Etas Full Manual

Australia’s ETAS
Electronic Travel Authority System
An information
booklet containing
operating instructions
for service providers
OCTOBER 2008
Australia’s ETAS
Electronic Travel Authority System
Disclaimer
Please note this information is correct at time of printing.

For up to date information see www.immi.gov.au
Feedback/suggestions regarding this manual can be sent to

Email: [email protected]
© Commonwealth of Australia 2008
This work is copyright. You may download, display, print and reproduce
this material in unaltered form only (retaining this notice) for your personal,
non-commercial use or use within your organisation. Apart from any use
as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved.
Requests for further authorisation should be directed to the:

Commonwealth Copyright Administration,
Copyright Law Branch,
Attorney-General’s Department
Robert Garran Offices
National Circuit
Barton ACT 2600
Fax: 02 6250 5989

Email:[email protected].
Published by the National Communications Branch of the

Department of Immigration and Citizenship
6 Chan Street Belconnen ACT 2617
ISBN 978-0-9803727-7-9
Contents
Introduction 1
What is an ETA? 1
Changes to ETA application process 2
Who can get an ETA? 3
ETA eligible passports 4
Types of ETAs 5
Proof that an ETA is held 5
At airline check-in 6
Overview 7
ETAS processing commands 7
ETAS help commands 8
Requests 9
Command format 9
How to issue an ETA 9
V Visitor ETA 11
Application screen 11
Validation screen 12
The approval stage 12
Approval screen 13
BS Business short validity ETA 14

Approval screen 16
BL Business long validity ETA 17
ETA fee payment 18
Credit card screen 19
List of acceptable credit cards for BL 19
Approval screen 20
Enquiry 21
How to make a visa/ETA enquiry 21
Multiple results 27
History 28
History screen and how to reverse a transaction 28
Scrolling 29
Display 29
New System Responses 31

Help 32
Error messages 32
Corrections 34
Passenger already has a current visa/ETA 35
Attachments
A – ICAO codes 36
B – ICAO passport data helpcard 42
C – System down 44
D – Contact information 46
Introduction
All travellers to Australia, other than Australian and New Zealand
citizens, require a visa or an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) to travel
to Australia.
What is an ETA?
An ETA is an electronically stored authority for travel to
Australia which:
• replaces the visa label or stamp in a passport
• is available through participating travel agencies, airlines and
the internet
• does not require an application form and
• enables passengers to be processed quickly on arrival
in Australia.
The ETA system means travel agents can provide total client service
and travel arrangements.
The Australian Government does not charge travel agents and airlines ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Introduction
for the use of the ETA system.
1
Changes to ETA application process
Where the ETA system cannot provide an immediate response to an
application, applicants will be advised to wait for a set period of time
and then enquire on the result of the application. In most cases, a
result will be available within 12 hours. This set time for applications
to be processed will reduce the number of applicants who receive a
‘Refer applicant to Australian Embassy’ response. Applicants will now
only be referred to an Australian Embassy if the ETA system is unable
to approve applicants within 12 hours. This change to the ETA
system will minimize the inconvenience a client may experience by
being referred to an Australian Embassy for an ETA. For further
information, please refer to the ‘New System Responses’ section of
this manual.
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Introduction
2
Who can get an ETA?
People can obtain an ETA and travel to Australia if:
• they hold a valid ETA eligible passport and they travel with
that passport and
• their visit to Australia is for tourism, visiting relatives, business
meetings, a convention or conference.
ETA holders are subject to the following conditions:

• not to stay in Australia for more than 3 months
• be in good health and
• have no criminal convictions.
People who do not meet the requirements shown above should

contact the nearest Australian visa office for advice on appropriate
types of visas. Refer to the Contact Information section of this manual
or www.immi.gov.au.
3
ETA eligible passports
The following are ETA eligible passports that may be processed for
an ETA. Details of countries, locations, regions and their
corresponding ICAO codes are listed in Attachment A.
Andorra AND Malaysia MYS

Austria AUT Malta MLT
Belgium BEL Monaco MCO
Brunei Darussalam BRN Netherlands NLD
Canada CAN Norway NOR
Denmark DNK Portugal PRT
Finland FIN San Marino, SMR
France FRA Republic of
Germany D Singapore SGP
Greece GRC Spain ESP
Hong Kong (SAR) HKG Sweden SWE
Iceland ISL Switzerland CHE
Ireland IRL *Taiwan TWN

Italy ITA **UK – Brit Citz GBR
Japan JPN ***UK – British GBN

National (Overseas)
Korea, Republic of (Sth) KOR
United States USA
Liechtenstein LIE
Vatican VAT
Luxembourg LUX
* Holders of Taiwan passports can only be processed for an ETA if resident in and applying
in Taiwan.
** British subjects holding GBS passports are currently not eligible for an ETA.
*** Holders of UK passports which indicate their nationality to be British National (Overseas)
(BNO) can only be processed for an ETA if applying via a travel agent, airline or at an
Australian Visa office. BNO passport holders cannot apply for their ETA online.
Please note that from 27 October 2008 European passport holders are no longer eligible
to access the online ETA system. European passport holders will have to access the new
eVisitors service when applying online for authority to visit Australia. The eVisitor service is
available at www.immi.gov.au/e_visa/visitors.htm
You can access the latest list of ETA eligible passports on the
internet at www.immi.gov.au.
4
Types of ETAs
There are three types of ETAs available for eligible passport holders:
• (976) V Visitor/Tourist, 12 month validity or expiry date of
passport, whichever is sooner, with stays of up to three months
on each visit. Multiple travel.
– No Visa Application Charge.
• (977) BS Business Short validity, 12 month validity or expiry date
of passport, whichever is sooner, with stays of up to three months
on each visit. Multiple travel.
– No Visa Application Charge.
• (956) BL Business Long validity, valid for the life of the passport,
with stays of up to three months on each visit. Multiple travel.
– Visa Application Charge, payable by credit card, (not available
over the internet).
Proof that an ETA is held

