Entering and transiting Australia by air
Entering Australia by air
Follow the steps below to enter Australia by air.
Transiting Australia
Transit of 72 hours or less
If you are transiting through Australia you must secure an onwards ticket on a flight that departs Australia no more than 72 hours after your initial entry. If a suitable connecting flight is not available, transit through Australia will not be possible.
Visa requirements
To transit through Australia you must hold a valid visa or be from an eligible country to
Transit without a visa (TWOV).
If you don’t hold a valid visa or are not eligible to TWOV you must apply for a visa to enter Australia. The Australian Transit visa (subclass 711) permits eligible persons to transit through Australia for up to 72 hours. You can use our visa finder to explore visa options to see what visa may be suitable for you.
Digital Passenger Declaration
You can start your Digital Passenger Declaration (DPD) up to seven days before your flight, but you must submit it before you depart for Australia.
The DPD requests critical health information. Providing this information is an enforceable requirement. It will help ensure you don’t experience unnecessary delays at the airport, or when you arrive in Australia. For more information see Digital Passenger Declaration.
State and territory requirements
You must follow the transit requirements for the state or territory that you arrive in. You may need to stay in hotel accommodation and you may be asked to pay for your stay, while you are waiting for your onwards flight. For more information see
State and territory arrival requirements.
More than 72 hours
If you will spend more than 72 hours in Australia before your connecting flight, you are
not considered to be transiting through Australia.
You must meet all other entry requirements for Australia, including COVID-19 vaccination and pre-departure testing requirements, visa, immigration, customs and biosecurity clearance and mandatory health declarations. For more information see
Crossing the border.
You also need to meet relevant state and territory arrival requirements.
