* Overview
* Visitors with a transit visa
Visitors with a transit visa
If you are from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, you may need a tourist visa and also need to:
- Change your flight from England to another country.
- Go to the immigration control department, for example to check your luggage on a flight that needs to stop in a third country.
- Leave the UK within 48 hours.
- Do not work or study while in the UK.
Before applying, check to see if you need a visa.
If you are not going to immigration control, apply for a direct air transit visa.
You do not need a transit visa if you have the following valid documents:
- EEA Family License
- Head office travel document, for example you are a refugee or homeless person.
- Standard Visitor Visa.
- Marriage visitor visa.
If you are staying in the UK for more than 48 hours, you will need to apply for another standard visitor visa.
Travel to Ireland, the Channel Islands or Iceland
If you are traveling to Ireland, the Channel Islands or Iceland, you will need to apply for another type of visitor visa.
You do not need a British visa if you have a valid visa to travel to Ireland, the Channel Islands or Iceland and travel through the UK to get there.
If you want to stay longer in the UK or cross the UK regularly
You can apply for a standard tourist visa, especially if you have to cross the UK regularly. You can also stay in the UK for up to 48 hours per visit and your visa can last for:
- 6 months
- Valid for 2, 5 or 10 years.
You must prove that:
You only come to visit the UK, for example for a holiday, to visit family or to attend a meeting.
- You plan to leave the UK at the end of each trip.
Failure to do so may result in a visa being issued for a shorter period of time. In addition, if you have received a shorter visa or your application has been rejected, you will not receive a refund of the application fee.
The documents you need
To apply for DATV, you must have a current passport or other valid travel ID card.
You must provide evidence that you are allowed to enter the country you are traveling to. As:
- Permission to stay.
- Permission to stay.
- Valid visa.
If you are a resident or native of the country you are traveling to, you may need to explain why you are traveling there as well as the details of where you are staying.
You must provide evidence that your next trip has been booked or confirmed, for example:
- A flight reservation email.
- Printed tickets.
- Confirmation of a travel agency.
Your next flight must be within 24 hours of your arrival in the UK.
Carry your visa and documents with you when you cross the UK.
Request from outside the UK
To apply for this type of visa, please first complete the relevant assessment form.
Your answers will be reviewed by our partners and if you are eligible to receive this type of visa, you will be notified of the next steps of this process by e-mail or phone.
You can also ask your questions at the bottom of this page. We will try to answer your questions as soon as possible.
Contact us for information about this type of visa or other items.