Originally Posted by
hfly
1. Australia has no such 3 month or 6 month limit.
2. The ETA is only valid for a 3 month stay anyway, so by definition you cannot overstay.
3. An ETA means ELECTRONIC TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION, you cannot travel to Australia without it...........OTOH, it means that if you have it you CAN.
So rather than rely on "friends" who obviously do not have the slightest clue what they are talking about, you can rely on what is widely posted on the internet, on Australian government sites, etc. and just enjoy your trip. Also FYI, if you are going to be in OZ for several weeks, make an appointment at the Embassy and Consulate while there and you will get your passport done while away as well!
Yeah they travel internationally a lot so going by the 6-month validity rule to keep them out of trouble. I did tell them it depends by country but they're just going by folks who had to run to the embassy otherwise they couldn't continue their travels so they didn't want me to get "stuck" anywhere.
Speaking of "stuck", does anyone know if I will have to avoid any stop-overs to countries that have the 6-month validity rule on my route to Australia?
Entering/leaving AUS isn't the problem, but what if I have a stopover or connecting flight in a country with 6-month validity?