Transiting through Australia requires a visa. If you hold an ETA, eVisitor or Visitor visa, you do not require a transit visa. About 67 nationalities are eligible to transit without a visa (TWOV). The rest must apply for a transit visa.
Australia transit visa allows you to enter and stay in Australia for up to 72 hours. Applications for transit visas must be made online through the ImmiAccount portal.
The Transit Visa has subclass 771 in Australia’s visa documentation.
Quick summary:
If you haven’t already, read the Australia Visa Guide to familiarize yourself with Australia visa types, requirements, eligibility and entry procedures at the border.
The transit visa is valid for the specific trip you submit travel plans for.
You can transit in all Australian airports and seaports. You are also allowed to leave the airport/seaport and enter Australia for up to 72 hours.
The transit visa is for a specific trip. It expires after the first entry.
You can arrive and leave through all borders via air or sea using a transit visa.
You cannot mix these. You cannot arrive by sea and leave by air or visa versa. If you arrive by air to board a cruise ship, you will need another visa such as a maritime crew visa for crew members.
You must apply for a transit visa right after you have concrete travel plans to transit in Australia.
You would need your confirmed flight tickets and visas to the next destination, so you would need to have concrete plans to apply for the transit visa.
A Transit Visa is required for all nationalities to transit through Australia, except for the following:
To be eligible for TWOV, you must meet all of these criteria:
In addition, TWOV is only possible at these airports:
If you’re transiting at any other airport, or do not meet the airport’s condition in brackets or transit overnight (except at Melbourne), then you cannot take advantage of the TWOV program and must obtain a transit visa.
The following documents are required for an Australia transit visa.
At a later date, you may be required to obtain and submit the following:
All non-English documents (except for police certificates) need to be translated into English and all documents’ copies (both original and translations) must be certified.
The photo for the transit visa must meet the following requirements.
There is no official guidance for the size and resolution of pictures uploaded online but the file type must be JPG. You will get to move the photo to position your face within a frame.
As long as the picture is clear, crisp, and not excessively big, it will be accepted.
The Australian Transit Visa is free of charge.
Australian immigration reports that 50% of applications are processed in 3 days and 90% are processed in 17 days. These periods start after you submit your biometrics.
You must apply for the transit visa online through the ImmiAccount portal. Applying on paper is not possible for the transit visa.
The Transit Visa is part of Australia’s biometrics program. After you apply, you will be informed by email that you need to visit an Australian Biometrics Collection Centre (ABCC) to have your biometrics collected. This is typically a face photo and fingerprint scan.
Find the nearest ABCC to you and follow the steps to schedule your biometric appointment.
You can track the status of your transit visa in your ImmiAccount and also via the emails you receive from the Home Department.
You don’t need to download or print anything. The transit visa is electronically linked to your passport.
If you’re ever asked to show proof, you can use the Grant Notification you received in your email. You can also download it from your ImmiAccount under “Visa Grant Details”.
For problems with the application, the best resource is these Self-help Guidelines. Problems with your ImmiAccount or the transit visa application, use the webform below.
The transit visa is digitally attached to your passport so you don’t need to print anything.
When you arrive, present your passport and be ready to answer a few basic questions about your transit in Australia.
You need a visa to transit through Australia. But, if you’re from 67 TWOV eligible nationalities, transit at an eligible Australian airport, don’t exit the transit zone, and leave for a third country within 8 hours, you don’t need a transit visa for Australia.
If you don’t meet any one of these requirements or you go through immigration and enter Australia, you will need a visa.
If you have a transit visa or any other visa that allows you to enter Australia, you can leave Sydney Airport.
If you’re using the TWOV program (you must be an eligible nationality), you must stay within the transit zone of Sydney Airport and cannot leave.
It is relatively easy to get a transit visa for Australia if you submit a complete application with all required documents. Applications are entirely online, cost nothing, and processing time for 50% of applications is only 3 days.
WRITTEN BY THIRUMAL MOTATI
Thirumal Motati is an expert in tourist visa matters. He has been traveling the world on tourist visas for more than a decade. With his expertise, he has obtained several tourist visas, including the most strenuous ones such as the US, UK, Canada, and Schengen, some of which were granted multiple times. He has also set foot inside US consulates on numerous occasions. Mr. Motati has uncovered the secrets to successful visa applications. His guidance has enabled countless individuals to obtain their visas and fulfill their travel dreams. His statements have been mentioned in publications like Yahoo, BBC, The Hindu, and Travel Zoo.
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