UK Transit Visas: Frequently Asked Questions

While many of our clients are intending to settle in the UK, we realise that for some it is very important to enter the UK for a much, much shorter period. Even if you are just going in and out at the airport you may still need a visa. Therefore, this post will answer some frequently asked questions about UK transit visas. 

Frequently Asked Questions About UK Transit Visas

1.Who needs to apply for a UK transit visa?

If you are a non-visa national, you will not need to apply for a UK transit visa. If you are a visa national, you will not need to apply for a transit visa if you hold any of the following:

• EU Settlement Scheme family permit
• Home Office travel document, these are usually provided to refugees or stateless people
• Standard Visitor visa
• Marriage Visitor visa

As explained below, some people transiting through the UK will not be deemed to have entered the UK. If you have not entered the UK you generally do not require permission to enter or stay in the UK. However, you will need to apply for a Direct Airside Transit if you are a national of one of the following countries:

• Afghanistan
• Albania
• Algeria
• Angola
• Bangladesh
• Belarus
• Burma
• Burundi
• Cameroon
• Congo
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Egypt
• Eritrea
• Ethiopia
• Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Guinea
• Guinea-Bissau
• India
• Iran
• Iraq
• Ivory Coast
• Jamaica
• Kenya
• Kosovo
• Lebanon
• Lesotho
• Liberia
• Libya
• Malawi
• Moldova
• Mongolia
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• Pakistan
• Palestinian Territories
• People’s Republic of China
• Rwanda
• Senegal
• Serbia
• Sierra Leone
• Somalia
• South Africa
• South Sudan
• Sri Lanka
• Sudan
• Swaziland
• Syria
• Tanzania
• Turkey
• Uganda
• Vietnam
• Yemen
• Zimbabwe
• Holding a travel document issued by “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”
• Holding a passport issued by the Republic of Venezuela that does not contain biometric information in an electronic chip.

2.What are the two main types of UK transit visas?

When transiting through the UK, you can transit in one of two ways: landside or airside.

If you are transiting landside, this means you are going through UK border control and so entering the UK. You can be transiting landside even if you are just moving from one airport to another, or if you are going past UK border control just to re-check in your luggage. 

To transit landside, you need a Visitor in Transit visa. A Visitor in Transit visa usually costs £64, but this may change slightly depending on the country you are applying from. Note that if you plan to regularly transit through the UK over a longer period you can apply for a Standard Visitor visa. You can apply for a multiple entry visitor visa for 2, 5, or 10 years. 

If you are transiting airside, that means you are not going through UK border control and so you are not deemed to have entered the UK. For example, if you are arriving in an airport and travelling out on an onward flight from the same airport. 

To transit airside you need a Direct Airside Transit visa. A Direct Airside Transit visa usually costs £35, but this may change slightly depending on the country you are applying from.

3.How do I successfully apply for a UK transit visa?

To apply successfully for a UK transit visa the applicant must satisfy the Entry Clearance Officer that:

• You are genuinely in transit to another country outside the Common Travel Area and you are taking a reasonable transit route;
• You will not access public funds or medical treatment, work or study in the UK;
• You genuinely intend and will be able to leave the UK within 48 hours of your arrival; and
• You are assured entry by your country of destination and any other country you may be travelling through to get there.

There are no specified documents for a transit visa application but the Entry Clearance Officer will take into account the following factors which give you some indication of some of the documents you may include in your application:

• Whether the transit route is reasonable: the Home Office does not specify what is an acceptable route but you can use your common sense. Home Office guidance gives the example of transiting through the UK to get from Australia to New Zealand as an unreasonable route.
• Credibility of the application as a whole: this is the main purpose of your whole journey to your final destination. For example, if you are going on holiday you could include your hotel booking. Be aware the Home Office will also consider your full travel history, for example any visa refusals or overstaying, when considering this factor.
• Intention and ability to leave the UK within 48 hours of arrival: the Home Office will consider the details and availability of connecting flights and whether you have appropriate bookings. Therefore, it may be useful to include bookings for your onward journey.
• Assurance of entry by the country of destination and any other countries on the way there: if you require a visa or entry clearance for any country you are travelling to beyond the UK, it may be useful to include this in your application. 

To apply for a UK transit visa you will need to complete an online application form. Once you have submitted your application form, you will need to have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre. You should receive a decision within three weeks of providing your fingerprints and photograph. 

4. Can I get a UK transit visa at a UK airport?

Technically, no.

Some travellers are eligible for the Transit Without a Visa scheme. This means that they will be allowed to transit without having to apply for a transit visa beforehand.

To be eligible for this scheme you must satisfy the following requirements:

• You must have arrived in the UK by air and depart by air;
• You must genuinely intend to transit the UK and be taking a reasonable transit route;
• You must not access public funds, medical treatment, work or study in the UK;
• You must genuinely intend and be able to leave the UK before 23:59 hours on the day after the day you arrive;
• You have a confirmed booking on a flight departing the UK 23:59 hours on the day after the day you arrive;
• You must be assured entry to your country of destination and any other countries you are transiting on the way.
• You must hold one of the various documents listed on the list at TWOV 3 found here.

As noted above, there is a mandatory document you will need for the application. Make sure that you have a hard copy, electronic or printed versions will not be accepted. Other than that there are no specified documents but note that the Border Officer will be considering many of the same factors as an Entry Clearance Officer, for example:

• Reasonable transit route;
• Credibility of the application as a whole;
• Intention and ability to leave the UK before the specified time;
• Assurance of entry to their country of destination and any other countries you are transiting on the way.

Therefore, in practice you will need many of the same pieces of evidence as you would if you were applying beforehand.

Contact our Immigration Experts

For expert advice in relation to a UK visa application or immigration appeal, contact our immigration experts on 0161 529 7779 or complete our enquiry form.