UK Visitor in Transit visa for landside connections

You need it if you are a visa national, are travelling to another country, will go through UK border control, will leave within 48 hours and will not work or study. You do not need it if you already hold an ETA, a Standard Visitor or Marriage Visitor visa, an EU Settlement Scheme family permit or a Home Office travel document. If you stay airside, the Direct Airside Transit visa rules apply instead.

Bring a valid passport and evidence that you can enter your destination, such as its visa, residence permit or green card, unless you are a national of that country. You may need to explain why you are going there and where you will stay, and show the onward booking with a flight confirmation, ticket, boarding pass or travel agent confirmation. Carry the same documents when you travel.

The visa costs £74.50. If you need more than 48 hours, or will pass through the UK often over more than 6 months, apply for a Standard Visitor visa (£135) or a 2, 5 or 10-year long-term visit visa instead. Journeys through the UK to Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man usually need a Standard Visitor visa unless you hold a valid visa for those places or an Irish BC or BC BIVS visa.

Apply online, attend a visa application centre for fingerprints and a photo, and collect your passport the same day. Decisions are usually made within 3 weeks; some centres sell faster processing.