If you are confused about visa requirements, you should use the services of the overseas travel company. This company we can only offer professional visa solution, including accommodations and other items that need to access the country. For example, if I want to travel to Australia for a layover, then to apply for visa should be as detailed as possible. The most effective way is through online.

You have arrived at the Australian airport with a layover in mind. You have your trip organized, with a perfect outline of your route from one city to another, but there is one nagging dilemma: you forgot to bring your passport. If you are traveling to Australia for a holiday, or even business trip, odds are that you’re going to need a visa. This means having exactly what is needed for that trip before you leave home – including your passport.

Do I Need A Visa For A Layover In Australia

Need to do a quick layover in Australia? Set aside some time because you will need to get a Visa! First, you will need to show that you are admissible to Australia. Of course, if you’ve got a criminal record or previous health problems, you’re probably not going to be allowed a visa. So make sure that you’re generally healthy and that your criminal record is clean.

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Travellers eligible to transit without a visa (TWOV)

If you are from an eligible country (see eligible countries listed below) you can transit Australia on your way to a third country. You can do this without an Australian visa, provided you meet all of the following criteria:

will arrive in Australia by aircraft
have a confirmed ticket to leave Australia to travel to a third country, by aircraft within 8 hours of arriving
have a valid travel document to enter the country of destination
must not need to clear immigration or leave the airport transit lounge for any reason before boarding your onwards flight. If you need to clear immigration, for example to collect baggage or to board an onwards flight, you will need an Australian visa. This includes people from eligible countries who meet all other criteria. For more information, see Transit facilities at Australian airports.

Eligible countries

If you are:

a citizen of Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Tonga, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom (including its colonies), United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu and Vatican, who is the holder of a valid travel document. The valid travel document must be acceptable for entry into the destination country, this may include, but is not limited to a passport, permanent resident card, National Identity Card or Military ID and a visa (if required).

a resident of Hong Kong who holds a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passport or a British National Overseas (BNO) passport
a resident of Taiwan who holds a passport issued by the authorities of Taiwan (other than passports purported to be official or diplomatic passports)
an Indian official passport holder, that is, an official passport issued by the authorities of the Republic of India, that is issued to officials of the Government of India

a diplomatic passport holder (This does not include diplomatic passport holders of Arab Non-National Passports and diplomatic passports from Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Bahrain, Comoros, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Pakistan, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen and Zimbabwe. Passport holders of these mentioned countries must get an appropriate visa to enter Australia.)

This information is not applicable to stateless persons and refugees.

Australia transit visa

Depending on the nationality of the applicant, the purpose of the visit, and the length of stay, there are various types of Australian visas available for travel to the country. The Australia transit visa permits a single entry for foreign citizens passing through Australia on the way to a third country destination.

If they meet the Australia visa requirements, citizens of tens of countries are able to obtain 1 of 2 Australian visas online instead of the Australia transit visa, the ETA or eVisitor visa for Australia. Both are multi-entry visas with a 12-month validity.

Apply for ETA or eVisitor Visa

What is the Australia transit visa? (Visa Subclass 771)

Eligible passport holders transiting through Australia by air or sea on the way to another destination may apply for the Australia transit visa (subclass 771). The transit visa for Australia is also available for holders of the Maritime Crew visa (subclass 988) to enter an Australian airport before joining the crew of a non-military ship.

How long you can stay in Australia with the transit visa

Travellers are allowed to stay in Australia for up to 72 hours until leaving by air or sea when visiting with the Australia transit visa. However, the foreign passport holder must have a confirmed booking and permission to reach their final destination in order to get visa approval.

Maritime Crew members are allowed 5 days from arrival by air to sign onto the ship of their destination when entering Australia on a transit visa. The Australia visa for transit expires after 5 days, so they will be required to apply for a new transit visa for Australia every time they enter the country for purposes of working on a ship.

Some citizens are eligible to transit through Australia without a visa if arriving by aircraft. However, their stay in an Australian airport must not exceed 8 hours, they must not need to clear immigration, and they may not leave the airport transit lounge. They must also have a confirmed ticket and valid travel documents to reach and enter a third country.

Travellers who wish to stay longer or enter the country more than once are recommended to apply for an ETA or eVisitor.

Can you leave the airport with a transit visa?

Foreign passport holders who need to leave the airport transit lounge while passing through will need a valid Australia visa type. Travellers on an Australia transit visa are allowed to leave the airport and stay in Australia for up to 72 hours before leaving to their next destination.

In fact, some airports in Australia insist on the traveller having an Australia transit visa or another valid visa if passing through, including Gold Coast airport. Passengers passing through Cairns airport and Sydney airports are not permitted to stay in the transit lounge and must have an Australian transit visa to leave and access overnight accommodation.

Transit visa vs ETA or eVisitor: Pros and cons

The Australia transit visa is only valid for a single entry and stay of up to 72 hours. Travellers will be required to reapply for the Australian visa for transit for each entry into the country.

It is not possible to extend the Australia transit visa and citizens wishing to stay in Australia longer will be required to apply for a different type of Australian visa.

The ETA for Australia and eVisitor for Australia are multiple-entry electronic visas with a 12-month total validity period. This means that holders of an Australia electronic visa can enter Australia as many times as they like, including for transit, until the visa or the corresponding passport expires, whichever comes first.

Many foreign citizens eligible to apply for the Australia online visa (either ETA or eVisitor) will find it a better option than the transit visa for Australia, especially if they are a frequent traveller to the country. A separate transport visa is not required for those who obtain some type of Australia visa online.