Australia's Department of Home Affairs has updated its Transit Without Visa policy, listing 70 eligible nationalities for 2026. The policy allows travellers to connect through an Australian airport on their way to a third destination without obtaining a visa. To qualify, travellers must meet strict conditions, including arriving by aircraft and having a confirmed onward ticket to a third country within eight hours.
The Transit Without Visa policy has specific requirements that must be met. Travellers must hold a valid travel document accepted by their destination country and remain within the airport transit lounge at all times, without clearing immigration or collecting checked baggage. Those who need to retrieve luggage or move between terminals in a way that requires passing through immigration will not qualify, even if their nationality appears on the approved list.
A total of 70 nationalities are approved for the Transit Without Visa policy. The list includes 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, United States of America, Uruguay, Vanuatu, and Vatican City.
South Africa is the only African country on the list of 70 eligible nationalities. Beyond the main 70, residents of Hong Kong holding a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport or a British National Overseas passport are also eligible. Taiwan residents carrying a passport issued by the Taiwanese authorities, and Indian official passport holders travelling on government-issued documents, may likewise transit without a visa.
Diplomatic passport holders are broadly eligible for the Transit Without Visa policy, but there are notable exceptions. 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, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, and Zimbabwe do not qualify. Holders of Arab Non-National Passports are also excluded, as are stateless persons and refugees.
The Transit Without Visa policy is not the only visa option available for travellers. Australia offers a free eVisitor visa to 36 countries, allowing multiple visits within 12 months, with each stay lasting up to three months, without an application fee. However, for travellers from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and other African nations, the exclusion means relying on costlier and potentially slower visa pathways.
The updated Transit Without Visa policy was last updated by the Department of Home Affairs on 23 September 2024 and remains applicable in 2026. Travellers can check the list of eligible countries and the conditions required to qualify for the policy. The policy aims to facilitate transit travel for eligible nationals, while ensuring that strict conditions are met to maintain the country's immigration requirements.
Key points
- South Africa is the only African country on the list of 70 eligible nationalities for Australia's Transit Without Visa policy.
- The policy has strict conditions, including arriving by aircraft and having a confirmed onward ticket to a third country within eight hours.
- Diplomatic passport holders from certain countries, including Afghanistan, Algeria, and Egypt, do not qualify for the Transit Without Visa policy.
