Do you need a transit visa for a layover? It depends on where, and your passport.
If you stay airside, most passports don't need a visa to change planes. The big exceptions: the US and Canada have no visa-free airside transit, so you need the same visa, ESTA or eTA as any visitor, and some nationalities need an airport transit visa to change planes in the UK or the Schengen area. Leaving the airport always takes whatever that country requires to enter.
Updated October 2026
Transit rules at major connecting countries
Summaries, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source for your passport.
| Country | Staying airside | Leaving the airport |
|---|---|---|
| United States | No airside transit. Visa or ESTA needed, like any visitor | Same visa or ESTA |
| Canada | eTA or visa needed, with narrow exceptions for some travelers connecting to or from the US | eTA or visa |
| United Kingdom | Fine for most passports. Some nationalities need a Direct Airside Transit Visa | UK ETA or visa, depending on passport |
| Schengen area (France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain…) | Fine for most passports. Nationals of a short list of countries need an Airport Transit Visa | Schengen visa or visa-free entry, with EES registration |
| China | Up to 24 hours airside without a visa on a through ticket | Visa-free transit up to 240 hours for many passports, onward to a third country |
| UAE, Qatar, Türkiye, Singapore | Fine for most travelers | Depends on passport: many are visa-free or get a visa on arrival or e-visa |
| Australia | Some nationalities need a transit visa even airside | Visa or ETA, depending on passport |
When a transit visa catches people out
- Connecting through the US between two other countries: you still clear US immigration, so you need a visa or ESTA.
- Separate tickets: collecting bags and checking in again means leaving the airside area, so you need entry rights. See self-transfer flights.
- Changing airports in the same city, like CDG to ORY or HND to NRT, always means entering the country.
- Terminals without airside transfer: at some airports, moving between terminals takes you landside.
- An overnight you planned to spend in a hotel outside security. See overnight layovers.
Where to check for your passport
Use the official source for the country you're connecting through: the US State Department and CBP's ESTA site, Canada's IRCC, GOV.UK's visa checker, the EU's Schengen visa pages for the country you transit, and China's National Immigration Administration. Your airline also checks transit documents at check-in, through IATA's Timatic database.
When you plan to leave the airport on a layover, LYVR checks your saved citizenship against that country's entry rule and tells you if a visa is required.
Hub airports and what a connection there involves
The rest of the answer.
Do I need a transit visa for a layover in the US?
There's no visa-free transit in the US. Every international passenger clears US immigration at the first US airport, so you need a US visa or, on a Visa Waiver Program passport, an approved ESTA.
Do I need a transit visa for a layover in London?
Most passports don't if you stay airside, though some nationalities need a Direct Airside Transit Visa. Leaving the airport, or passing through UK border control, needs a UK ETA or visa depending on your passport. Check GOV.UK for yours.
Do I need a transit visa for Paris, Frankfurt or Amsterdam?
Not for most passports, as long as you stay in the international transit area. Nationals of a short list of countries need a Schengen Airport Transit Visa, with exemptions for some visa and residence permit holders.
Do I need a transit visa for Canada?
Usually you need an eTA or a visa even to connect, unless you qualify for one of Canada's narrow transit programs for some travelers flying to or from the US.
Do I need a visa for a layover in Dubai or Doha?
Not to stay in the transit area. To leave the airport, it depends on your passport: many nationalities get visa-free entry or a visa on arrival.
Do I need a transit visa if I don't leave the airport?
Usually not, outside the US and Canada, unless your nationality is on a country's airport transit visa list. Separate tickets or a change of airport can force you to leave, though.
Know before you go whether leaving the airport is possible.
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Transit rules summarized from the official immigration sites of each country (US State Department and CBP, IRCC, GOV.UK, the European Commission's Schengen visa pages, China's National Immigration Administration, Australia's Department of Home Affairs), current as of the update date. Rules change and depend on your passport and residence permits; confirm with the official source and your airline before you travel.