hserus

Looking at this -
http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/vi...ansit-airside/

I guess -

1. If I have a US / Canadian / Aussie / NZ visa and fly BA - transit through LHR - en route to or from those countries, I can transit without a visa.

2. However, as a citizen of India, I need a DATV (direct airside transit visa, 54 pounds fee, and lots of questions to be answered online, such as about my wife and kids' passports too - though they aren't traveling with me) if I travel to the schengen states using a C visa (visit visa - business or tourist) - even to stay airside between flights. So my best bet to earn oneworld points would be to fly using another OW partner like Finnair, or maybe QR once they join OW - supposedly late 2013.

3. Travel to the Republic of Ireland flying BA needs an Irish visit visa - ok, and after that - not a british DATV, but some other category of visa? [though with no passport control between the UK and ireland - is it that I should just present my Irish visit visa and plane ticket at LHR immigration?]

hserus

answering the ireland part - http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Visa%...rch%202012.pdf

Keyser

one should do that in any case....flying out of the uk includes a ridiculous amount in taxes....its the main reason i have just been avoiding flying through lhr for the last few years.....

oliver2002

But the APD doesn't apply to transit pax?

Keyser

not sure if it does for revenue tickets....of all the one world carriers, for award tickets i see a huge difference in taxes if transiting through the uk....

hserus

Normally not for transit pax as far as I can see. Competitive rates.

Intrusively long visa form is all ..

hserus

The rule seems changed?

Earlier they said US / Canadian etc visa when traveling to or from the US, Canada etc

Now - https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa/y/india/transit/no

You should apply for a Direct Airside Transit visa if you arrive in the UK on a flight and leave again without passing through immigration control.

Exemptions
You don’t need a visa if you have one of the following:

a visa for Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the USA (this can be used for travel to any country) <---- CHANGED

Can someone who needs a DATV (preferably, indian) who has actually transited through the UK recently, en route to say a Schengen country on a business visa confirm this?

AA_EXP09

The only difference in government taxes is the £39.75 UB tax each way.
The rest may be YQ if you are looking at BA.

AA_EXP09

TIMATIC seems to confirm these changes

ALSO CHECK DESTINATION INFORMATION BELOW


United Kingdom (GB)


TWOV (Transit Without Visa):
Visa required, except for Passengers holding confirmed onward
tickets making an airside transit at London Gatwick (LGW),

London Heathrow (LHR) or Manchester (MAN) on the same calendar
day to a third country (excluding Ireland (Rep.)).The
following conditions must be complied with:

- passenger must arrive and depart by air; and
- passenger only intends to transit through the United
Kingdom; and
- passenger must hold all documents required for the next
destination; and

- passenger must not leave the transit area.
- ***Warning*** Passengers (SEE NOTE 57393) may make an
airside transit if holding a valid entry visa issued by
Australia, Canada, New Zealand or USA. (SEE NOTE 57398)
NOTE 57398: E-visas or e-residence permits are only
accepted for airside transit when the airline is able to
verify it with the issuing country.
- ***Warning*** Nationals of India may make a airside transit

if holding a valid "D" visa issued by an EEA Member State
For details, click here or Switzerland. (SEE NOTE 57398)
NOTE 57398: E-visas or e-residence permits are only
accepted for airside transit when the airline is able to
verify it with the issuing country.
- ***Warning*** Nationals of India may make an airside

transit if holding a valid biometric visa issued by Ireland
(Rep.) endorsed "BC" or "BC BIVS" in order to transit to a
destination other than Ireland (Rep.). (SEE NOTE 57398)

NOTE 57398: E-visas or e-residence permits are only
accepted for airside transit when the airline is able to
verify it with the issuing country.
Visa required, except for Passengers holding confirmed onward
tickets passing through United Kingdom immigration to make a

landside transit to a third country on a flight that departs
before 23:59 the next day. The following conditions must be

complied with:
- passenger must arrive and depart by air; and
- passenger must have no purpose in entering the United
Kingdom other than to pass through in transit; and
- passenger must hold all documents required for the next
destination; and

- passenger must pass through United Kingdom Immigration.

- ***Warning*** Passengers may make a landside transit if
holding a valid visa which allows entry into Australia,
Canada, New Zealand or USA and traveling as part of a
journey to, from or transit through the country that has
issued the visa. (SEE NOTE 57399)
Landside transit is not available if holding a US Visa Foil
type "YY" or "ZZ" endorsed "Not a visa. Foil prepared at
DHS request" nor the US Adit stamp worded "Processed for
I-551" (temporary form I-551).
NOTE 57399: E-visas or e-residence permits are not
accepted for landside transit.
- ***Warning*** Passengers may make a landside transit if
traveling from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or USA
provided transiting the United Kingdom less than 6 months

after the date they last entered Australia, Canada, New
Zealand or USA with a valid visa for the respective

country, even though the visa may have expired at the time

of transit through the United Kingdom. (SEE NOTE 57399)
Landside transit is not available if holding a US Visa Foil
type "YY" or "ZZ" endorsed "Not a visa. Foil prepared at
DHS request" nor the US Adit stamp worded "Processed for
I-551" (temporary form I-551).
NOTE 57399: E-visas or e-residence permits are not
accepted for landside transit.
- ***Warning*** Passengers may make a landside transit if
holding a valid common format "D" visa issued by an EEA
Member State For details, click here or Switzerland. (SEE NOTE 57399)
NOTE 57399: E-visas or e-residence permits are not
accepted for landside transit.
- ***Warning*** Passengers may make a landside transit if
holding a valid biometric visa issued by Ireland (Rep.)
endorsed "BC" or "BC BIVS" and traveling to Ireland (Rep.).
(SEE NOTE 57399)
NOTE 57399: E-visas or e-residence permits are not
accepted for landside transit.
- ***Warning*** Passengers may make a landside transit if
traveling from Ireland (Rep.) provided transiting the

