1 week ago
5
September 8, 2025 — 5:00am
Last month a relative was just about to board her Qatar Airways flight in Adelaide when the agent at the check-in desk asked if she had health insurance.
“Yes,” she replied, “and I’ve got a certificate to prove it. But what would happen if I didn’t?” she asked.
“Then you wouldn’t be allowed to board,” replied the agent.
This was despite a Qatar Airways booking that saw her only transiting through Doha, with a few hours in the airport before her connecting flight to Paris.
International transit stops are meant to be simple and straightforward. You leave one flight, pass through security checks, grab a coffee or a juice, have a shower if it’s available and wander through the terminal to your boarding gate. But they don’t always play out so smoothly. Even though you’re not actually entering the country you’re transiting through, where you’ve come from, how long you’re staying and who you’re with can turn your transit stop into a flightmare.
Your transfer might require a visa
If you’re travelling on a split ticket, booking your first flight sector with one airline with a separate booking for a connecting flight aboard another airline, you might have to retrieve your checked baggage off the first flight and check in for the second. If that happens in a foreign country you’ll need to pass through immigration, and that could require a visa, or a visa waiver if you’re eligible.
Without it you won’t be permitted to proceed to the baggage collection area, or go to the check-in desks. You could end up being sent back to wherever you came from, or having to pay an exorbitant amount to resolve the situation.
This problem could also occur if your transfer involves airlines that do not have an interline agreement, a relationship allowing baggage transfers between them without your involvement. If you book a ticket through an online travel agent, it’s not uncommon for them to issue tickets for different airlines that do not have such an agreement. Traveller has recently received letters from readers who ran into this problem when trying to transit through Vietnam without a visa.
In that case you need to be aware of the entry requirements for the country where your flight transfer takes place. If you’re transiting from an international to a domestic flight, you will always have to clear immigration and customs, even if you are staying within the same airport terminal.
Transiting through the US
If your final destination is Mexico or anywhere in Central or South America and you’re transiting through the US, you must pass through US immigration and customs, collect your luggage and re-check your bags for your next flight. Even if you’re travelling on a single booking, and not intending to enter the United States, US immigration policies require all arriving passengers to clear passport control and baggage inspection before proceeding to their next flight. That means you need to have either an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA), a visa waiver available to Australian passport holders, or a visa. Without the correct documentation you won’t be boarding your flight to the US. This is another case where you need plenty of time between connecting flights to allow for any unforeseen delays.
Travelling with children
Plenty of grandparents take their grandchildren away on overseas holidays while the children’s parents stay home. Authorities are aware of the issue of human trafficking, and they’re on the lookout. At transit stops, grandparents might be asked to prove they are allowed to travel with the children. That requires a letter from the parents or legal guardians giving permission. The letter needs to be certified by a justice of the peace. The same problem can arise if a solo parent travels with a child with a passport in a different surname. It might be intrusive, but a certified letter from a parent with the same name as the child’s could save the day. Canada goes one step further, advising that any parent travelling alone with their child or children to bring a letter from their co-parent or legal guardian proving the arrangement is consensual. It’s also a good idea to include the length of time they’ll be away.
Do you need a transit visa?
In October I’m flying to Morocco with Saudia Airlines, with a 9-hour layover in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Since the layover is mostly at night I’m not planning to leave the airport but even if it was more than 12 hours in the airport, the Saudi Government requires me to have a transit visa. A transit visa usually allows you to leave the airport for a short visit. If you’re not leaving an airport it’s an unusual requirement but it’s wise to check. If I had a longer layover, and didn’t know the rule, I’d risk being denied boarding my flight to Jeddah. The United Arab Emirates also requires passport holders who do not qualify for a visa on arrival or visa-free entry to apply for a transit visa, but Australian passport holders are exempt.
Pay attention to the minimum connecting time (MCT)
As the name suggests, MCT is the time you need to transfer from your incoming flight to your outgoing flight. There is no such thing as a fixed MCT, it varies from one airport to another, and there are plenty of incidents that can derail the MCT. A late arriving flight, a hold-up at security screening, a change of terminals or gates that require a long walk between flights and you’re in danger of missing your connecting flight. When you book a ticket with a connecting flight the airline is supposed to take account of the MCT but it doesn’t always work out. If you are travelling on a single booking and you miss your connecting flight due to circumstances beyond your control, your airline is obliged to book you on the next available flight, and provide food and accommodation if required.
Proof of yellow fever vaccination
According to the World Health Organisation many countries in Africa and South America are at risk of yellow fever transmission. Among them are countries popular with Australians, for example Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Kenya and Uganda. Ethiopia is a major airline hub and also a country at risk for yellow fever transmission. If you’re coming from South Africa, a country that is not at risk for yellow fever transmission, and transiting through Ethiopia, any country you subsequently enter or even transit through might require proof of yellow fever vaccination.
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