As an ETA is an electronic authority, it can only be verified
through the Electronic Travel Authority System (ETAS). It is not
possible to provide a traveller with physical evidence of an ETA.
It is recommended that all persons who hold an ETA are
given the leaflet, ‘ETAS Information for ETA Holders’ available
on www.immi.gov.au/allforms/pdf/1147.pdf. Do not attach
confirmation slips to passports. For further information please
contact your regional ETA helpdesk, details are listed in the Contact
information section of this manual.
5
At airline check-in
Airlines are able to confirm whether a traveller has authority to travel
to Australia by using the Advance Passenger Processing System
(APP).
Detailed information on the APP system is provided in Australia’s

APP: Advance Passenger Processing System manual.
6
Overview
The following pages take you, step-by-step, through the ETA
application process.
ETAS processing commands

Once you are at a point in your system where you can access ETAS,
use the following commands.
TIETAR ETA Request for application screen – Apply for an ETA.
TIETAQ ETA enQuiry screen – Display an ETA.
TIETAH ETA History screen which includes an

ETA/transaction reversal option.
TIETAB ETA Advance Passenger Processing.
TIETAC ETA Check-in screen – Check for current visa/ETA.
Note: Depending on the computer or airline reservation system you

are using, there may be minor variations on these commands.
For example, the [Scroll lock] key is often used instead
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Overview
of [ENTER].
Check with your CRS/ARS service provider or ETA Helpdesk

for mask formatting requirements.
7
ETAS help commands
You may access online reference information about ETAS using the
following commands.
TIETAS Provides a list of numbered help topics. To access any

particular topic use the appropriate command from the list.
TIETASn where ‘n’ is the relevant topic number.
TIETAU Displays your user identification information.

ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Overview
8
Requests
Command format
Example:
(KEY IN, TYPE) <TIETAR> [ENTER]
user instructions command option keyboard command
To correct any errors on the screen, over type, rather than use the
delete key. After the correction is made move the cursor to the end
of the last input field on the screen.
How to issue an ETA

From your existing terminal link to your airline/computer
reservation system:
(Type) <TIETAR> [ENTER]
This will bring up the application screen.

ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Requests
>>TIETAA ETA APPLICATION

PASSPORT NUMBER ......... FROM PASSPORT TITLE PAGE
NATIONALITY ... 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
DATE OF BIRTH ......... DDMONYYYY/–– MONYYYY/––––YYYY
SEX M/F
COUNTRY OF BIRTH ... 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
EXPIRY DATE ......... DDMONYYYY
FAMILY NAME ....................... FULL NAMES–NO TITLES
GIVEN NAMES ....................... SPACE BETWEEN NAMES
TYPE OF TRAVEL .. V/BL/BS.
[ENTER]
9
>TIETAG ETA APPLICATION
PASSPORT ISSUE DETAILS
ISSUING STATE ...
DATE OF ISSUE ......... DDMONYYYY
ISSUING AUTHORITY
........................................................
Complete both screens for each person travelling. Details are to be

taken from the passport, including the Machine Readable
Zone (MRZ).
Complete FAMILY NAME field without titles or suffixes

(for example without Dr, Jr) and complete GIVEN NAMES field
with a space between each name.
Complete passport number with no spaces.
Attachment B provides instructions on reading and understanding

the bio-data page and relevant data fields. All data must be entered
exactly as shown on the passport.
For a description of the ‘TYPE OF ETAs’, see Introduction section in

this manual.
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Requests
[ENTER]
Note: If more than one person is listed on the passport, each

person travelling must have their own ETA.
If family name exceeds the 24 spaces available eg.

HarringtonPapastamatopoulos, then key the first 24 characters
including spaces, ignoring the remaining characters of the family
name. It is essential that these details are repeated exactly on the
validation screen.
10
V Visitor ETA
A completed ETA Visitor (V) application will look like this:
Application screen
PASSPORT NUMBER 1372462C..... FROM PASSPORT TITLE PAGE
NATIONALITY SGP 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
DATE OF BIRTH 25FEB1960 DDMONYYYY/–– MONYYYY/––––YYYY
SEX M M/F
COUNTRY OF BIRTH SGP 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
EXPIRY DATE 12DEC2009 DDMONYYYY
FAMILY NAME TAN............... FULL NAMES–NO TITLES
GIVEN NAMES BENG HIN..... SPACE BETWEEN NAMES
TYPE OF TRAVEL V. V/BL/BS
[ENTER]

ISSUING STATE SGP 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
DATE OF ISSUE 12DEC1999 DDMONYYYY
ISSUING AUTHORITY ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | V Visitor ETA
SINGAPORE IMMIGRATION & REGISTRATION....................
Attachment B provides instructions on reading and understanding the

bio-data page and relevant data fields. All data must be entered
The passport number, nationality code and family name are used
to provide APP data to the Australian Government. It is essential
these details are correct.
11
Validation screen
The ETA system will now ask you to enter the passport number,
nationality code, family name and given names a second time to
ensure that these details are correct. These details must be taken
from the passport.
>>TIETAP ETA APPLICATION

RE-ENTER TO VALIDATE PASSPORT DETAILS
DETAILS MUST MATCH PREVIOUS SCREEN
PASSPORT NUMBER 1372462C..... FROM PASSPORT
NATIONALITY SGP 1–3 CHARACTERS
FAMILY NAME TAN ..................
FIRST GIVEN NAME BENG ..................
SECOND GIVEN NAME HIN ...................
OTHER GIVEN NAME(S) ...................
[ENTER]
The approval stage

Once you have applied for a Visitor (V) ETA and confirmed the
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | V Visitor ETA
passport number and nationality code, the approval screen will

appear and show the details of the ETA.
12
Approval screen
>> ETA APPROVAL 18JUL08/09481
FAMILY NAME TAN.................. AUSTRALIAN GOVT
GIVEN NAMES BENG HIN......
PASSPORT 1372462C..... SGP EXPIRY DATE 12DEC2009
DATE OF BIRTH 25FEB1960 SEX M COB SGP
ENTRY STATUS UD/976 ETA VISITOR (SHORT)..............
AUTHORITY TO ENTER AUSTRALIA VALID TO
18JUL20092
PERIOD OF STAY 03 MTHS
MULTIPLE ENTRY.... EMPLOYMENT PROHIBITED.
ETA APPROVED.3
1 This is the date and time of processing in Australia.

