The short version
- To live in Australia, you need a visa that lets you stay. A UK passport gets you a free eVisitor or an ETA, but those only cover visits of up to 3 months at a time, with no work.
- If you are 18 to 35, the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) lets you live and work in Australia for 12 months. A first one costs AUD 840.
- Since 1 July 2024, UK passport holders can get a second and a third Working Holiday visa without doing the "specified work" most other passports need.
- The other routes are a Student visa, a skilled work visa or a Partner visa. Australia's investor and retirement visas are closed to new applicants.
Can you move to Australia from the UK?
Yes, with a visa that lets you live there. A UK passport on its own only covers visits, so the first step is to pick the route that fits your age, your work and your family.
These are the main routes on the Home Affairs visa list:
| Visa | Who it is for | Stay |
|---|---|---|
| Working Holiday (subclass 417) | Ages 18 to 35, with a UK passport | 12 months, up to 3 times |
| Student (subclass 500) | Enrolled in a course in Australia | Up to 6 years |
| Skills in Demand (subclass 482) | Workers sponsored by an employer | Temporary |
| Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186) | Workers nominated by an employer | Permanent |
| Skilled Independent (subclass 189) | Invited workers with skills Australia needs | Permanent |
| Partner (subclass 309/100 or 820/801) | Partners of Australians | Temporary, then permanent |
Each route has its own section below. The retirement and investor routes are closed, and that is covered further down too.
Do UK citizens need a visa to visit Australia?
Yes, but for a visit it is quick. British citizens can apply for an eVisitor (subclass 651), which is free. UK passport holders can also get an ETA (subclass 601) through the Australian ETA app, which charges a service fee of AUD 20.
- Stay: up to 3 months each time you enter, as often as you like while the visa is valid.
- Valid for: 12 months. For the ETA, it is 12 months or until your passport runs out, whichever comes first.
- Work: neither one is a work visa. You cannot do paid work for an Australian employer on them.
Home Affairs says it may ask about your reasons for travel if you stay for long periods or visit often. One simple setup is a short visit first, to see a city or two before you choose a route.
What is the Working Holiday visa for UK citizens?
It is a 12-month visa that lets you holiday in Australia and work to help pay for it. Its official name is the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417). The UK is on its list of eligible passports, and that includes British National (Overseas) passports.
Home Affairs sets these rules for a first 417 on a UK passport:
| Rule | For UK passports |
|---|---|
| Age | 18 to 35 when you apply |
| Stay | 12 months from the day you enter |
| Money | Usually about AUD 5,000, plus your onward fare |
| Family | Cannot be included, and dependent children cannot come |
| Where to apply | Online, from overseas |
| Fee | AUD 840 |
The age limit for UK applicants went up to 35 on 1 July 2023. Some passports on the list still stop at 30. You must apply before midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time on the day before your 36th birthday.
You must be outside Australia when you apply and when Home Affairs decides. It expects the average wait to be around three months, and it says not to book flights until the visa is granted. New to the idea? Read how a working holiday visa works.
What can you do on a Working Holiday visa?
You can live in Australia for 12 months, work and travel. Home Affairs lists what the 417 allows:
- Work: any kind of work, usually for up to 6 months with the same employer.
- Study: up to 4 months (17 weeks).
- Travel: leave and come back as often as you like in your 12 months.
You must enter Australia within 12 months of the grant. Your 12 months start the day you first enter, even if that trip is a holiday on an ETA you also hold.
One trap to know about. If you get another visa after your Working Holiday visa is granted, such as an eVisitor, your Working Holiday visa ends on the day the new one is granted. You do not need an eVisitor or an ETA to enter once you hold the 417.
You pay Australian tax on the work you do there. Your employer must also pay into a retirement fund, called superannuation, if you earn over a set amount. Home Affairs strongly recommends health insurance, since you pay your own medical costs.
Can UK citizens stay three years on a Working Holiday visa?
Yes. You can hold up to three Working Holiday visas, each for 12 months, and UK passport holders no longer need to do specified work to get the second and third.
