United Kingdom visa guideThe UK has two transit visas, and which one you need depends on a single question: will you pass through UK border control? If you stay airside and only change planes, it is the Direct Airside Transit visa. If you go through the border (to change airports, collect bags or stay overnight), it is the Visitor in Transit visa, and you must leave within 48 hours.
Many travellers need neither. A valid UK Standard Visitor visa already covers transit, and so do several other documents GOV.UK lists.
One question decides it: do you cross the UK border?
When
- Direct Airside Transit visa
- Changing flights without going through UK border control
- Visitor in Transit visa
- Going through border control, leaving within 48 hours
Typical case
- Direct Airside Transit visa
- Same-terminal connection, bags checked through
- Visitor in Transit visa
- Changing airports, collecting and re-checking bags, an overnight stop
Fee
- Direct Airside Transit visa
- £41.50
- Visitor in Transit visa
- £74.50
The fee "may change slightly depending on which country you're in", in GOV.UK's words.
Whether you cross the border is not always your choice. It depends on your airline, whether your bags are checked through to the final destination, and whether your connection leaves from the same airport. Heathrow to Gatwick is a border crossing. Two tickets on two airlines usually means collecting bags, another border crossing. Check the itinerary with the airline before you choose the visa, because the cheaper one is useless if you are then made to land.
You may not need one at all
GOV.UK lists the people who need no transit visa. You are exempt if you hold:
- a valid Standard Visitor visa;
- a valid electronic travel authorisation (ETA);
- an EU Settlement Scheme family permit;
- a Home Office travel document;
- a Marriage Visitor visa.
If a UK visitor visa is already in your passport and still valid, the transit is covered.
The 48-hour ceiling
A Visitor in Transit visa is for leaving the UK within 48 hours. A longer stopover, a weekend in London on the way to Toronto, is a visit, and needs a Standard Visitor visa (£135). Work and study are not permitted on a transit visa.
Frequent transits
If you pass through the UK regularly, GOV.UK's answer is the long-term Standard Visitor visa (2, 5 or 10 years), which covers transit and also lets you break the journey for up to six months. For a family that flies Punjab–UK–Canada every year, one long-term visa is usually better value than a transit visa each trip.
Source: GOV.UK, Visa to pass through the UK in transit; Direct Airside Transit visa; Visitor in Transit visa, read 21 September 2026. Fees and rules change; confirm on GOV.UK before you apply.
Official sources
- GOV.UK, Visas and immigration: https://www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration
Fees and rules change; the official page always prevails. The guide above was written from our filing experience for Indian applicants; check the current requirements on the authority’s site before you book.
