How to Apply for the Australia ETA 601 from Malaysia
There is exactly one way to apply for an ETA: the official Australian ETA app. No ImmiAccount, no paper form, no agent portal. The fee is AUD 20 and most people finish in under 15 minutes — provided the phone can read your passport chip.
The four things that decide whether it goes smoothly
- The app is the only channel. Per the Australian High Commission in Malaysia, the Australian ETA app is the sole way to lodge a 601 — for every eligible passport.
- AUD 20, no other charge. A service charge for using the app, payable by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- You must be outside Australia when you apply, and you must do it yourself — someone can help you tap, but you have to be there for the live photo.
- Apply at least four weeks early. Most are instant, some are not, and the High Commission cannot expedite for pre-booked travel.
Sources: Australian High Commission Malaysia — Apply for an ETA (updated 13 April 2026) and the Department's subclass 601 page.
Before you open the app
Almost every "the app doesn't work" message we get is one of these seven items missing. Check them first — it is faster than troubleshooting later.
Your passport
Valid, and it must be the one you travel on. If you renew your passport after the ETA is granted, the old ETA dies with it — you apply again.
NFC turned on
The app reads the chip in your passport contactlessly. No NFC, no application — the app will not let you type your details in instead.
Location services on
Required by the app to run at all. Switch it on before you start, not halfway through.
A working camera
It photographs your passport data page and takes a live photo of your face.
An email you can open
The outcome arrives by email. Use an address you actually check — and check the junk folder.
Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay
The AUD 20 service charge is paid inside the app. Have it ready before you start.
Everyone who is travelling, present
Each person needs their own application — infants and children included. You can run them all on one phone, but each traveller must be physically beside you when their turn comes, because they take their own live photo.
The five steps, in order
Finish it in one sitting. Closing the app mid-way deletes an unsubmitted application by design.
Scan your passport
The app photographs the data page, then reads the chip. Your name, date of birth and passport number come from that chip — they are not typed in. If the read fails, everything stops there. Fix below.
Take the live photo
This is a facial scan, not an upload. Face a plain wall in even light, take off sunglasses and a cap, and keep hijab on if you wear it — it does not need to be removed.
Answer the questions
Including criminal convictions, any other names you have used, and contact details in Australia. Answer honestly and exactly — an "innocent" wrong answer here is a false-information problem, not a paperwork problem.
Pay AUD 20
Card, Apple Pay or Google Pay inside the app. There is no other government charge for an ETA. If a website asks you for more, you are not on the official app.
Wait — and don't book flights yet
Most applications return a result immediately. The High Commission advises allowing up to 72 hours for the email, and applying at least four weeks before travel because some applicants are asked for more information.
The Department publishes video guides for the app; the official 601 page links to them and they are worth two minutes before you start.
When the passport chip will not scan
This is the number one place applications stop. The app fills your identity details from the chip and offers no manual entry, so a failed read cannot be worked around — but it can almost always be fixed.
1. Confirm NFC is actually on
On Android: Settings → search "NFC" → on. iPhones generally do not expose a switch, so treat an iPhone failure as a position or barrier problem rather than a setting. Check location services at the same time.
2. Strip both items
Phone case off, passport cover off. Anything metal on the phone's back — card holder, grip mount, magnet ring — comes off too.
3. Find the chip — it is not in the same place on every passport
Keep the passport closed and lay the phone flat on the cover, then slide slowly: top, middle, bottom. No reaction? Turn it over and try the other cover. The chip may be in the front cover, the back cover, or inside a page.
4. Hold completely still
Once the app detects the chip you get a "hold still" prompt or a progress bar. Do not lift or slide the phone until the read finishes — moving mid-read is what turns a found chip into another failure.
5. Try a second phone
Some phones have weak or awkwardly placed NFC antennas. A friend or family member can run it on their device — but you must be right there, because you take the selfie and your passport has to be scanned.
