Urgent Sydney transit visa question
I just realized that I am in a tricky situation right now.
I'm traveling with an Indonesian passport. I'm flying from New York to Christchurch, New Zealand in a couple of days, with a connection in Sydney, Australia. Upon scrutinizing my ticket recently, I realized that said connection is 11 hours long, with two different flights (Delta and Virgin) although it was bought on the same ticket, and that I am likely to have to collect my luggages in Sydney and recheck my luggages to Christchurch (which means that I have to pass Australian immigration).
There is no way I can get the Australian transit visa in time. Can anyone provide any helpful suggestions to solve this problem when I get to Sydney? Or share any similar past experience with the Australian border agents?
Thank you so very much.
Best Answer
I think you need to change your flights.
There are two issues:
Your layover is 11 hours. According to the Australian government, transit without visa is limited to layovers of 8 hours or less.
You might need to exit immigration to claim your luggage. Your airline can tell you whether this will actually be needed. Since it's a single ticket with partner airlines, they might be able to check your luggage through and avoid the need for this.
Because of #1 in particular, when you go to check in at New York, the airline will note that you need a transit visa, check your passport, and see that you don't have it. They will then refuse to board you, since if they land you in Australia without the proper papers, the Australian government will make them fly you back and probably fine them. So you will never get to Sydney, and will never get a chance to plead your case with the Australian border agents.
If you can change your itinerary to have a shorter layover, and you can verify with your airline that you won't need to reclaim luggage (or if you can reduce your luggage to carry-on only), then it seems that you should be eligible for transit without visa. The airline might charge you a change fee, but I would think this should at least be possible: there should be frequent flights from Sydney to Christchurch, so there should be one leaving less than 11 hours after your arrival.
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Do I need a visa to transit through Sydney?
This visa allows people to transit through Australia for up to 72 hours while on their way to another country. A transit visa is required even if you fly out on the same plane and from the same airport which you arrive, or you stay in the transit lounge and do not leave the airport.Do I need a transit visa for a connecting flight in Australia?
Visa requirements To transit through \u200bAustralia you must hold a valid visa or be from an eligible country to Transit without a visa (TWOV).How long does Australian transit visa take?
The transit visa can be applied for online from anywhere in the world. The application process takes minutes to complete. However, it can take weeks and (rarely) months for the request to be reviewed and approved. 75% of applications are processed within 13 days, 90% of them within 32 days.Can I get transit visa on arrival?
No, transit visas cannot be obtained on arrival from immigration counters at ports of entry in India. You will need to apply for it in advance before departure.Immigration questions\u0026 Answers for Australia(must prepare for this questions)
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Answer 2
Check with your airline (that you booked the flight with). Sydney allows transit passengers to wait in the airport without requiring an Australian visa. However, whether this is possible will depend on the procedures of the airline(s) in question, and is best answered by the airline themselves. I understand that 11 hours is a long time to wait inside an airport. [NOTE: As per the comments below, the transit-without-visa for Sydney is only available for connection times of 8 hours or less.]
You can find some more information about transit in Sydney at Get to your next flight on the Sydney Airport web site.
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