For most passports, a second 417 needs 3 months of "specified work", which means set jobs in set parts of Australia. A third needs 6 more months. Home Affairs says UK passport holders who apply on or after 1 July 2024 with their UK passport do not have to meet that rule.
- Age: you must still be 18 to 35 when you apply for each one.
- Timing: you can apply at any time while you meet the age rule. The three years do not have to be in a row.
- Where: you can apply for a second or third 417 from inside or outside Australia.
- Cost: a second or third 417 costs AUD 1,000.
- Limit: three 417 visas in your lifetime, whichever eligible passport you use.
If you hold a UK passport and another one, such as an Irish passport, Home Affairs says the no specified work rule still applies when you apply for the next 417 with your UK passport.
Can you study in Australia from the UK?
Yes, on a Student visa (subclass 500). You need to be enrolled in a course in Australia and hold a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) from your school.
- Stay: up to 6 years, in line with your enrolment.
- Work: up to 48 hours a fortnight while your course is in session.
- Health cover: Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), unless an exception applies.
New rules started on 2 October 2026. Most Student visa applications must now be made from outside Australia, and there are new rules on including family members. The money you need to show and the fee are on our Australia student visa page.
Can you get a skilled work visa in Australia?
Yes, if you qualify. Each of these needs an employer, a nomination or an invitation. Home Affairs describes them like this:
- Skills in Demand (subclass 482): a temporary visa that lets an employer sponsor a skilled worker for a job it cannot fill with a suitably skilled Australian.
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186): lets skilled workers nominated by their employer live and work in Australia permanently.
- Skilled Independent (subclass 189): for invited workers with skills Australia needs, to live and work permanently anywhere in the country. It also has a stream for eligible British National (Overseas) passport holders.
- Skilled Nominated (subclass 190): a permanent visa for skilled workers nominated by a state or territory.
- Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) (subclass 491): for skilled people nominated by a state or territory, or sponsored by an eligible relative, to live and work in regional Australia.
The points-tested visas have strict entry rules. For the 190, for example, you must be under 45 when you are invited and score at least 65 points. Our data does not cover each visa's full rules, so read them on the Home Affairs visa list.
Can you move to Australia with an Australian partner?
Yes. Partner visas let the partner or spouse of an Australian citizen, an Australian permanent resident or an eligible New Zealand citizen live in Australia.
There are two versions. You apply for one from overseas (subclass 309 and 100) and the other from inside Australia (subclass 820 and 801). In both, you apply for the temporary and the permanent visa together. Our data does not cover their cost, so check the Home Affairs pages before you plan around one.
Can you retire or invest your way to Australia?
Not as a new applicant. Both routes are closed.
- Business Innovation and Investment Program: closed permanently to new applications on 31 July 2024. See our Australia golden visa page.
- Investor Retirement visa (subclass 405): Home Affairs only takes applications from current holders and some former holders. See our Australia retirement visa page.
How much do Australian visas cost from the UK?
A visit can be free, and a first Working Holiday visa costs AUD 840. These are the charges for the routes above, checked on 18 October 2026:
| Visa | Cost |
|---|---|
| eVisitor (subclass 651) | Free |
| ETA (subclass 601) | AUD 20 app service fee |
| First Working Holiday (subclass 417) | AUD 840 |
| Second or third 417 | AUD 1,000 |
| Student, skilled and partner visas | Not covered here |
On top of the visa charge, you might pay for health checks, police certificates and biometrics. The Working Holiday fees come from Australia's Migration Regulations.
How is moving from the UK different from the US?
The working holiday route is the big difference. Americans use the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462), which stops at age 30 and needs specified work for a second year. UK passport holders use the 417, which runs to 35 with no specified work.
The student, skilled and partner routes in this guide are the same visas Americans use. Our guide on moving to Australia from the US covers the 462.
Which other working holidays are open to UK passports?
11 countries in our list take the UK passport, from Andorra to Uruguay. New Zealand is the other option nearby. Our guide on moving to New Zealand covers its main routes.
Compare ages, stays and costs side by side on working holiday visas for UK citizens, or see every passport on the Australia working holiday visa page.