6. Know when to stop
A damaged chip or a passport issued before chips were standard cannot be read at all. Repeated failures across two phones means stop fighting the app and use a different visa route.
Two warnings worth reading twice
- Closing the app deletes an unsubmitted application. That is deliberate, for privacy. Switching phones means starting from the beginning — so finish in one sitting on a device that can read the chip.
- Nobody can apply remotely for you. Not a friend, not a travel agent. You must be physically present for the live photo and the passport scan. Any service claiming otherwise is selling you something that does not exist.
If the chip genuinely cannot be read, the fallback is a Visitor Visa (subclass 600) through ImmiAccount — it costs more and takes longer, which is exactly why it is the last resort rather than the first choice.
If the app says it needs more information
This is not a refusal. It means an officer wants to see evidence before deciding. You will get an outcome notification by email with instructions, and you then complete the request through ImmiAccount.
| What to submit | Detail |
|---|---|
| Form 1554 | "ETA request for further processing" — download, complete every field, attach under Supplementary Questions / ETA Supplement Information. |
| Passport bio-data page | The page with your photo and personal details. |
| National ID card | Malaysian applicants: front and back of your MyKad. |
| Cover letter | Why you are visiting, intended stay, what you will actually do. |
| Employment or study evidence | Employer statement with job title and approved leave, or student ID. Not employed? Evidence from whoever supports you, plus proof of the relationship. |
| Funds evidence | Bank statements and salary slips; business registration and financial records if self-employed. See our bank statement guide. |
| Travel arrangements | Accommodation and airfare indications — but the High Commission is explicit: do not finalise bookings until you hold a visa. |
| Immediate family list | Full names, dates of birth and relationship for children, parents and siblings. |
Travelling as a family or group? Create a Group ID in ImmiAccount and have every member quote the same one.
How long it takes, and how to check
Most applications are decided immediately, per the Department.
Allow this long for the outcome email. Check junk and spam.
Apply this early — some files need more information, and pre-booked travel is not grounds to expedite.
You can confirm the result in the app itself, or with the Department's Check an ETA function. Current published timelines for both 601 and 600 are summarised in our waiting time guide for Malaysian applicants.
Once it is granted
What you get
- Multiple entries for 12 months, or until the passport expires — whichever comes first
- Up to three months on each visit
- Tourism, visiting family and friends, cruising, and some business visitor activities
What you must not do
- Work. An ETA does not permit work in Australia.
- Use it as a way to live in Australia. The High Commission states plainly that ETAs are not designed for repeated extended stays.
- Travel on a renewed passport. New passport means new ETA.
Unsure whether an ETA even fits your situation? Read the ETA 601 eligibility guide for Malaysians first, or the 601 vs 600 comparison.
ETA application questions
Can I apply for my child's ETA on my phone?
Yes — every applicant needs their own application, including infants, but you can run them from one device. Your child must be with you, because they take their own live photo and their passport is scanned.
Can an agent apply on my behalf?
Only with you physically present. The app requires a live photo of you and a scan of your passport, so there is no remote route — including through a licensed travel agent. What an agent can genuinely help with is the follow-up: reading an outcome letter, preparing the evidence if more information is requested.
I typed a detail wrong. Can I edit it?
Your identity details come from the chip, so they are not typed. Contact details are, and they matter — the outcome goes to that email. If you have submitted something wrong, the High Commission's advice is blunt: check twice, submit once, because incorrect information can delay or refuse an application.
My ETA was not granted. Now what?
You can lodge a new application with further evidence addressing the concern. Many Malaysians in that position move to a subclass 600 instead — see ETA 601 not granted: next steps for Malaysians.
Is the AUD 20 refundable if it is refused?
No. It is a service charge for using the app and it is not refunded on refusal. Our refund guide covers both 601 and 600.
Chip won't read, or the app asked for documents?
Tell us what the app said. We will tell you whether it is a five-minute fix, or whether you should stop and switch to a 600 before you waste the AUD 20.