2 The validity of this ETA is 12 months from the date of approval, or the passport expiry date
(whichever is sooner).
Please check to ensure the ETA is valid for the proposed date of arrival in Australia.
3 ‘ETA APPROVED’.
The ETA approval means:
• The ETA may be used for travel until the date shown or
• The ETA permits multiple visits and a stay for up to 3 months each time.
Note: This ETA is for holidays, recreation and tourism purposes.

Work of any kind is prohibited. If entering Australia for
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | V Visitor ETA

business purposes, including attending a conference or
meeting, a BL or BS ETA is the appropriate type of ETA.
If the applicant is immediately approved, an ‘ETA Approved’ response

will be returned. In limited cases the ETA system will be unable to
process the application immediately and a response of ‘In progress.
Enquire in 12 hours’ will be returned. After 12 hours have elapsed, to
check whether an ETA has been granted use the enquiry screen.
For any system errors or messages, refer to the Help section in this
manual.
13
BS Business short validity ETA
A completed ETA Business Short (BS) application will look like this:
Application screen
PASSPORT NUMBER 987654321..... FROM PASSPORT TITLE PAGE
NATIONALITY USA 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
DATE OF BIRTH 01JUN1956 DDMONYYYY/–– MONYYYY/––––YYYY
SEX F M/F
COUNTRY OF BIRTH USA 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
FAMILY NAME JONES.............. FULL NAMES–NO TITLES
GIVEN NAMES SAMANTHA ANNE....... SPACE BETWEEN NAMES
TYPE OF TRAVEL BS V / BL/ BS
[ENTER]
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | BS Business Short Validity ETA

ISSUING STATE USA
DATE OF ISSUE 31DEC1999 DDMONYYYY
ISSUING AUTHORITY
NATIONAL PASSPORT CENTER.................................

The passport number, nationality code and family name are used
to provide APP data to the Australian Government. It is essential
these details are correct.
14
Validation screen
from the passport.

PASSPORT NUMBER 987654321..... FROM PASSPORT
NATIONALITY USA 1–3 CHARACTER
FAMILY NAME JONES...................
FIRST GIVEN NAME SAMANTHA................
OTHER GIVEN NAME(S) ANNE....................
The approval stage

There is no Australian Government charge for a Business Short
validity (BS) ETA. The approval screen will appear showing the details
of the ETA.
15
Approval screen
FAMILY NAME JONES.................. AUSTRALIAN GOVT
GIVEN NAMES SAMANTHA ANNE...........
PASSPORT 987654321..... USA EXPIRY DATE 31DEC2009
DATE OF BIRTH 01JUN1956 SEX F COB USA
TYPE OF TRAVEL BS SHORT VALIDITY BUSINESS ETA.....
ENTRY STATUS UD/977 ETA BUS SHORT VALIDITY..............
AUTHORITY TO ENTER AUSTRALIA VALID TO.......2
18JUL2009 .....
PERIOD OF STAY 03 MTHS......................
MULTIPLE ENTRY..............................
ETA APPROVED.3

2 The validity of this ETA is 12 months from the date of approval, or the passport expiry date
(whichever is sooner).
Please check to ensure the ETA is valid for the proposed date of arrival in Australia.
3 ‘ETA APPROVED’
• The ETA may be used for travel to Australia until the date shown and
• The ETA allows multiple visits and a stay for up to three months.

process the application immediately and a response of ‘In progress.
Enquire in 12 hours’ will be returned. After 12 hours have elapsed, to
check whether an ETA has been granted use the enquiry screen.
16
BL Business long validity ETA
A completed ETA Business Long (BL) application will look like this:
Application screen
PASSPORT NUMBER 667172B..... FROM PASSPORT TITLE PAGE
NATIONALITY GBR 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
DATE OF BIRTH 11JAN1967 DDMONYYYY/–– MONYYYY/–––––YYYY
SEX M M/F
COUNTRY OF BIRTH GBR 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
EXPIRY DATE 04AUG2009 DDMONYYYY
FAMILY NAME HOBBS.............. FULL NAMES–NO TITLES
GIVEN NAMES CHRISTOPHER JOHN.... SPACE BETWEEN NAMES
TYPE OF TRAVEL BL V/BL/BS
[ENTER]
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | BL Business Long Validity ETA

ISSUING STATE GBR
DATE OF ISSUE 04AUG1999 DDMONYYYY
ISSUING AUTHORITY
UKPA.....................................................

Passport number, nationality code and family name are used to

provide APP data to the Australian Government. It is essential these
details are correct.
17
Validation screen
from the passport.

PASSPORT NUMBER 667172B...... FROM PASSPORT
NATIONALITY GBR 1–3 CHARACTERS
FAMILY NAME HOBBS.................
FIRST GIVEN NAME CHRISTOPHER.................
SECOND GIVEN NAME JOHN.................
OTHER GIVEN NAME(S) .......................
ETA fee payment

There is an Australian Government charge payable for a Business

Long Validity (BL) ETA. After you have successfully completed the
application and validation screens, the following ETA fee payment
screen will appear. This screen must be completed and payment,
by credit card, must be made before approval is given.
18
Credit card screen
The screen will look like this:
>>TIETAF ETA FEE PAYMENT

UPON PAYMENT OF THE FEE AUD 75.00
ETA WILL BE VALID TO
04AUG2009
FAMILY NAME HOBBS.................
GIVEN NAMES CHRISTOPHER JOHN.........
CREDIT CARD NUMBER 1.................. 2EXPIRY .... MMYY
CARD HOLDER NAME 3
..............................
1 Credit card number only. Do not enter card type.

