses.

 

I suppose this is my question and I didn't word it right ... do we need a Tourist Visa along with an eTA for Australia?

 

Thanks, again.

 

 

No you do not need both....just the ETA with a Cdn passport 

 

I haven't done a deep dive in to all the requirements or political ramifications but I believe the difference between the ETA and an actual tourist visa is reciprocal agreements between governments. Only certain country passports are allowed ETA's, all others need to go full tourist (or other) visa route. Likely, in part, because of information sharing between govts. There may be situations where a full Tourist Visa may apply to a Cdn (Maybe you want to visit longer than 3 months at a time) but for general vacation purposes an ETA will suffice.

 

I'll stress this is not fact, this is my belief based on limited research I did when I applied because I was also confused on what I would need but, unless requirements have changed in the last 9 months, I am 110% certain you do not need both a Visa and ETA..

 

At no point in our time in any of these countries were we required to show it as it is linked to your passport. However, you still need to have a copy with you just in case someone in authority asks.

 

[CDNPolar]

18 hours ago, NWT Cruiser said:

 

Thanks to all of you.  I will apply about 6 weeks before we leave for eTAs only that are required for Australia and New Zealand.

 

I didn't think about going right into the AU and NZ sites regarding this ... I only looked at the Cdn. gov't. site. Glad to have asked the question and to receive all the responses.

 

 

 

 

We have learned that we use the Canadian Government site as a guide, but always visit the country specific site for reinforcement of what is required.

 

Always however ensure that you are on an actual government site of the country that you are visiting.

 

There are many sites out there that sell VISAs or ETAs that are not necessarily government official sites.

 

Friends went to Egypt and paid twice what we did for the Visa on the official site.

[Cisterna]

This is great information ~ If you  are taking a cruise Australia to New Zealand with pre Australia and Post New Zealand land trips - various cruise sites give you a link to a company that charges hundreds of dollars for a service to do this for you!    GenVisa charges $246 per person! Ridiculous -You can do it yourself on the Australian and New Zealand app for  $67  per person!  

[CDNPolar]

9 hours ago, Cisterna said:

This is great information ~ If you  are taking a cruise Australia to New Zealand with pre Australia and Post New Zealand land trips - various cruise sites give you a link to a company that charges hundreds of dollars for a service to do this for you!    GenVisa charges $246 per person! Ridiculous -You can do it yourself on the Australian and New Zealand app for  $67  per person!  

 

I only paid $18 CAD on the Australian Government site for my Visa.

[SilvertoGold]

4 hours ago, CDNPolar said:

 

I only paid $18 CAD on the Australian Government site for my Visa.

NZ is the expensive one. As noted by Cistern, if you need ETAs for both NZ and Australia it adds up for 2 travelers!  Luckily both ETAs are good for one year :)

Edited July 2, 2023 by SilvertoGold

[ginnybrant]

I just got my visa for my husband and me and paid 20 AUD for each one which is about $13 each on the Australian government ETA app. I got approved within a few minutes.