If you are a Singaporean travelling to Australia, you will need to apply for an Australia Electronic Travel Authority (ETA).
What is an Australia ETA?
An ETA is an electronic authorisation for travel to Australia to visit or conduct short term business in Australia. It replaces a visa label or stamp in your passport and does not require making an application at the High Commission. Passport holders from around 33 countries, including Singapore and Malaysia, are eligible for ETAs. Of the eligible nationalities, eight (including Singapore and Malaysia) are eligible to apply online. Source: Australia High Commission Singapore
There are a few ways to apply for it and the method you chose will cost differently:
1. The commonly known method:
Online via Australia Electronic Travel Authority-Department of Immigration and Citizenship
Well, this is the "official" website, where ETA is available for application anytime, anywhere. You just have to key in your passport and contact details, pay via credit card and that's it. Since it's the "official" website and you are the one entering the information yourself, you can be 100% sure that there will be no problem with the visa.
Cost: AUD 20
2. The inexpensive method (cos it's free!):
If you book the ticket/tour through a travel agent, your travel agent may be able to do your ETA application for free. Or you can get your friend who happens to be a travel agent or trawl the online travel forums for kind and trustworthy souls to apply foc for you.
Cost: Zero
3. The other method:
You can get a professional third party to apply for you either online or otherwise.
Just a simple online search yields plenty of website that will process ETA for a fee ranging from SGD12-SGD20.
If you are concerned about the reliability of these online website, you can just visit any brick and motar travel agency. You can call them beforehand to check on their fees. Remember to bring a copy of all the passports you are applying for. It will cost you between SGD10 to SGD 20.
Cost: SGD10-20
Happy Holidays!
PS: any idea why Australia is now known as 澳大利亞 instead of 澳洲?
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