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6 ways to enter

United Kingdom visas

United Kingdom transit visa

Your permission depends on whether you stay inside the airport's international transit area or pass through UK border control.

Ways to get a United Kingdom transit visa

  1. Direct Airside Transit visa

    Visa needed

    Travellers who normally need a visitor visa and do not qualify for an airside transit exemption can use this visa for a qualifying airport connection.

    Stay
    Same-day transit.
    Processing
    Most visa applications are decided within 3 weeks.
    1. Register an online account and fill in the application form.
    2. Pay the fee.
    3. Attend a visa application centre appointment and provide biometrics, unless exempt.

  2. Visitor in Transit visa

    Visa needed

    Travellers who normally need a visitor visa and must pass border control for a flight connection need this visa unless another permission or exemption applies.

    Stay
    Until 23:59 the day after arrival.
    Processing
    Most visa applications are decided within 3 weeks.
    1. Register an online account and complete the application form.
    2. Pay the fee.
    3. Attend a visa application centre appointment and provide biometrics, unless exempt.

  3. Airside transit without a visa

    Transit without a visa

    Citizens of the listed countries can qualify for airside transit without a visa. Certain stateless travellers, refugees and holders of qualifying visas or residence documents can also qualify.

    Stay
    Same-day transit.

  4. Landside transit without a visa

    Transit without a visa

    Travellers with one of the qualifying visa or residence documents may pass border control for a qualifying flight connection without a Visitor in Transit visa.

    Stay
    Until 23:59 the day after arrival.

  5. ETA for transit

    eTA needed

    Travellers eligible for an ETA need one or other UK entry permission if their connection requires them to pass through border control.

    Stay
    For landside transit, depart by 23:59 the next day.
    Valid for
    2 years, or until the passport expires if sooner.
    Fee
    £16.
    Processing
    Up to 3 business days; most decisions arrive within a few hours.

  6. British-Irish Visa Scheme transit exemption

    Transit without a visa

    Chinese and Indian citizens holding a qualifying Irish visa marked BIVS can transit through the UK by air on the way to Ireland.

    Stay
    Arrive in Ireland no later than 23:59 the day after arrival in the UK.
    Valid for
    Requires a valid qualifying Irish visa.

    Passports that qualify (2)

Who needs it

Travellers who normally need a UK visitor visa may need a transit visa unless their nationality or documents give them an exemption.

Who doesn't

Some nationalities and holders of specified visas or residence documents qualify for transit exemptions. Travellers who do not need a visitor visa can transit through Heathrow or Manchester without an ETA if they stay before border control and continue to a destination outside the UK and Ireland.

Changing planes

Can you stay airside?
Yes, without a visa if you stay in the transit area
Leaving the airport
To pass through border control for transit, arrive and depart by air. Your confirmed onward flight must leave by 23:59 the next day. You need a Visitor in Transit visa, an ETA or a qualifying exemption, and may leave the airport only for transit purposes.
Transit without a visa
Airside exemptions require a confirmed same-day onward flight, the correct destination documents and an eligible nationality or exemption document. Landside exemptions require a confirmed flight by 23:59 the next day, the correct destination documents and a qualifying exemption document. Airside transit is available only at Heathrow and Manchester, without passing border control, to an international destination other than Ireland.

How to apply

  1. Check whether your journey stays before border control or requires entry into the UK.
  2. Check whether your nationality or travel documents give you an exemption.
  3. If you need a visa, register an online account and complete the application.
  4. Pay the fee and attend a visa application centre appointment.

What to bring

  • Confirmed onward flight.
  • Documents needed to enter your destination, including a visa if required.
  • UK transit visa, ETA or qualifying exemption documents, as applicable.

Good to know

  • Airside transit is available only at London Heathrow and Manchester airports.
  • For airside transit, arrive and leave by air on the same day and stay inside the international transit area.
  • The onward airside flight must be non-stop to an international destination other than Ireland.
  • For landside transit, leave by air by 23:59 the next day.
  • A transit visa is generally needed for travel to other parts of the Common Travel Area, including Ireland, even for nationalities otherwise exempt from an airside transit visa.
  • The departure deadlines are calendar deadlines, rather than a fixed number of hours.
  • Electronic visas or residence permits from other countries have different acceptance rules for airside and landside exemptions.
  • North Korean citizens must apply in person at the British Embassy.

Questions

Do I need a transit visa for the United Kingdom?

Travellers who normally need a UK visitor visa may need a transit visa unless their nationality or documents give them an exemption. Some nationalities and holders of specified visas or residence documents qualify for transit exemptions. Travellers who do not need a visitor visa can transit through Heathrow or Manchester without an ETA if they stay before border control and continue to a destination outside the UK and Ireland.

What are the ways to get a transit visa for the United Kingdom?

There are 6 options: Direct Airside Transit visa (a visa from an embassy); Visitor in Transit visa (a visa from an embassy); Airside transit without a visa (transit without a visa); Landside transit without a visa (transit without a visa); ETA for transit (an online travel permit); British-Irish Visa Scheme transit exemption (transit without a visa).

Can I apply online for the United Kingdom?

Yes: ETA for transit. Travellers eligible for an ETA need one or other UK entry permission if their connection requires them to pass through border control.

How long can I stay on a the United Kingdom transit visa?

Airside: leave the same day. Landside: leave by 23:59 the next day.

How long does a the United Kingdom transit visa take?

Most visa applications are decided within 3 weeks.

What documents do I need for a the United Kingdom transit visa?

Confirmed onward flight.; Documents needed to enter your destination, including a visa if required.; UK transit visa, ETA or qualifying exemption documents, as applicable..

How do I apply for a the United Kingdom transit visa?

1. 1. Check whether your journey stays before border control or requires entry into the UK. 2. 2. Check whether your nationality or travel documents give you an exemption. 3. 3. If you need a visa, register an online account and complete the application. 4. 4. Pay the fee and attend a visa application centre appointment.

Can I stay inside the airport in the United Kingdom without a visa?

Yes, staying in the international transit area is allowed for most travellers. To leave the airport: To pass through border control for transit, arrive and depart by air. Your confirmed onward flight must leave by 23:59 the next day. You need a Visitor in Transit visa, an ETA or a qualifying exemption, and may leave the airport only for transit purposes.

What rules do I have to follow on a the United Kingdom transit visa?

Airside transit is available only at London Heathrow and Manchester airports. For airside transit, arrive and leave by air on the same day and stay inside the international transit area. The onward airside flight must be non-stop to an international destination other than Ireland. For landside transit, leave by air by 23:59 the next day.

Does my passport change whether I need a transit visa for the United Kingdom?

Yes. Rules depend on the country that issued your passport. Open the United Kingdom visa page and choose your passport for a plain answer.

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