Do you need a transit visa for United Kingdom?
Whether you need a UK ETA on a layover depends on if you cross the border: airside transit is currently exempt, but Gatwick has no airside transit route, and some nationalities need a Direct Airside Transit Visa regardless.
Staying airside (not leaving the airport)
If you connect without passing through UK border control, you are currently exempt from needing an ETA — but the Home Office calls this exemption temporary and keeps it under review, so re-check close to travel. Separately, nationals on the Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) list need a DATV even though they never formally enter the UK.
Leaving the airport during your layover
If your connection takes you through UK border control — changing airports, collecting and re-checking bags, or staying overnight landside — you need an ETA (if you are ETA-eligible) or a Visitor in Transit visa, depending on your nationality.
Key transit schemes & facts
- Airside transit (no border control): currently ETA-exempt. Treat this as provisional — the exemption is temporary and under review.
- Gatwick is the trap: it has no international airside transit facility, so every connecting passenger passes UK border control regardless of ticket or baggage — which means ETA-eligible nationalities DO need an ETA to connect there. Heathrow and Manchester do offer airside transit.
- Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV): required for certain nationalities even when transiting airside and never entering the UK.
- Visitor in Transit visa: for passing through the UK border within 48 hours en route to another country, where an ETA is not sufficient for your nationality.
- Holders of certain US, Canadian, EEA, Australian and other documents may qualify for transit exemptions — check the official tool.
- Confirm your exact routing with the airline: whether you stay airside is a property of the airport and your itinerary, not just your ticket.
Official source
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a transit visa to connect through United Kingdom?
Whether you need a UK ETA on a layover depends on if you cross the border: airside transit is currently exempt, but Gatwick has no airside transit route, and some nationalities need a Direct Airside Transit Visa regardless.
Can you transit airside through United Kingdom without a visa?
If you connect without passing through UK border control, you are currently exempt from needing an ETA — but the Home Office calls this exemption temporary and keeps it under review, so re-check close to travel. Separately, nationals on the Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) list need a DATV even though they never formally enter the UK.
What if you want to leave the airport during a layover in United Kingdom?
If your connection takes you through UK border control — changing airports, collecting and re-checking bags, or staying overnight landside — you need an ETA (if you are ETA-eligible) or a Visitor in Transit visa, depending on your nationality.
Check the visa you'll need at your destination
Beyond transit, you'll need to know the visa rules for where you're actually going.
Open the visa checker →