2 Credit card expiry date.
3 Card holder name. Payment may be made by a person other than the passport holder.
Note: If the application cannot be processed (see Help section in

this manual), the fee payment screen (above) will not appear.
List of acceptable credit cards for BL

American Express
Diners Club
JCB
MasterCard
Visa
When completed, your screen will look like this:
>>TIETAF ETA FEE PAYMENT

UPON PAYMENT OF FEE AUD 75.00
ETA WILL BE VALID TO 04AUG2009
FAMILY NAME HOBBS..................
CREDIT CARD NUMBER 213100009999992.... EXPIRY 1209 MMYY
CARD HOLDER NAME CHRISTOPHER JOHN HOBBS.......
19
The approval stage
Following payment of the Australian Government charge, the
approval screen will appear, showing the details of the ETA:
Approval screen
FAMILY NAME HOBBS................. AUSTRALIAN GOVT
PASSPORT 667172B..... GBR EXPIRY DATE 04AUG2009
DATE OF BIRTH 11JAN1967 SEX M COB GBR
TYPE OF TRAVEL BL LONG VALIDITY BUSINESS ETA.....
ENTRY STATUS UD/956 ETA BUS LONG VALIDITY................
AUTHORITY TO ENTER AUSTRALIA VALID
TO.......204AUG2009....
PERIOD OF STAY 03 MTHS......................
MULTIPLE ENTRY..............................
ETA APPROVED. FEE PAID.3

2 The validity of this ETA is the same as passport expiry date.
3 ‘ETA APPROVED. FEE PAID.’
• The ETA may be used for travel until the date shown
• The ETA permits multiple visits and a stay for up to three months each time and
• Evidence of payment will appear on next credit card statement.
20
Enquiry
How to make a visa/ETA enquiry
To check the current visa/ETA status of any person, for any kind of
visa or ETA:
(Type) <TIETAQ> [ENTER]
Complete the screen with the person’s details taken from

the passport.
When completed, your screen will look like this:
>>TIETAE VISA ENQUIRY

PASSPORT NUMBER 98BT54321..... FROM PASSPORT TITLE PAGE
NATIONALITY FRA 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
DATE OF BIRTH 02AUG1965 DDMONYYYY/–– MONYYYY/––––YYYY
SEX M M/F
FAMILY NAME MENARD...............
GIVEN NAMES HENRI................
ARRIVAL DATE 1
22MAR2009 OPTIONAL - DDMON/DDMONYYYY
1 Although optional, if this field is completed the resulting status screen will show you whether
the passenger has a valid visa/ETA at the time of intended arrival in Australia.
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Enquiry
21
If the passenger holds a visa/ETA valid on the expected arrival date,
the following visa status screen will appear:
>>TIETAV VISA STATUS 18JUL08/1121

FAMILY NAME MENARD................... AUSTRALIAN GOVT
GIVEN NAMES HENRI................
PASSPORT 98BT54321..... FRA
DATE OF BIRTH 02AUG1965 SEX M ARRIVAL DATE 22MAR2006
ENTRY STATUS UD/977 ETA BUS SHORT VALIDITY..............
AUTHORITY TO ENTER AUSTRALIA VALID TO......
18JUL2009..................................
PERIOD OF STAY 03 MTHS.....................
MULTIPLE ENTRY........EMPLOYMENT PROHIBITED
1
VALID FOR ENTRY ON EXPECTED ARRIVAL DATE
OVERRIDE VISA/ETA ON DISPLAY? . Y
1 Will only appear if the arrival date has been entered on the enquiry screen.
This example is stating that the passenger already holds a Business

Short validity visa and it is valid until 18 JUL 2008.
If the ‘OVERRIDE VISA/ETA ON DISPLAY’ message appears at the

bottom of the screen another ETA can be requested.
(If the existing visa cannot be overridden by any ETA, this option will
not appear. Refer to Passenger already has a current visa/ETA in the
Help section in this manual for more details).
If the passenger seeks a new ETA:
(Type) <Y>. at the bottom of the screen [ENTER]
If you enter <Y>, the ETA application screen appears, with most of
the passenger’s details transferred to this screen. An example follows
on the next page.
If you do not wish to proceed with the issue of an ETA [ESC].
22
A partially completed application screen will appear:

PASSPORT NUMBER 98BT54321... FROM PASSPORT TITLE PAGE
NATIONALITY FRA 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
DATE OF BIRTH 02AUG1965 DDMONYYYY/––MONYYYY/–––––YYYY
SEX M M/F
COUNTRY OF BIRTH ... 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
EXPIRY DATE ......... DDMONYYYY
FAMILY NAME MENARD............. FULL NAMES–NO TITLES
GIVEN NAMES HENRI.............. SPACE BETWEEN NAMES
TYPE OF TRAVEL .. V/BL/BS
[ENTER]

ISSUING STATE ...
DATE OF ISSUE ......... DDMONYYYY
ISSUING AUTHORITY
.........................................................
Complete the blank fields, including the type of ETA the

applicant requests.
23
If the person does not have a current visa/ETA and the person is
eligible for an ETA, the following screen will appear:

FAMILY NAME SORENSON................... AUSTRALIAN GOVT
GIVEN NAMES SUSAN...................
PASSPORT 333333333..... USA
DATE OF BIRTH 04OCT1946 SEX F
ENTRY STATUS NO AUTHORITY TO TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA HELD
BY PASSENGER..............................
..........................................
..........................................
OVERRIDE VISA/ETA ON DISPLAY? . Y
If you now wish to apply for an ETA, (Type) <Y> at the bottom of
the screen.
If you don’t wish to apply, press [ESC] or quit to clear the screen and
start a new transaction.
Airline check-in staff and travel agents should use the TIETAQ
function to confirm the existence of a valid visa or an ETA for
passengers who require an authority to travel to Australia.
Australian and New Zealand passport holders cannot be checked

through this check-in process.
A person who holds a valid visa label that is not expired, may travel
with old and new passports. If no record is found on the new
passport, enter the old passport details for an ‘OK TO BOARD’.
24
ETA’s are valid only for the passport in which they are issued and are
not transferable to a new passport. Passengers who present a new
passport claiming to have an ETA in their expired passport, must be
issued with a new ETA.
There are 2 ways to establish whether a person has a valid visa

or ETA:
Commands may vary for each airline
(Type) <TIETAC/passport number/nationality code/family name>

