Do I need a transit visa?
Usually not, if you stay inside the airport. But the U.S. has no airside transit at all, and Canada and New Zealand ask for an electronic authorization even to connect. Here is the rule for each country, from official sources.
Checked against official sources Oct 30, 2026
The short answer
- Staying airside (you don’t pass passport control, your bags are checked through): most countries ask for nothing extra from U.S., UK, Canadian, Australian or EU passports.
- Leaving the airport, changing airports, or collecting bags to re-check them means entering the country: the normal entry rules apply.
- The United States has no airside transit. Everyone passes through U.S. immigration, so you need an ESTA or visa even for a connection.
- Canada requires an eTA from visa-exempt travelers who connect through a Canadian airport.
- New Zealand requires an NZeTA to transit Auckland, the only New Zealand airport with a transit area.
Airside transit rules by country
| Changing planes in | U.S. citizens | British citizens | Canadians | Australians | EU citizens |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Brazil | — | Nothing extra | — | — | Nothing extra |
| Canada | Nothing extra | Canada eTA needed | Nothing extra | Canada eTA needed | Canada eTA needed |
| China (mainland) | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Costa Rica | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Cyprus | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Dominican Republic | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| India | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Ireland | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Israel | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Japan | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mexico | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| New Zealand | NZeTA needed | NZeTA needed | NZeTA needed | Nothing extra | NZeTA needed |
| Schengen area | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Singapore | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| South Korea | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Thailand | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| Türkiye | — | — | — | Nothing extra | — |
| United Arab Emirates | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| United Kingdom | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra | Nothing extra |
| United States | Nothing extra | No airside transit | Nothing extra | No airside transit | No airside transit |
| Vietnam | No airside transit | Nothing extra | No airside transit | No airside transit | Nothing extra |
“Nothing extra” assumes you stay in the international transit area and your passport is valid. Citizens of the country itself are shown as “Nothing extra”.
Before you book a connection
- Check that your bags are checked through to your final destination. If you have to collect and re-check them, you’ll pass passport control.
- Separate tickets usually mean entering the country to check in again.
- Overnight connections often mean leaving the airport for a hotel: that is entry.
- Put every connection into the trip check: it applies the airside or entry rule for your passport at each airport.
Official sources
- Travellers eligible to transit without a visa (TWOV) (Department of Home Affairs) ·
have a confirmed ticket to leave Australia to travel to a third country, by aircraft within 8 hours of arriving
· checked 2026-10-29 - Transit visa (subclass 771) (Department of Home Affairs) ·
All non-citizens need a visa or permission to enter Australia. This includes those staying for a short time or just transiting and not leaving the airport.
· checked 2026-10-29 - IRCC – eTA: who can apply / facts (page details date 2024-04-23; read via WebFetch) ·
Visa-exempt foreign nationals need an eTA to fly to or transit through a Canadian airport.
· checked 2026-10-29 - GOV.UK FCDO – Canada entry requirements (updated 2 June 2026) ·
If you are travelling through Canada (transiting) by air, you must have an eTA or a transit visa.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Visa-Free Transit Policies | National Immigration Administration (2026-08-20) ·
Foreigners transiting through China to third countries or regions may stay in China for no more than 24 hours without a visa, provided that they hold valid international travel documents and onward international flight/ship/train tickets with confirmed seats
· checked 2026-10-29 - Costa Rica Tourism Board (ICT) – Entry requirements ·
In accordance with Article 42 of the General Law on Immigration and Aliens (No. 8764) and Article 30 of the Immigration Control Regulation (Executive Decree No. 36769-G), foreign nationals intending to enter Costa Rica must provide:
· checked 2026-10-29 - Visas - Gov.cy (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) ·
See the common list of countries whose citizens need an ATV airport transit visa and the list of additional third countries for which ATVs are required by certain member states.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code), consolidated text 02.02.2020 - EUR-Lex ·
Nationals of the third countries listed in Annex IV shall be required to hold an airport transit visa when passing through the international transit areas of airports situated on the territory of the Member States.
· checked 2026-10-29 - DGII (Dirección General de Impuestos Internos) – Sobre Tarjeta de Turista (no date shown) ·
b) Los boletos aéreos adquiridos por pasajeros en tránsito, cuyo destino final no sea la República Dominicana.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Transit via India | Bureau of Immigration, Government of India ·
A Transit Visa is not required by a foreigner passing through, in direct transit by air, and travelling onward through India, provided he/she does not leave the specified precincts of the airport up to 24 hours,
· checked 2026-10-29 - Transit (including Transfer Visa) Advice - Immigration Service Delivery (page last updated 24 July 2026) ·
If both your arrival flight and onward connecting flight are in Terminal 2 between the hours of 04:00 and 20:00 on the same day, you can use a transit visa in this case.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Important Update: ETA-IL (Electronic Travel Authorization) System | Embassy of Israel, Tokyo ·
Foreign nationals who transit through an Israeli airport without going through border control
· checked 2026-10-29 - INM – Países y regiones que no requieren visa para viajar a México (publicado 1/03/2024; list is an image) ·
Las personas nacionales de los siguientes países o regiones, no requieren visa para viajar a México
· checked 2026-10-29 - NZeTA (Immigration New Zealand) - transit ·
If you are a citizen of a transit visa waiver country you can only transit through Auckland International Airport on an NZeTA. To transit through any other airport you must have a Visitor Visa.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Paying the International Visitor Levy (Immigration New Zealand) - transit exemption ·
are a transit passenger arriving at and leaving from Auckland International Airport
· checked 2026-10-29 - Frequently asked questions - ETIAS ·
However, you must have a valid travel authorisation if you leave this area and enter the territory of any of the European countries requiring ETIAS.
· checked 2026-10-29 - SG Arrival Card with Electronic Health Declaration (ICA) - who must submit ·
All travellers must submit the SGAC with electronic health declaration before arriving in Singapore, except:
· checked 2026-10-29 - K-ETA FAQ [Q57] (Korean) - transit ·
2) 환승객이 본인의 수하물을 찾기 위해 대한민국에 입국하려는 경우
· checked 2026-10-29 - FAQ & update - Thailand Digital Arrival Card (Immigration Bureau) - transit ·
If you're not passing through immigration, a TDAC is not required. If you leave the airport, a TDAC is required.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Türkiye Travel Advice & Safety - Smartraveller (updated 30 October 2026 AEST) ·
Australians holding ordinary passports who wish to visit Türkiye don't need a visa for tourism, business or transit purposes if staying for 90 days or less in a 180-day period.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Travel advice and advisories for the United Arab Emirates | travel.gc.ca ·
The authorities of the United Arab Emirates only accept Canadian temporary passports for exit and transit. Travellers cannot enter the UAE when travelling with a temporary passport or an emergency travel document.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Electronic travel authorisation: caseworker guidance (accessible) - GOV.UK (published for Home Office staff, updated 3 August 2026) ·
Whilst airside transit passengers are now temporarily exempt from the ETA requirement, those transiting landside (that is, passing UK border controls) will continue to require an ETA. This exemption is temporary and will be kept under review.
· checked 2026-10-29 - Charging procedures: a guide for carriers (accessible) - GOV.UK ·
have a confirmed onward booking, to a destination outside the United Kingdom before 23.59 hours the same day from the same airport – i.e. Heathrow, or Manchester
· checked 2026-10-29
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