Does my Australia 601 ETA still work if my passport expires or I get a new one in 2026?
No. According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs' Electronic Travel Authority (subclass 601) official page, your ETA is electronically linked to the passport you applied with, and it ceases as soon as that passport expires or you are issued a new one — either way you must apply for a new ETA. The page states this in two separate places: under Visa label and again in the Before you travel checklist. These pages reflect the official guidance as of July 2026. Everything below is general reference material rather than advice on any individual case, so the details of your own travel matter should be checked against the current official page or with someone qualified to advise you personally.
Does the ETA follow me to my new passport, or does it really just stop?
It stops. The ETA exists only as a digital link to one travel document: Home Affairs says plainly that "Your ETA is attached to your current passport. If your current passport expires or you get a new passport: your ETA will cease; you must apply for a new ETA."
Two details matter here:
- There is no label to transfer. The Department digitally links the visa to your passport and you receive no visa label, sticker or paper evidence. There is nothing physical that a border officer, airline or you yourself could move from the old booklet to the new one.
- The two triggers are separate. Expiry of the old passport and issue of a new passport each independently end the ETA. You do not need both to happen, and waiting until the old passport actually expires does not preserve anything.
The same rule is repeated under Tell us about a change in your situation, which confirms that the linkage runs to the document used in the application, not to you as a traveller.
Is there any version of my situation where the old ETA survives?
| Your passport situation | What the official page says about the ETA | Practical consequence |
|---|---|---|
| Same passport, still valid, no changes | ETA remains linked to it | You must travel to Australia on that exact passport |
| Passport reaches its expiry date | ETA ceases | Re-apply before you travel |
| A replacement passport is issued for any reason | ETA ceases, because this counts as getting a new passport | Re-apply using the new passport |
| You hold more than one eligible passport | You must declare all other passports in the ETA application | Decide which single passport you will actually travel on |
| Your travel document is not an eligible passport | No ETA is available — non-citizen passports, certificates of identity and documents such as a Titre de Voyage cannot be used | Look at other visa options suited to that document |
The table rests on one idea: the ETA and the passport are a matched pair. Change either half and the pair is broken.
My ETA was granted for 12 months — does my passport shorten that too?
Yes, and this often catches people out before the passport even expires. Home Affairs describes the ETA as valid for travel "for either 12 months, or for the period your passport is valid, whichever is shorter."
So suppose an applicant receives a new ETA while their passport has five months left on it: the travel window is those five months, not twelve, and when the passport runs out the ETA ceases anyway. Renewing first and applying afterwards usually gives the cleaner outcome, because the 12-month period starts on the date the new visa is granted (unless you already hold another substantive visa in effect, which changes that start point).
Note also that the 12-month travel window is not the same thing as length of stay. The ETA is multiple entry, and you can remain in Australia for up to 3 months after each entry within that window. The ETA cannot be extended; staying longer means applying for a different visa.
How do I check what is still valid right now?
Two official routes are described. VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) is where you check the details, status and conditions of an ETA, including when you must leave. The Australian ETA app also has a "Visa check" function for application status.
These tools tell you what the visa record says. They do not alter the underlying linkage rule: if the linked passport has expired or been replaced, the stated remedy on the official page is a new application rather than a correction to the old one. A status result displayed for a passport sitting in a drawer at home does not give you authority to board with a different document.
What actually happens at the airport if I bring the new passport?
The mismatch is the problem, not missing paperwork you could produce later. Before travel Home Affairs requires you to hold both a valid visa and a valid passport or other travel document, and specifically requires that you enter Australia using the same passport you applied with. Because the visa has no label, nothing inside your new passport evidences the ETA, and the digital record points at a document you are no longer carrying.
On arrival, everyone completes an Incoming Passenger Card, and passengers with an ePassport may use SmartGate, which relies on facial recognition and the chip in the new travel document. None of that changes the requirement that the visa and the passport match.
What is involved in getting a new ETA in 2026?
The application route described on the official page is short, but it has fixed conditions:
- Location. You must be outside Australia when you apply and outside Australia when the visa is granted, so plan this around your travels rather than doing it on arrival.
- Cost. There is no Visa Application Charge, but there is an application service fee of AUD 20 to use the Australian ETA app. Treat this as a cost of each new application, since there is no separate government charge described.
- Speed. In most cases you are notified of the result immediately. Processing may take longer if you answer questions incorrectly, if more information is needed, or if your information is hard to verify — which is why the Department advises not making travel arrangements until the ETA is granted.
- Eligibility still applies. You need a valid passport from one of the listed eligible countries or jurisdictions, and you must meet the genuine visitor, health and character requirements, with any debt to the Australian Government repaid or arranged. If you have a criminal conviction in any country, the Department says you should apply for a Visitor (subclass 600) visa and provide evidence about those convictions instead. Australian citizens cannot apply for an ETA at all, as they have an automatic right of entry.
- Each person applies separately. Family members cannot be included in your application, even if they are listed on your passport. If a whole family renews passports before a trip, that means one fresh application per person, including children.
Frequent updates you should expect after re-applying
A new application produces a new decision, not a renewal of the old one. That means the 12-month travel period restarts from the new grant date, the multiple-entry and 3-month-per-entry conditions apply again, and eligibility is assessed against your circumstances at that time. Long or frequent stays can still prompt questions about whether you are a genuine visitor, and after the ETA ceases you cannot remain lawfully in Australia without another visa.
Frequently Asked Questions
My ETA still appears active online after I renewed my passport — can I still fly?
A status check does not override the passport linkage. Home Affairs requires you to enter Australia using the same passport you applied with, and states that getting a new passport causes the ETA to cease. If your passport changed, plan on a new application rather than relying on the old record.
Do I have to pay again after renewing my passport?
There is no Visa Application Charge for the ETA, but there is an AUD 20 application service fee for using the Australian ETA app. Because a replacement passport means a new application, expect to pay that service fee again. As always, the amount is whatever the official page currently specifies.
How long does the replacement ETA take to come through?
Most applicants are notified of the result immediately. It can take longer if you answer questions incorrectly, if the Department needs more information, or if your information is hard to verify. This is why the advice is not to book travel before the grant.
I renewed my passport but it is the same nationality and same personal details — does that matter?
It matters. The rule turns on receiving a new passport, not on any change to your name, nationality or details. The ETA is linked to the specific travel document used in the application, so a reissued document with a new number is a different passport for this purpose.
My passport expires in two months and my ETA has longer left — what is my best sequence?
Your travel validity is already capped by the passport, since the ETA runs for whichever is shorter: 12 months or the remaining passport validity. Renewing the passport and then applying for a new ETA generally produces a fresh 12-month window, subject again to the new passport's own expiry date.
We renewed our children's passports too — can they travel on my ETA?
No. Each person needs a separate ETA application, including children listed on a parent's passport, and each ETA is linked to that person's own passport. Renew the child's passport and their ETA ceases as well.
Can I apply using a certificate of identity if my new travel document is not a full passport?
No. An ETA requires a valid passport from one of the listed eligible countries or jurisdictions. A non-citizen passport, a certificate of identity or another document such as a Titre de Voyage cannot be used, so those cases need a different visa pathway.