(first four characters).
>> TIETAC/AA1234567/JPN/SUZU
[ENTER]
OR
(Type) <TIETAC> [ENTER]
The following screen will appear:
>>TIETAC CHECK-IN STATUS

PASSPORT NUMBER .............. FROM PASSPORT TITLE PAGE

NATIONALITY ... 1–3 CHARACTER CODE
FAMILY NAME .....................4 OR MORE CHARACTERS
[ENTER]
25
If there is only one person with that passport number and nationality
code, and that person holds a valid visa/ETA, the following screen
will appear:
1.
AA1234567/JPN/SUZUKI/AKIRA/10SEP1959/M.
AUTHORITY TO TRAVEL VALID TO 02JUL2009.
If there are 2 persons sharing a passport and each holds a valid visa/
ETA, the following screen will appear:
1.
AA1234567/JPN/SUZUKI/AKIRA/10SEP1959/M
Authority to Travel Valid to 02JUL2009.
2.
AA1234567/JPN/SUZUKI/SUMIO/21AUG1989/M
Authority to Travel Valid to 02JUL2009.
• check to make sure screen details match the passenger details. If

so, the passenger has a current visa/ETA for travel to Australia. If
passenger details don’t appear or match, the passenger must
apply for a new visa/ETA.
If no record is found, the following screen will appear:

1. AA1234567/JPN/SUZU
NO CURRENT VISA/ETA FOUND. DO NOT BOARD UNLESS ISSUED
OR FOUND
• no match is found. Check to confirm passenger details have been

entered correctly
• if passenger’s details match, the passenger must apply for a new
visa/ETA.
26
If an expired visa/ETA is found, the following screen will appear:
1. AA1234567/JPN/SUZUKI/AKIRA/10SEP1959/M
NO CURRENT VISA/ETA FOUND. DO NOT BOARD UNLESS ISSUED
OR FOUND
• the passenger must apply for a new visa/ETA.
Multiple results
If the response screen displays more than one person and different
responses, eg. it says both ‘AUTHORITY TO TRAVEL’ and
‘NO CURRENT VISA/ETA FOUND …’, it means there are multiple
persons included in that passport who hold or have held a visa/ETA.
You must make sure the persons seeking to travel have the
‘AUTHORITY TO TRAVEL’ message.
27
History
History: – the last 7 days for V or BS ETAs, and
– the last 30 days for BL ETAs
The History option provides a record of all applications and reversals

by your agency in the past 7 or 30 days.
The most important function available under History is the ability to

reverse an ETA issued by your agency during that period.
(Type) <TIETAH> [ENTER]
You will get the last four transactions displayed showing the type of
transaction, transaction time and personal details. The last
transaction is shown first.
1 18NOV/1111 APPLICATION
PAX: Jones/SAMANTHA ANNE/01JUN1956/F
PPT: 987654321/USA/31DEC2009
PAX: HOBBS/CHRISTOPHER JOHN/11JAN1967/M
PPT: 667172B/GBR/04AUG2009
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | History
PAX: TAN/BENG HIN/25FEB1960/M

PPT: 1372462C/SGP/12DEC2009
PAX: SUZUKI/AKIRA/10SEP1959/M
PPT: AA1234567/JPN/02JUL2009
>>TIETAH ACTION: ..... MUNNN/MDNNN/DN
28
Scrolling
• Move up <MU> (4 transactions at a time) or
<MUnnn> (transactions nnn hours ago) [ENTER]
• Move down <MD> (4 transactions at a time), or
<MDnnn> (transactions nnn hours ago) [ENTER]
Display
<Dn> (display transaction number) [ENTER]
You can display details of any transaction on the screen.
For example, to display details of visa status

(Type) <D4> [ENTER]
A displayed transaction will look like this:

FAMILY NAME SUZUKI................. AUSTRALIAN GOVT
GIVEN NAMES AKIRA.........
PASSPORT AA1234567..... JPN
DATE OF BIRTH 10SEP1959 SEX M ARRIVAL DATE.............
ENTRY STATUS UD/956 ETA BUS LONG VALIDITY...............
AUTHORITY TO ENTER AUSTRALIA VALID TO......
02JUL2009..................................
PERIOD OF STAY 03 MTHS.....................
MULTIPLE ENTRY.............................
REVERSE ERROR? . Y
29
One choice is offered at the bottom of the screen:
• Reverse error
If you have detected an error in the application, you can reverse
the error (Type) <Y> [ENTER]
If you do not wish to reverse an error, press [ESC] or quit to clear
the screen and start again.
Note: To refund the fee for a BL ETA, you must reverse the
transaction. This will withdraw the ETA and automatically
refund the Australian Government charge to the credit
card holder.
The message on screen will read:
>> APPLICATION REVERSED

ANY FEES PAID BY PASSENGERS HAVE BEEN CREDITED.
PPT: AA1234567/JPN
PAX: SUZUKI/AKIRA/10SEP1959/M
Complete a new ETA if required.

