Transiting Via UK
Valid for Citizens of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Burma (Myanmar), Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, China (People’s Republic of), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Congo Dem. Republic (Zaire), Cuba, Cyprus northern part, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Korea (Dem. People’s Republic), Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Macedonia (F.Y.R of), Madagascar (Malagasy), Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestinian Territories, Peru, Philippines Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome e Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Surinam, Swaziland Syria, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine,, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, ZimbabweTechnically, you are not Canadian Permanent Resident till you LAND in Canada. However, you may still be able to avail entry under Transit without visa (TWOV) scheme as per 'The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2014'.
If possible, get written confirmation for TWOV on your Passport from UK Embassy or your Airline before boarding flight with lengthy layovers.
There are TWO types of TRANSIT
AIRSIDE Transit
Airside transit passengers are those who do not need to change airports and do not need to pass through the UK border. Passengers cannot transit AIRSIDE to the Republic of Ireland or anywhere within the common travel area (under Article 4 of Immigration Order 2014). It's also known as Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV).
Transit without visa (TWOV)
ALL visa nationals seeking to transit the United Kingdom AIRSIDE without a visa must:
(i) arrive and depart by air; and
(ii) have a confirmed onward flight departing the SAME DAY (23:59hrs) from the SAME AIRPORT; and
(iii) hold the correct documents for their destination (e.g. a visa for that country if required)
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Apart from that, Pakistani Nationals can get AIRSIDE transit visa exemption if they hold one of the following:
- a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA (whether or not the holder is travelling to or from these countries); or
- a visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA as part of a reasonable journey FROM the country in respect of which the visa is held and it is less than 6 months since the holder last entered that country with a valid entry visa.
- a valid permanent residence permit issued by:
- (a) Australia
- (b) Canada, issued after 28 June 2002
- (c) New Zealand
- (d) USA issued after 21 April 1998; or a valid US Immigrant visa endorsed with a US arrival stamp (a wet-ink/ADIT stamp version will NOT be accepted by UK border control); or an expired I-551 Permanent Residence card provided it is accompanied by a valid I-797 letter authorising extension; or a standalone US Immigration Form 155A/155B (attached to a sealed brown envelope); or
- a valid common format residence permit issued by an EEA state or Switzerland; or
- a valid common format category D visa for entry to an EEA state or Switzerland; or
- a valid Irish biometric visa endorsed BC or BC BIVS (in order to transit to a destination other than the Republic of Ireland or the Common Travel Area); or
- a valid Schengen Approved Destination Scheme (ADS) group tourism visa where the holder is travelling TO the country that issued it; or
- a valid airline ticket FROM the Schengen area; provided the holder can demonstrate they entered there no more than 30 days previously on the basis of a valid Schengen ADS visa
LANDSIDE Transit
Landside transit passengers are those who need or wish to pass through the UK border and enter the UK (e.g. to change airport, to collect baggage or arrive at airports where no airside transfer is possible)
Transit without visa (TWOV)
ALL visa nationals seeking to transit the United Kingdom LANDSIDE without a visa must:
(iv) arrive and depart by air; and
(v) have a confirmed onward flight that departs before 23:59hrs the following day; and
(vi) hold the correct documents for their destination (e.g. a visa for that country if required)
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Apart from that, Pakistani Nationals can get LANDSIDE transit visa exemption if they hold one of the following:
- a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and a valid airline ticket via the UK as part of a reasonable journey TO that country; or
- a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and a valid airline ticket via the UK as part of a reasonable journey FROM that country; or
- a visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA as part of a reasonable journey FROM the country in respect of which the visa is held and it is less than 6 months since the holder last entered that country with a valid entry visa; or
- a valid permanent residence permit issued by:
- (a) Australia
- (b) Canada, issued after 28 June 2002
- (c) New Zealand
- (d) USA issued after 21 April 1998; or a valid US Immigrant visa endorsed with a US arrival stamp (a wet-ink/ADIT stamp version will NOT be accepted by UK border control); or an expired I-551 Permanent Residence card provided it is accompanied by a valid I-797 letter authorising extension; or a standalone US Immigration Form 155A/155B (attached to a sealed brown envelope); or
- a valid common format residence permit issued by an EEA state or Switzerland; or
- a valid common format category D visa for entry to an EEA state or Switzerland; or
- a valid Irish biometric visa endorsed BC or BC BIVS and travelling TO the Republic of Ireland; or
- an Irish biometric visa endorsed BC or BC BIVS and travelling FROM the Republic of Ireland provided it is less than 3 months since the holder last entered there
NB: E-visas or e-residence permits are not acceptable unless the airline is able to verify it with the issuing country
NB: E-visas or e-residence permits are NOT acceptable for landside transit
The decision to allow a passenger to transit without a visa (TWOV) under the scheme is decided by an immigration officer at the UK border
IMPORTANT:
- Canada's IM-1 Immigrant Visa is valid for 'Transit Without Visa' scheme.
- A ‘transit visitor’ is a person who seeks to travel via the UK on their way to another destination country outside the Common Travel Area (CTA).
