Australia Publishes 4 Conditions for Eligible Foreigners From 70 Countries to Transit Without Visa
- Australia's Department of Home Affairs published the full list of countries whose citizens can transit the country without obtaining a visa
- Only one African country made the eligible list, alongside nations from Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas
- Travellers who qualify must still meet all four conditions set by Australia, or they will be required to hold a valid Australian visa
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Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined four strict conditions that eligible foreign nationals must meet to transit through the country without a visa.
The Department also published the full list of qualifying nations.
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Conditions to transit in Australia without visa
According to the official Home Affairs website, the Transit Without Visa (TWOV) arrangement allows citizens of eligible countries to stop over in Australia en route to a third country, provided they fulfil every one of the following requirements:
1. They must arrive in Australia by aircraft.
2. They must hold a confirmed onward ticket departing by aircraft to a third country within eight hours of arrival.
3. They must carry a valid travel document accepted by their destination country.
4. They must remain within the airport transit lounge at all times, with no need to clear immigration for any reason, including to collect checked baggage or change terminals for a connecting flight.
Australia transit visa: Which African country made list
Only one African nation appears on Australia's eligible country list: South Africa. Its citizens who hold a valid travel document may transit Australia without a visa, as long as all four conditions above are satisfied.
The broader eligible list covers dozens of countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Pacific, including Argentina, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States, among many others.
Australia transit visa: Other travellers who may qualify
Beyond the country-specific list, Australia's rules extend TWOV eligibility to several additional categories of travellers. Residents of Hong Kong who hold a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region passport or a British National Overseas passport are covered, as are residents of Taiwan holding a Taiwanese-issued passport. Indian official passport holders, meaning those holding passports issued to Government of India officials, also qualify under a separate category.
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Diplomatic passport holders represent a fourth eligible group, though with notable exclusions. Diplomatic passport holders from a number of countries are specifically barred from TWOV eligibility and must obtain an appropriate visa before travelling through Australia. Those exclusions cover diplomatic passports from Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Zimbabwe, and several others listed by the Home Affairs authority.
Australia also notes that the TWOV arrangement does not apply to stateless persons or refugees, regardless of which country issued their travel documents.
For African travellers outside South Africa, the TWOV route to Australia remains closed, meaning citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Egypt, and the vast majority of the continent must obtain a valid Australian visa before transiting the country, even if they are simply passing through on the way to a destination elsewhere.
Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.
Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.
Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.
The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.
Source: Legit.ng