30
New System Responses
process the application immediately. In these cases a new system
process has been added to reduce inconvenience to applicants by
reducing the number of ‘Refer applicant to Australian Embassy’
responses. In these cases the system will respond with:
PASSPORT NUMBER 3218976C.... FROM PASSPORT TITLE PAGE
NATIONALITY SGP 1-3 CHARACTER CODE
DATE OF BIRTH 25FEB1960 DDMONYYYY/—MONYYYY/——YYYY
SEX M M/F
COUNTRY OF BIRTH SGP 1-3 CHARACTER CODE
FAMILY NAME LEE.............FULL NAMES-NO TITLES
GIVEN NAMES KET YOU.....SPACE BETWEEN NAMES
In progress. Enquire in 12 HOURS
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | New System Responses

In some circumstances a result may be available within 30 minutes.
In these cases the system will respond with:
PASSPORT NUMBER 3218976C.... FROM PASSPORT TITLE PAGE
NATIONALITY SGP 1-3 CHARACTER CODE
DATE OF BIRTH 25FEB1960 DDMONYYYY/—MONYYYY/——YYYY
SEX M M/F
COUNTRY OF BIRTH SGP 1-3 CHARACTER CODE
FAMILY NAME LEE.............FULL NAMES-NO TITLES
GIVEN NAMES KET YOU.....SPACE BETWEEN NAMES
In progress. Enquire in 30 MINUTES
Applicants may be required to wait up to 12 hours for the result of an

ETA application. This delay will ensure that only a limited number of
applicants receive a ‘Refer applicant to Australian Embassy’ response
and will reduce inconvenience to applicants in acquiring an ETA. After
12 hours have elapsed, to check whether an ETA has been granted
use the enquiry screen.
31
Help
If, during a transaction, you are unsure which details to enter, (Type)
<?> on the line where the answer is needed and [ENTER].
Other useful information can be found with the ETA System TIETAS
help command.
Error messages
If an obvious error is made when keying in an applicant’s personal
details, an error message will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Errors with a code 5000–5999 usually indicate field content error or

ETA system unavailability. For example:
1 If the date of birth is entered as 220657
(instead of 22JUN1957 or –JUN1957 or – – – –1957)
the system will respond with the following message:
ERROR (5006): VALID DATE OF BIRTH REQUIRED
Errors with a code 6000–6999 are responses from the

Application Processor (AP), usually indicating a problem with
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Help
an ETA application or inquiry. For example:

2 If an incorrect nationality code is entered, such as SIN instead of
SGP (for Singapore), the system will respond with the
following message:
ERROR (6003): NATIONALITY CODE INVALID
32
3 If the correct nationality code is used but that passport is not
eligible for ETA, the system will respond with the
following message:
ERROR (6970): PASSPORT INELIGIBLE FOR ETA
4 The person to whom the ETA is being issued must be outside

Australia at the time of application, otherwise the following
message will appear:
ERROR (6043): CURRENTLY IN AUSTRALIA.

REFER TO EOC. DO NOT BOARD
If the ETA cannot be processed, one of the following messages will

appear on the application screen:
UNABLE TO ESTABLISH VISA STATUS.

REFER APPLICANT TO AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY
REFER APPLICANT TO AUSTRALIAN EMBASSY
Neither of these responses necessarily mean that the applicant will

not get an ETA. However, these messages indicate that the
applicant’s eligibility for an ETA can only be established by an

Australian visa office. Applicants must be directed to the nearest
Australian visa office.
Do not make multiple attempts to issue an ETA to this person as

you will receive the same message. Repeated attempts are
monitored and may result in an agent’s access to the ETA System
being terminated.
33
Corrections
To correct any errors on the screen, over type the existing data. Do
not use the delete key.
After the correction is made, move the cursor to the end of the last
input field on the screen. Unless you move the cursor to this position,
the following error message will be displayed:
ERROR (5051): MORE INPUT LINES EXPECTED
If the ETA has already been issued and you are required to correct
the data, you need to open the history screen, locate and reverse the
transaction. If the request was made more than 7 days ago for a V or
BS ETA, or 30 days for a BL ETA, the transaction cannot be retrieved
and cannot be reversed. A new ETA can be requested. If this is not
approved, contact the nearest Australian visa office or ETA help line.
If you want to reverse a transaction, see the History section in this

manual for details.
34
Passenger already has a current visa/ETA
VISA/ETA ON DISPLAY CANNOT BE REPLACED BY ETA REQUESTED
If a passenger applies for a new ETA, and the ETA System finds the
passenger already has a current visa or an ETA which is of a greater
benefit (eg. a longer period of stay or work rights), then a new ETA
cannot be issued or overridden. Details of the current visa/ETA will
appear on the screen and the message above will appear.
If a passenger holds an expired resident or resident return visa label

in their passport, details should be sent to the nearest Australian visa
office, see www.immi.gov.au
35
Attachment A
ICAO codes for countries, locations and regions
ICAO ICAO
Code Code
Afghanistan AFG Benin BEN
Albania ALB Bermuda BMU
Algeria DZA Bhutan BTN
American Samoa ASM Bolivia BOL
Andorra AND Bosnia and BIH
Angola AGO Herzegovina
Anguilla AIA Botswana BWA
Antarctica ATA Bouvet Island BVT
Antigua and Barbuda ATG Brazil BRA
Argentina ARG British – Citizen GBR
Armenia ARM British – National GBN

Overseas
Aruba ABW
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Attachment A
British – Overseas GBO

Australia AUS Citizen
Austria AUT British – Subject GBS
Azerbaijan AZE Brunei Darussalam BRN
Bahamas BHS Bulgaria BGR
Bahrain BHR Burkina Faso BFA
Bangladesh BGD Burundi BDI
Barbados BRD Cambodia KHM
Belarus BLR Cameroon CMR
Belgium BEL Canada CAN
Belize BLZ
36
ICAO ICAO
Code Code
Cape Verde CPV Ecuador ECU
Cayman Islands CYM Egypt EGY
Chad TCD El Salvador SLV
Central African CAF Equatorial Guinea GNQ
Republic Eritrea ERI
Chile CHL Estonia EST
China CHN Ethiopia ETH
Christmas Island CXR Falkland Islands FLK
Colombia COL Faroe Islands FRO
Comoros COM Fiji FJI
Congo COG Finland FIN
Dem Rep of the COD France FRA
Congo
French Guiana GUF
Cook Islands COK
French Polynesia PYF
Costa Rica CRI
Gabon GAB
Cote D’ivoire CIV
Gambia GMB
Croatia HRV
Georgia GEO
Cuba CUB
Germany D
Cyprus CYP
Ghana GHA
Czech Republic CZE
Gibraltar GIB
Czechoslovakia CSK
Great Britain – Citizen GBR
Denmark DNK
Great Britain – National GBN
Djibouti DJI Overseas
Dominica DMA Greece GRC
Dominican Republic DOM Greenland GRL
East Timor TMP Grenada GRD
37
ICAO ICAO
Code Code
Guadeloupe GLP Korea, Dem Peoples PRK
Guam GUM (Nth)
Guatemala GTM Kuwait KWT
Guinea GIN Kyrgyzstan KGZ
Guinea-Bissau GNB Lao Peoples Dem Rep LAO
Guyana GUY Latvia LVA
Haiti HTI Lebanon LBN
Honduras HND Lesotho LSO
Hong Kong (SAR) HKG Liberia LBR
Hungary HUN Libyan Arab Jamahiri LBY
Iceland ISL Liechtenstein LIE
India IND Lithuania LTU
Indonesia IDN Luxembourg LUX
Iran IRN Macau MAC
Iraq IRQ FYRM – Former MKD

