Transit Visa
For passing through a country on the way somewhere else — including without leaving the airport.
What is a Transit Visa?
A transit visa is permission to pass through a country en route to another. It exists because some countries treat even a change of plane as an entry, and it is the category travellers are most likely to overlook entirely — precisely because they never intended to visit the country in question.
Who it's for
Travellers connecting through a third country. It is the destination in the middle of the itinerary, not the one at the end, that decides whether this applies.
↔ Compared with Visa-Free
- Many connections need nothing. The difficulty is that "nothing needed" and "transit visa required" look identical when you are booking a flight.
↔ Compared with Tourist Visa
- If you plan to leave the airport and see the city during a long layover, you have stopped transiting and started visiting — often a different category.
The application process
How this type is obtained
Where required, transit permission may be arranged in advance or handled at the airport. Some countries distinguish between staying airside and passing through immigration; some require nothing at all.
1. Worth knowing
Transit requirements attach to the route, not the destination, so changing a connection can change what you need even when the trip is otherwise identical. Rebooking is the moment to re-check.
2. Worth knowing
A separated booking that requires you to collect baggage and check in again will usually take you through immigration, which can change your position even on a short connection.
3. Worth knowing
Airlines may decline boarding if transit permission for a downstream country is missing, so the question is worth settling before departure rather than at the gate.
What You Need to Know
Everything you need at a glance — what it covers, what to prepare and what to expect.
Travellers connecting through a third country. It is the destination in the middle of the itinerary, not the one at the end, that decides whether this applies.
Where required, transit permission may be arranged in advance or handled at the airport. Some countries distinguish between staying airside and passing through immigration; some require nothing at all.
This page explains what the visa type means. It does not state what any country requires. Rules, costs and conditions are set by each destination and change without notice — always confirm the current requirements with that country’s official immigration authority or its embassy before you book or travel.
Frequently asked
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