United Kingdom no more than 3 months after they last
entered Ireland (Rep.) with a valid biometric visa issued
by Ireland (Rep.) endorsed "BC" or "BC BIVS", even though
the visa may have expired at the time of transit through

the United Kingdom. (SEE NOTE 57399)
NOTE 57399: E-visas or e-residence permits are not
accepted for landside transit.
Additional Information:

- There is no passport control on traffic between Great
Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland (Rep.).
For details, click here

Additionally, you can check (as of 18 January) TINEWS/N8

UNITED KINGDOM: TRANSIT RULES

Effective from 1 December 2014 the United Kingdom TWOV

(Transit Without Visa) concession will change to become the
United Kingdom Transit Rules.

AIRSIDE TRANSIT
This is only available at London Gatwick (LGW), London
Heathrow (LHR) and Manchester (MAN) but excludes those in
transit to Ireland (Rep.). Passengers must arrive and depart
by air; have confirmed onward flight departing on the same

day; and hold all documents for their next destination.

Leaving the transit area is not possible. Those eligible for
airside transit are:
- GROUP ONE nationalities (see below for list of

nationalities); stateless persons holding UN Convention 1954

travel documents; and refugees whose original nationality is a

visa exempt for the United Kingdom or a GROUP ONE
nationality; and

- GROUP TWO nationalities and refugees whose original

nationality is a GROUP TWO nationality, when holding airside

exemption documents (see below for a list of documents).


LANDSIDE TRANSIT
This is available for passengers who need to pass through
Immigration to collect baggage, change airport or connect with

flights to Ireland (Rep.) or to transit at airports that do
not have airside transit facilities. Passengers must arrive

and depart by air; have confirmed onward flight departing

before 23:59 the next day; and hold all documents for their
next destination. Passing through Immigration is required.

Those eligible for landside transit are anyone who would
normally require a visa to enter the United Kingdom, who hold
landside exemption documents (see below for a list of

documents).

GROUP ONE nationalities (black highlighted nationals on Home

Office issued UK Visa Information Card):

- nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Benin, Bhutan,

Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cape
Verde, Central African Rep., Chad, Colombia, Comoros, Cuba,
Djibouti, Dominican Rep., Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji,

Gabon, Georgia, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan,

Korea (Dem. People's Rep.), Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lao People's
Dem. Rep., Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Montenegro, Morocco,
Mozambique, Niger, Oman, Peru, Philippines, Qatar, Russian
Fed., Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Suriname,
Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Ukraine,
United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Zambia; and
- nationals of Venezuela (biometric passport holders); and

- holders of Chinese Taipei (on the cover: Republic of China
Taiwan) passports that do not contain a Personal ID Number.

GROUP TWO nationalities (red highlighted nationals on Home

Office issued UK Visa Information Card):

- nationals of Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Angola,

Bangladesh, Belarus, Burundi, Cameroon, China (People's Rep.),
Congo, Congo (Dem. Rep.), Cote d'Ivoire, Egypt, Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran,
Iraq, Jamaica, Kenya, Kosovo (Rep.), Lebanon, Lesotho,
Liberia, Libya, Macedonia (FYROM), Malawi, Moldova (Rep.),
Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Senegal,
Serbia, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sri
Lanka, Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, Viet
Nam, Yemen and Zimbabwe; and
- nationals of Venezuela (non-biometric passport holders), and

- holders of passports issued by the Palestinian Territory;

and
- holders of passports issued by the "Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus".
NB: separate rules apply to holders of service passports
issued by China (People's Rep.) and diplomatic and official

passports issued by India and Vietnam, who are not required to
hold airside/landside exemption documents.


AIRSIDE exemption documents:

- 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 valid Residence Permit issued by Australia or New Zealand:
or
- a valid Permanent Resident Card issued by Canada after 28
June 2002; or
- a valid Residence Permit issued by the USA after 21 April
1998; or a valid USA I-551 Temporary Immigrant visa (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 authorizing
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
Member State or Switzerland; or
- a valid common format category D visa for entry to an EEA
Member 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
NB: E-visas or e-residence permits are not acceptable unless
the airline is able to verify it with the issuing country.

LANDSIDE exemption documents:

- 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 Residence Permit issued by Australia or New Zealand:
or
- a valid Permanent Resident Card issued by Canada after 28
June 2002; or
- a valid Residence Permit issued by the USA after 21 April
1998; or a valid USA I-551 Temporary Immigrant visa (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 authorizing
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
Member State or Switzerland; or
- a valid common format category D visa for entry to an EEA
Member 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 for
landside transit.

asdf1223

Ajay had written about this a while ago. http://livefromalounge.boardingarea....thout-uk-visa/

hserus

Ah thanks. This makes flying BA to europe a lot more viable than before.

AA_EXP09

I thought this was about flying to/from India?

hserus

Sure, so if I transit via LHR from India the most likely reason is flung BA or maybe VS. There are some few itineraries where AI, QR etc try to route me through LHR too.

dspatwardhan

Hi,

I am planning on a round trip from USA to India via LHR in Feb 2016. I last entered USA on a H1b visa which is valid till Sept 2015. So, as per rules, I need DATV for onward journey. Return journey will be fine as I'll have the new stamped H1b visa.

Now, I also happen to have a US B1 visa which is valid till Aug 2020.

Can I transit (onward) through LHR by showing the B1 visa as the valid US visa ? Or must I have DATV ?

hserus

As long as you have a valid B1 you're good.