Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to choose a UK transit visa: airside or landside
A UK transit visa is permission to pass through the United Kingdom on the way to another country, and which one you need depends on whether you go through UK border control when you arrive. [1] Travellers who change flights without going through border control apply for a Direct Airside Transit visa, while those who go through border control and leave within 48 hours apply for a Visitor in Transit visa. [1]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- GOV.UK names two transit visas: a Direct Airside Transit visa for changing flights in the UK without going through UK border control, and a Visitor in Transit visa for going through border control while leaving the UK within 48 hours. [1]
- If you need to stay in the UK for more than 48 hours, or to pass through the UK frequently over a period of more than six months, GOV.UK directs you to a Standard Visitor visa instead. [1]
- You do not need a transit visa if you already have an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, a Home Office travel document, a Standard Visitor visa or a Marriage Visitor visa. [1]
- Your airline can tell you whether you will go through UK border control, which is the question that decides the route. [1]
- As of 18 October 2026, GOV.UK lists the Visitor in Transit visa at £74.50 and the Standard Visitor visa at £135 for up to 6 months. [2]
How do the UK transit visa routes differ?
GOV.UK says the visa you need depends on whether you are going through UK border control when you arrive in the UK, and that your airline can tell you if you will. [1] The two transit visas map directly onto that question. [1]
| Route | When GOV.UK says it applies |
|---|---|
| Direct Airside Transit visa | You change flights in the UK and will not go through UK border control. [1] |
| Visitor in Transit visa | You go through UK border control but leave the UK within 48 hours. [1] |
| Standard Visitor visa | You need to stay more than 48 hours, or to pass through the UK frequently over a period of more than six months. [1] |
The third row is not a transit visa at all: GOV.UK sends longer or repeated transit to the Standard Visitor route rather than issuing a transit visa for it. [1] A Standard Visitor visa can be used to pass through the UK to another country, and GOV.UK lists passing through the UK to another country as a permitted activity for Standard Visitors. [2]
Will you pass through UK border control?
This is the single question that sorts the two transit visas. [1] GOV.UK describes the airside case as changing flights in the UK without going through UK border control, and attaches the Direct Airside Transit visa to it. [1] For the landside case, the Visitor in Transit visa applies where you go through border control but leave the UK within 48 hours. [1] Travellers who want the terminal-side background can read airside versus landside transit.
Because the airport connection decides which side of border control you end up on, the visa to apply for follows the itinerary rather than a personal preference, and GOV.UK points travellers to their airline for the answer. [1]
What evidence do you need for onward travel?
The Standard Visitor route, which covers passing through the UK to another country, requires a passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay. [2] You must be able to show that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit. [2] You must also be able to show that you can support yourself and any dependants during the trip, or have funding from someone else, and that you can pay for your return or onward journey, again with the option of funding from someone else. [2] GOV.UK adds that you must not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home. [2] For passport and entry-check basics, see passport validity and entry checks.
Do you need an ETA instead of a transit visa?
Having an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is one of the reasons GOV.UK gives for not needing a transit visa. [1] GOV.UK also says that if you have an ETA you do not need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa. [1] The other documents that remove the transit visa requirement are an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, a Home Office travel document such as one held by a refugee or stateless person, a Standard Visitor visa and a Marriage Visitor visa. [1] More on the authorisation itself sits in UK ETA travel authorisation.
Exceptions and limits
- The 48-hour limit is the dividing line on the landside route: a Visitor in Transit visa covers going through border control while leaving the UK within 48 hours, and a longer stay moves the application to the Standard Visitor route. [1]
- Frequent transit over a period of more than six months also moves the application to a Standard Visitor visa rather than a transit visa. [1]
- Fees as of 18 October 2026: GOV.UK lists £74.50 for a Visitor in Transit visa where transiting is the only reason for coming to the UK, and £135 for a Standard Visitor visa covering up to 6 months. [2]
- For a Standard Visitor visa, the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. [2]
- The rules on what you will need to enter the UK may be different if you are travelling from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man; those arrangements sit outside the transit routes described here. [2]
- Holding one of the listed documents, from an ETA to a Marriage Visitor visa, removes the need for a transit visa in the cases GOV.UK sets out. [1]
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a UK transit visa if I already have an ETA?
No. GOV.UK lists having an ETA among the reasons you do not need a transit visa. [1]
Which visa covers a connection where I stay inside the airport?
Where you change flights in the UK and will not go through UK border control, GOV.UK names the Direct Airside Transit visa. [1]
How long can I stay in the UK on a Visitor in Transit visa?
The Visitor in Transit visa is for going through border control while leaving the UK within 48 hours; a longer stay requires a Standard Visitor visa instead. [1]
How much does a UK transit visa cost?
As of 18 October 2026, GOV.UK lists the Visitor in Transit visa at £74.50 where transiting is the only reason for the trip, and the Standard Visitor visa at £135 for up to 6 months. [2]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers the UK transit visa routes and the transit conditions published by GOV.UK; visitor visa routes beyond transit, and the arrangements for Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man, are not covered.
- GOV.UK: Visa to pass through the UK in transit, checked 18 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor, checked 18 October 2026