Australia Lists 37 Countries for Free eVisitor Visa With No African Nation Included

• Australia's Department of Home Affairs published the official list of countries eligible for the free eVisitor (subclass 651) visa
• All 36 qualifying nations are European, meaning citizens from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa are excluded from the scheme
• African travellers must pursue alternative visa pathways to visit Australia, which are typically more costly and time-consuming

Australia has published the official list of countries whose citizens can apply for its free eVisitor visa, and no African nation features on it.

The eVisitor (subclass 651) visa, administered by the Department of Home Affairs, allows qualifying passport holders to visit Australia multiple times within 12 months, with each stay limited to three months.

Crucially, the visa carries no application fee, making it one of the most affordable travel options into the country for those who are eligible.

Australia eVisa: The 36 countries that qualify

Eligibility is restricted to citizens of 36 countries, all of them European. The full list covers:

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1. Andorra
2. Austria
3. Belgium
4. Bulgaria
5. Croatia
6. Cyprus
7. Czech Republic
8. Denmark
9. Estonia
10. Finland
11. France
12. Germany
13. Greece
14. Hungary
15. Iceland
16. Ireland
17. Italy
18. Latvia
19. Liechtenstein
20. Lithuania
21. Luxembourg
22. Malta
23. Monaco
24. Netherlands
25. Norway
26. Poland
27. Portugal
28. Romania
29. Republic of San Marino
30. Slovakia
31. Slovenia
32. Spain
33. Sweden
34. Switzerland
35. Vatican City
36. United Kingdom

British passport holders should note that only those carrying a British Citizen passport qualify. Passports issued under British National Overseas, British Dependent Territories Citizen, British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person, or British Subject classifications are not accepted.

Vatican City applicants must also ensure their passport explicitly reflects their nationality as Vatican City, also known as the Holy See. Travel documents such as certificates of identity or a Titre de Voyage cannot be used to obtain this visa.

African travellers face costlier routes

The complete absence of African countries from the eligibility list means citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and every other African nation cannot use the eVisitor pathway to enter Australia.

These travellers are required to apply through alternative visa routes, which tend to involve higher fees and longer processing periods.

The eVisitor application is completed entirely online. Australia's immigration authority advises applicants to use the official visa processing time guide tool to get an indication of current decision timelines, while noting that the tool reflects recently finalised applications and does not serve as a guarantee for individual cases.

Source: YEN.com.gh