Sydney Terminal 1 Transit without visa
Need advise on TWOV, travelling to Tonga in Sep and flying via Sydney on Qantas, 2 hour layover and then onward to Tonga on Virgin Australia (Due to lack of Qantas not flying to Tonga that day)
My question is, if I'm transiting in Sydney from Terminal 1 Qantas to Terminal 1 Virgin Australia would I require a transit visa on a South Africa Passport?
I will have check-in luggage which I need to collect from Qantas and check-in on Virgin Australia to Tonga.
Do I need to go through immigration, security check or customs if I just want to collect and recheck baggage?
I've heard there is a Airside baggage claim in Sydney Terminal 1, would this make it easy for me to collect baggage and recheck without a transit visa?
The Pretoria High Commission website says no if: - I'm entering Australia by aircraft - hold a confirmed onward booking to leave Australia to travel to a third country on the same or another aircraft within 8 hours of arrival in Australia - hold documentation necessary to enter the country of destination - not need to leave the airport transit lounge except to continue their journey.
But this does not clarify that I have to clear customs to check in luggage to Virgin Australia?
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