Yugoslav Republic
Ireland IRL of Macedonia

Israel ISR Madagascar MDG
Italy ITA Malawi MWI
Jamaica JAM Malaysia MYS
Japan JPN Maldives MDV
Jordan JOR Mali MLI
Kazakhstan KAZ Malta MLT
Kenya KEN Marshall Islands MHL
Kiribati KIR Martinique MTQ
Korea, Republic of KOR Mauritania MRT
(Sth)
38
ICAO ICAO
Code Code
Mauritius MUS Norway NOR
Mayotte MYT Oman OMN
Mexico MEX Pakistan PAK
Micronesia – FSM Palau PLW
Federated States of Palestinian Authority PSE
Moldova, Republic of MDA Panama PAN
Monaco MCO Papua New Guinea PNG
Mongolia MNG Paraguay PRY
Montenegro MNE Peru PER
Montserrat MSR Philippines PHL
Morocco MAR Poland POL
Mozambique MOZ Portugal PRT
Myanmar MMR Puerto Rico PRI
Namibia NAM Qatar QAT
Nauru NRU Reunion REU
Nepal NPL
Romania ROM
Netherlands NLD Russian Federation RUS
– Kingdom
Rwanda RWA
Netherlands Antilles ANT
Sahara, Western ESH
New Caledonia NCL
Saint Lucia LCA
New Zealand NZL
Samoa WSM
Nicaragua NIC
San Marino, SMR
Niger NER Republic of
Nigeria NGA Sao Tome and Principe STP
Niue NIU Saudi Arabia SAU
Northern Mariana Isl MNP Senegal SEN
39
ICAO ICAO
Code Code
Serbia SRB Thailand THA
Serbia & Montenegro SCG Timor – East TMP
Seychelles SYC Timor – Leste TLS
Sierra Leone SLE Togo TGO
Singapore SGP Tokelau TKL
Slovak Republic SVK Tonga TON
Slovenia SVN Trinidad and Tobago TTO
Solomon Islands SLB Tunisia TUN
Somalia SOM Turkey TUR
South Africa ZAF Turkmenistan TKM
Spain ESP Turks and Caicos TCA
Sri Lanka LKA Islands
St Helena SHN Tuvalu TUV
St Kitts & Nevis KNA Uganda UGA
St Pierre and Miquelon SPM Ukraine UKR

United Arab Emirates ARE
St Vincent & the VCT

Grenadines United Kingdom GBR
Sudan SDN – Citizen
Suriname SUR United Kingdom GBN

– National Overseas
Sweden SWE
United States USA
Swaziland SWZ
Uruguay URY
Switzerland CHE
Uzbekistan UZB
Syrian Arab Republic SYR
Vanuatu VUT
Taiwan TWN
Vatican City State VAT
Tajikistan TJK
Venezuela VEN
Tanzania TZA
40
ICAO ICAO
Code Code
Vietnam VNM Yemen YMD
Virgin Islands (Brit) VGB Yugoslavia YUG
Virgin Islands (Us) VIR Zaire ZAR
Wallis and Futuna WLF Zambia ZMB
Islands Zimbabwe ZWE
Yemen, Republic of YEM
* This is not a complete list of codes.
41
Attachment B
ICAO Passport Data Help Card
The sample passport below identifies the location of several of the
passport data fields required when applying for an Australian Visa.
All data must be entered exactly as shown on the passport.
Nationality Issuing State Date of Issue
Passport Machine
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Attachment B
Readable Zone
Passport Issuing Authority/ Date of Expiry

Number Place of Issue
Issuing State
This field is the country that issued the passport. It appears at the top
of the passport and in the first line of the machine readable zone. This
information is also found on the front cover of the passport. The
issuing state field may be called Code, Code of Issuing State, Issuing
Country, Country Code, Code of State or something similar. Although
the code is usually a three-character ICAO code, there are some
exceptions: For example, the code for Germany is ‘D’.
42
Date of Issue/Date of Expiry/Date of Birth
These dates must be entered as shown in the passport. This
information is generally located on the passport page with the
owner’s photo.
Note: The date of issue should be entered exactly as shown in the

passport and the date of expiry should be the last date
shown, including any extensions.
Issuing Authority/Place of Issue

This field is the authority that issued the passport, or the place where
the passport was issued. The name of the field is dependent on the
country issuing the passport. The information will be located in the
passport somewhere near the applicant’s name. The field may be
called Issuing Authority or Authority or Place of Issue or something
similar. These details could be a series of numbers, a place, the name
of a government department or a stamp. If it is a stamp, please
ensure that all information contained in the stamp is included – for
example, British High Commission; Wellington; 861; Sydney; Ministry
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Attachment B

of Foreign Affairs – Mumbai, etc.
Note: Data should be entered exactly as shown in the passport.
Passport Number
The passport number is found in two locations on all ICAO standard
passports. The data entered for this field must be the passport
number as written in the first nine characters of the second line of the
machine readable zone (MRZ).
Note: The number in the visual zone may be different for some
passports (eg Lebanese passports may show an alpha
character in the visual zone but only a number in the MRZ.)
43
Attachment C
System down
Travel agents/Airlines
If ETAS is not working or not responding contact one of the local
representatives from:
• Your CRS
• SITA and/or
• ETA System Support or the Entry Operations Centre (See the
Contact Information Section)
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Attachment C
44
Attachment D
Contact information
Additional ETA local arrangements may exist in your country,

location or region.
The best way to check is by visiting the visa office listings in the department’s
World Index.
Specific ETA queries can be directed to the following addresses:
Athens, covering Greece:

