Australia Announces only 1 African Country Whose Citizens Can Transit Without a Visa
- Australia's Department of Home Affairs published the full list of countries whose citizens can transit the country without a visa in 2026
- Travellers must meet strict conditions, including arriving and departing by aircraft within 8 hours and staying within the airport transit lounge
- Only one African country made Australia's transit without a visa eligibility list, while diplomatic passport holders from several African nations are excluded
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Australia has released its official list of countries whose citizens are eligible to transit the country without a visa (TWOV), with only one African nation appearing among the eligible countries.
The guidance, published by the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs and last updated in September 2024, outlines the conditions under which eligible travellers may pass through an Australian airport on their way to a third country without obtaining an Australian visa beforehand.
Source: Getty Images
Australia TWOV: Conditions for transit without a visa
To qualify for TWOV, travellers must arrive in Australia by aircraft and hold a confirmed onward ticket to a third country, departing by aircraft within eight hours of arrival.
They must also carry a valid travel document accepted by their destination country and must remain within the airport transit lounge throughout their stopover.
Anyone who needs to clear immigration — for example, to collect checked baggage or board a connecting flight from a different terminal — must obtain an Australian visa regardless of their nationality.
The eligible country list covers nations across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and several Pacific Island nations.
Australia TWOV: The only African country on the list
South Africa is the only African country whose citizens appear on Australia's TWOV eligibility list. South African passport holders who meet all the conditions above — arriving by air, transiting within eight hours, and remaining airside — may pass through Australia without a visa.
Citizens of all other African nations are not on the list, meaning they must apply for an appropriate Australian visa before transiting through the country.
The guidance also makes special provisions for residents of Hong Kong holding HKSAR or British National Overseas passports, residents of Taiwan holding Taiwanese-issued passports, and holders of Indian official passports issued to government officials.
Australian TWOV: Diplomatic passport holders face separate rules
Diplomatic passport holders from most countries are also eligible to transit without a visa, but Australia specifically excludes diplomatic passports issued by several countries.
African nations on the exclusion list for diplomatic passports include Algeria, Angola, Comoros, Egypt, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritania, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia and Zimbabwe, among others. Passport holders from these countries must obtain an appropriate visa before transiting Australia, even if they hold a diplomatic passport.
The TWOV facility does not apply to stateless persons or refugees.
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that Australia had named 13 countries whose citizens can pay less for a specialist skills visa.
Australia tightens student visa rules
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia had introduced new restrictions affecting families of foreign students.
The Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs published the policy update, outlining measures it says are needed to manage population growth, protect workers, and strengthen the integrity of the visa system.
The changes target several visa categories and will be rolled out progressively over the next 12 months.
Source: Legit.ng