- A traveller who uses Direct Airside Transit is not deemed to have entered the UK. They therefore do not require leave to enter or remain in the UK for that journey. As such, they fall outside the scope of the Immigration Rules and are governed by the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999 and the Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2014. A Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) is not entry clearance and does not confer leave to enter.
- In most cases, your checked-in luggage will be booked directly to final destination. If not, leave your luggage in airport cloak room.
- Heathrow has 5 terminals stay airside and take the internal bus and visit all the 4 terminals every single one has its own qualities and shops. Terminal 5 is a must if you are not there already its home of British Airways and the biggest of all and looks more like a huge mall than an airport terminal lots of shops from highend luxury to highstreet retail and amazing choice for foods. You can watch planes land and takeoff at the observatory in T4 or try the flight simulator. T4 is the only zone with designated Smoking Area zone.
Transit without visa (TWOV) scheme
The TWOV scheme allows visa nationals who meet all the requirements of paragraph V7.7 and who hold one of the documents specified in paragraph V7.8 of Appendix V of the Immigration Rules to transit the UK landside without a visa.
When considering a passenger, Immigration Officer must check:
• the passenger in line with the Border Force Operating Mandate (Horizon link)
• whether they should be refused under suitability grounds of Part V3 of Appendix V – see Visit guidance for more information
• that the applicant meets the requirements of the TWOV scheme
A person cannot transit the UK to Ireland. This is because the UK’s approach to the Common Travel Area (CTA) is to exercise immigration control at the first point of entry to the CTA. Therefore, a person who arrives in the UK on their way to Ireland is considered for entry to the UK. For example as a ‘standard visitor’ and not as a ‘transit visitor’.
It follows therefore, that a visa national seeking to enter the UK before going on to Ireland would need a UK visa (a visit visa not a transit visa). However, the holder of an Irish biometric visa can enter the UK on their way to Ireland as a visitor without a UK visa.
TWOV: requirements
Immigration Officer must be satisfied that the individual meets all the requirements of V7.7 (a) to (f).
The following factors will help Immigration Officer assess if an individual is a genuine TWOV passenger:
• the applicant must have arrived and will be departing by air
• the applicant must have a confirmed booking on a flight departing the UK before 23:59 hours on the day after they arrived
• reasonable transit route:
o is it reasonable for an individual to be travelling from the country of origin to their destination through the UK
o the Home Office does not specify what routes are acceptable for this purpose, however, there should be a clear reason for why they are travelling through the UK, such as it forming part of a journey from east to west
o you must make sure that the route is not being used in order to gain short term entry to the UK without needing a visa
o an example of an unreasonable transit route would be an individual travelling from Australia to New Zealand and is seeking to transit through the UK
• the credibility of the application as a whole:
o the main purpose of the journey
o the applicant’s circumstances, including travel history
• is there evidence to suggest that an applicant intends to access public funds or medical treatment or intends to work or study in the UK, for example, an admission, intelligence, supporting documents
• intention and ability to leave the UK before 23:59 hours on the day after the day they arrived:
o details and availability of connecting flights
o destination
o confirmed onward bookings in applicant’s name
• assurance of entry to their country of destination and any other countries they are transiting on their way there:
o entry or visa requirements for applicant's nationality to destination – refer to Travel Information Manual or embassy websites
o if needed, does the applicant have a valid visa or entry clearance for the country they are travelling to or documentary evidence of acceptability in that country
o if a person intends to transit through the UK on their return, does the applicant’s travel document guarantee return to their country of residence?
• other considerations:
o remember your duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children: Section 55 of the Border and Citizenship Act
o Vulnerable Adults and Children guidance (Horizon link)
o UKVI Adult Safeguarding Strategy (Horizon link)
o Border Force guidance on Children (Horizon link)
o Modern Slavery guidance and considerations (Horizon link)
o Border Force guidance on Modern Slavery (Horizon link)
Granting entry to non-visa nationals for transit: stamp and LTE "Code 3 - 48 Hours"
Assessing Passenger under Transit Without Visa - When passing through UK Immigration.
with 48 Hours LTE - Code 3.
Sample Conversation With UK Immigration Border Officer
Passenger
1. (After initial hi and how you doing, I hand over my passport) I don’t have a visa and was wondering if I could go out to spend my long layover outside?
2. I have 14 hours of layover and wanted to see if it’s possible for me to go out and visit few places.
3. Pakistan
4. to Toronto, Canada.
5. (hands over the ticket)
6. I’m Immigrating to Canada. My spouse is a Canadian Citizen living in Canada.
7. I’m an horticulturist and would like to visit the Royal Botanical Garden?
8. Thank you so much (wide smile with all teeth out shining)
UK Border Control Officer
1. I don’t understand
2. (looks at senior officer standing nearby - he walks up to the counter) where you coming from ?
3. Where are you going?
4. Show me your onward journey tickets
5. What’s your purpose of visit?
6. Great! What will you do if you go out?
7. oh Nice! (shakes his head at Immigration Officer and says) Have a nice day! Immigration Officer stamps passport and says that you have visa for 2 days and make sure that you're back for your flight.