Phone: 30-210-870 4127
Fax: 30-210-870 4125
Berlin, covering Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Finland,

Iceland, Liechtenstein, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Portugal
and Malta:
Phone: 49-30-88 00 88 101
Fax: 49-30-22 48 92 94
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Attachment C
Website: www.germany.embassy.gov.au/belngerman/eta
Hong Kong, covering Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR:

Phone: 852-2585 4139
Fax: 852-2585 4459
Kuala Lumpur, covering Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam:

Phone: 60-3-21465 781
Fax: 60-3-21465 689
Website: http://www.malaysia.highcommission.gov.au/klpr/VisaETA.html
45
London covering the UK and Ireland:
Phone: 44-20-7887 5863 (between 10am and 12pm GMT - 2
hours only)
Fax: 44-20-7887 5775
Website: http://www.uk.embassy.gov.au/lhlh/etaref.html
Madrid covering Spain:

Phone: 34-91-353 6614
Fax: 34-91-353 6692
Website: www.spain.embassy.gov.au
Ottawa, covering North America and the Caribbean:

Phone: 1888 990 8888 (toll free in Nth. America and most
of the Caribbean
Phone: 1-905-280-1437 for service in French, Portugese or
Spanish. Please note this is not a toll free number.
Fax: 1-613-236 0026
Website: www.canada.embassy.gov.au
Paris, covering Metropolitan France, Andorra, Belgium,

Luxembourg and Monaco:
Phone: 33-1-4059 3490 (2:00 - 4:00pm Monday – Friday)
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Attachment D
Fax: 33-1-40 59 3538

Website: www.france.embassy.gov.au
Rome, covering Italy, Vatican City and San Marino:

Phone: 3906 8527 21
Fax: 3906 8527 2400
Website: www.italy.embassy.gov.au
Seoul, covering Republic of Korea (Sth):

Phone: 82-2-2003 0111 (9:00-12:00 and 13:30-16:30
Monday–Friday)
Fax: 82-2-720 9932
Website: www.southkorea.embassy.gov.au
46
Singapore, covering Singapore:
Phone: 65-6836 4162
Fax: 65-6735 1242
Website:www.singapore.embassy.gov.au
Taipei, covering Taiwan:
Phone: 886-28725 4250
Fax: 886 28789 9560
Website: www.australia.org.tw
Tokyo, covering Japan:
Phone: 81-3-5232 4111
Fax: 81-3-5232 4173
Website: www.australia.or.jp
Vienna, covering Austria:
Phone: 43-1-5067 4182
Fax: 43-1-5132 908
Website: www.austria.embassy.gov.au
Entry Operations Centre (EOC)
Canberra Australia (24 hours, seven days operation)
ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Attachment D
Phone: +61 1300 368 126 - Airline and other enquiries
+61 1300 368 970 - Seaport enquiries
Fax: +61 1300 368 422
Sitatex: CBRIXCR
For technical ETA system support only:
ETA System Support
Canberra Australia (Australian business hours operation)
Email:[email protected]
For the most up to date information go to DIAC’s website
www.immi.gov.au.
47

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Australia’s ETAS

Electronic Travel Authority System

Please note this information is correct at time of printing.

Feedback/suggestions regarding this manual can be sent to

© Commonwealth of Australia 2008

Requests for further authorisation should be directed to the:

Fax: 02 6250 5989

Published by the National Communications Branch of the

BS Business short validity ETA 14

New System Responses 31

for the use of the ETA system.

ETA holders are subject to the following conditions:

People who do not meet the requirements shown above should

ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | Introduction

Andorra AND Malaysia MYS

Greece GRC Spain ESP

Hong Kong (SAR) HKG Sweden SWE

Iceland ISL Switzerland CHE

Ireland IRL *Taiwan TWN

Italy ITA **UK – Brit Citz GBR

Japan JPN ***UK – British GBN

Proof that an ETA is held

Detailed information on the APP system is provided in Australia’s

ETAS processing commands

TIETAR ETA Request for application screen – Apply for an ETA.

TIETAQ ETA enQuiry screen – Display an ETA.

TIETAH ETA History screen which includes an

TIETAB ETA Advance Passenger Processing.

TIETAC ETA Check-in screen – Check for current visa/ETA.

Note: Depending on the computer or airline reservation system you

Check with your CRS/ARS service provider or ETA Helpdesk

TIETAS Provides a list of numbered help topics. To access any

TIETASn where ‘n’ is the relevant topic number.

TIETAU Displays your user identification information.

(KEY IN, TYPE) <TIETAR> [ENTER]

user instructions command option keyboard command

How to issue an ETA

(Type) <TIETAR> [ENTER]

This will bring up the application screen.

>>TIETAA ETA APPLICATION

Complete both screens for each person travelling. Details are to be

Complete FAMILY NAME field without titles or suffixes

Complete passport number with no spaces.

Attachment B provides instructions on reading and understanding

For a description of the ‘TYPE OF ETAs’, see Introduction section in

Note: If more than one person is listed on the passport, each

If family name exceeds the 24 spaces available eg.

>TIETAG ETA APPLICATION

Attachment B provides instructions on reading and understanding the

>>TIETAP ETA APPLICATION

The approval stage

passport number and nationality code, the approval screen will

1 This is the date and time of processing in Australia.

Note: This ETA is for holidays, recreation and tourism purposes.

ETAS – Electronic Travel Authority System | V Visitor ETA

If the applicant is immediately approved, an ‘ETA Approved’ response

>TIETAG ETA APPLICATION

Attachment B provides instructions on reading and understanding the

>>TIETAP ETA APPLICATION

The approval stage

TIETAH ETA History screen which includes an