You don't always need a visa to make a stopover or a transfer in Australia. Many travellers transferring in Australia are not sure if they need a visa. Read on to find out in which case you need to apply for a visa and which type of visa you need for a transfer in Australia.

Transiting in Australia without a visa

In certain situations, you are allowed to make a transfer or stopover in Australia without a visa. Only travellers with a passport from a country eligible for a visa-free transfer can do this. In addition, they must meet certain requirements.

Eligible nationalities

The Australian government has established a list of countries that are eligible for visa-free transfers. The Australian Immigration Department refers to travellers from these countries with the abbreviation TWOV (Travellers eligible to transit without a visa). The United Kingdom, as well as all EU countries, are included in this list. Travellers holding a passport from one of the following countries are eligible for a visa-free transfer:

Andorra, Argentina, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chili, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Fiji, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Kiribati, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mexico, Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Austria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Thailand, Tonga, Czech Republic, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Vatican City, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, South Africa, South Korea, Sweden and Switzerland. Many European travellers are allowed to transfer in Australia visa-free

Requirements for transferring without a visa

Besides holding a passport from one of the above countries, travellers must meet other requirements to make a visa-free stop over in Australia. They need to arrive in Australia by plane, and can only stay in the country for a maximum of 8 hours. In addition, they need to able to produce the ticket of a connecting flight taking off within 8 hours towards another destination. They must also have the correct travel documents and necessary visas for their final destination.

Travellers arriving in Australia without a visa are not allowed to leave the international transit zone at the airport. Thus, they can't go through customs in order to board their onward flight. For this reason, the airline must automatically transfer the checked baggage. Passengers who need to collect and check in their luggage for their connecting flight must usually leave the transit area, and therefore need a visa. If you are not sure if you have to leave the transit zone, check with your airline whether your baggage will be transferred automatically.

Apply online for a visa for your transfer

If your connecting flight leaves more than 8 hours after your arrival in Australia, or if you need to leave the transit zone at the airport to recheck your luggage, you must apply for a visa for your transfer in Australia.

The Australian authorities offer a special transit visa (Subclass 771), permitting travellers to stay in Australia for 72 hours. However, stop over passegers can also use the regular eVisitor visa Australia. The eVisitor visa is valid for one year and allows an unlimited number of trips to Australia with a stay of up to 3 months. The eVisitor visa can be applied for online in a few minutes. The visa is generally issued within 5 days.