Visa for Australia

[marilynfaye]

Has anyone used E.T.A. to get an electronic visa? Any problems obtaining it or using it?

 

Thanks

Marilyn

[derf5585]

If you are planning a holiday visit or a short business trip to Australia, you will need to apply for either a visa or an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority).

from

http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/

[cruznliz]

We used it a couple of years ago on an Australian cruise and it was great. Got it online and never had to think about it again. Wish all countries were that easy! ;)

[amfc]

Used the ETA website last September for a month-long visa, easy peasy!

 

Marie

[fti]

If you used a travel agent to book your trip, they can get the ETA directly through their reservation system for you too.

[Linda-E]

When we booked our Austrailia cruise, Princess said that they would take care of the visa for $20, which was added to the cost of the cruise. It seemed like the easiest way, and not much more than ETA charges.

 

Linda

[got2go2mo2]

We booked our own air through United for our Auckland/Sydney cruise for January 2007. United obtained the Visa for us at no charge when we purchased our tickets. The United ticket agent told us that it is the responsibility of the carrier who takes you to Australia to be sure that you have a VISA before entering the country or they wouldn't let you off the plane/ship. The VISA is good for one year. It is an electronic VISA and is electronically linked to your passport so you have no paperwork to present when entering Australia, just your passport.

 

Kathy

[Globaliser]

Has anyone used E.T.A. to get an electronic visa?

The ETA is the electronic visa - it's an Electronic Travel Authority.

 

The cost direct from the Australian government website is AUD 20, so it's difficult to see why you should pay anyone any more than that.

[ssantow]

Things must have changed down under as they have here, since my Australia cruise. At that time Australia and the US had a mutual agreement to accept passports and no Visa was needed. New Zeland was another story. They would not let you on the plane without one. One gentelman on the trip neglected to get his and the nice people at Air New Zeland just took his passport went into the back room made a fax and came out saying you'r all set. Did not cost him a dime.

[barbarah33]

When I did my Australia/New Zealand cruise Princess took care of it for me; talk about easy. The price was worked into what I paid for the cruise - no hassle, just the way a vacation should be.

[Pam in CA]

When I did my Australia/New Zealand cruise Princess took care of it for me; talk about easy. The price was worked into what I paid for the cruise - no hassle, just the way a vacation should be.

Thanks for this info... it's nice to know for our Syndey > LA cruise in a couple of years.

[Druke I]

The system for getting an Australian Visa electronically (done by our travel agent) certainly is easier than the first time we went "down under" in Jan 95.

 

For that trip, we had to go to the Australian Consulate in San Francisco to get a Visa. That Visa was glued in, and took a full page in the passport.

 

Now all done on a computer - amazing!

[aaerobear]

ssantow,

 

I am not sure when you were last in Australia, but visa's have been required for more than 10 years. New Zealand did not require a visa last time we were there (2004)

 

We are on the oct13 sailing of the Pacific princess and just got a comfirmation from princess that the visas had been issued and no action required on our part.

 

Ed

[DonMaryCar]

Just booked our Australian/ NZ cruise on Weds and started trying to find out information on the Visa and had found the website for the ETA, our travel agent had told us to wait till we received our pre cruise documents to see if we needed to get our ETA or if they were already obtained. Sounds simple, when we went to China last year certainly wasn't this simple or cheap. See why I love these boards you are always finding out lots of great information.

 

Thanks everybody

 

Mary

[Globaliser]

For that trip, we had to go to the Australian Consulate in San Francisco to get a Visa. That Visa was glued in, and took a full page in the passport.

I still get those for myself, although that's because I want one that lasts four years at a time. It saves having to remember to do it every year, and is particularly useful when I just drop everything and go - and not always starting in London.

[koreakruiser]

The Australian ETA Visa instructions talk about airlines and travel agents having access to the system to confirm that we can enter Australia.

 

Does anyone have experience checking in for a Princess in Auckland and having or not having any problems convincing Princess that you had a valid ETA visa to disembark in Sydney? I can just imagine trying to talk a Princess rep into finding a computer and getting onto a web site to verify we have them. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks all.

 

January 23d, SAPPHIRE PRINCESS, Auckland to Sydney :D:D:D

[Julia’s Journey’s]

We spent 5 weeks in AU last summer and I did mine and the kids online, $20 each and 5 minutes and we were done.

DH was not as lucky as he was not on a US passport so had to send it away and I think it was $60 or $80.

 

Go for it and thanks for the reminder that we will all have to do them for our cruise next year, do we still need a visa for NZ???

[koreakruiser]

do we still need a visa for NZ???

 

As far as I can remember, US citizens have never needed a visa for New Zealand, only for Australia.

[Druke I]

We've been to New Zealand a couple times, most recently 11-03, and have not needed a Visa, just a valid passport.

[NSWP]

I really sympathise with the Americans and Brits having to get visas on entering Australia. I mean we are ALLIES and both U.S. and U.K. do not require us Aussies to get visas to enter we have visa waiver. Should be the same for you people. Visa requirements are just a $ making thing in my opnion. I reckon George Bush, Tony Blair and John Howard should get together on this issue and get real.:) No visas for allies.!!! Especially in this era of passports with microchips, foolproof.:cool:

[Logbog]

We are cruising in 2017. Are you still required to get an ETA for Australia and New Zealand? thanks for any guidance.

[Globaliser]

We are cruising in 2017. Are you still required to get an ETA for Australia and New Zealand?

Yes for Australia, providing you are still of a nationality which qualifies: http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/601-

 

I wasn't aware that for New Zealand there had been a visa requirement in relation to all the usual suspects so far as nationality is concerned. I don't think that there is one now.

[jasmith52]

We are cruising in 2017. Are you still required to get an ETA for Australia and New Zealand? thanks for any guidance.

 

A few points...

 

1) If you are a US citizen, New Zealand has a visa waiver agreement with the US. You will not need a visa to visit.

 

2) Australia requires the ETA visa as others have posted

 

3) Since most of the previous posts in this thread were from 2006, I believe that the rules have changed a bit and that you need to get your own ETA. Don't rely on your travel agent/airline etc. to get you one. I recall reading that the airlines took no responsibility to obtain an ETA for Australia and that they would not board you without one and would keep your ticket money.

Edited October 10, 2016 by jasmith52

[ccastner]

It is still super easy online ETA for Australia as an America. Still linked to your passport but I am still taking the paperwork I received with the ETA with #

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[caribill]

ssantow,

 

I am not sure when you were last in Australia, but visa's have been required for more than 10 years. New Zealand did not require a visa last time we were there (2004)

 

 

Current status for NZ:

 

"New Zealand tourist visa is not required for citizens of United States of America for a stay up to 90 days."

 

Source: https://new-zealand.visahq.com/