Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Transit Without Visa Scheme

Immigration rules for Visa Nationals transiting the UK landside without a visa.

  1. TWOV 1. To be granted permission to enter as a Transit Visitor under the Transit Without Visa Scheme a visa national must meet all the requirements at TWOV 2. and one of the requirements at TWOV 3.
  1. TWOV 2. The applicant must:
    1. (a) have arrived in the UK by air and will be departing by air; and
    2. (b) be genuinely in transit to another country, meaning the purpose of their visit is to transit the UK and that the applicant is taking a reasonable transit route; and
    3. (c) not access public funds or medical treatment, work or study in the UK; and
    4. (d) genuinely intend and be able to leave the UK before 23:59 hours on the day after the day when they arrived; and
    5. (e) have a confirmed booking on a flight departing the UK before 23:59 hours on the day after the day when they arrived; and
    6. (f) be assured entry to their country of destination and any other countries they are transiting through on their way there.
  1. TWOV 3. The applicant must also:
    1. (a) be travelling to or from (or on part of a reasonable journey to or from) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and have a valid visa for that country; or
    2. (b) be travelling from (or on part of a reasonable journey from) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and it is less than 6 months since he last entered that country with a valid entry visa; or
    3. (c) hold a valid permanent residence permit issued by either:
      1. (i) Australia; or
      2. (ii) Canada, issued after 28 June 2002; or
      3. (iii)New Zealand; or
    4. (d) hold a valid USA, I-551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998; or
    5. (e) hold a valid USA I-551 temporary immigrant visa (a wet-ink stamp version will not be accepted); or
    6. (f) hold an expired USA I-551 permanent resident card issued on or after 21 April 1998, provided it is accompanied by a valid I-797 letter authorising extension of the period of permanent residency; or
    7. (g) hold a valid standalone US immigration form 155A/155B attached to a sealed brown envelope; or
    8. (h) hold a valid common format residence permit issued by an EEA state (pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No. 1030/2002) or Switzerland; or
    9. (i) hold a valid uniform format category D visa for entry to a state in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland; or
    10. (j) be travelling on to the Republic of Ireland and have a valid Irish biometric visa; or
    11. (k) be travelling from the Republic of Ireland and it is less than three months since the applicant was last given permission to land or be in the Republic by the Irish authorities with a valid Irish biometric visa.
  1. TWOV 4. Paragraph TWOV 3.(a) and (b) do not apply where the transit passenger is a citizen or national of Syria holding a B1 or B2 category visa for entry to the United States of America.
  1. TWOV 5. Electronic versions of any documents listed in TWOV 3. such as electronic visas (including printed versions), will not be accepted.