Do I need a UK transit visa when flying to Ireland through the UK?
I am Lebanese Citizen and am planning a trip to Ireland this month. A valid Irish visa is already in hand and I am willing to reach there through the UK.
Will I need a transit visa in the UK for few hours for flight connections to Ireland?
Best Answer
Transit visas are not valid for transit to the Republic of Ireland (here and here). This is because, due to the CTA, you must pass through border control and enter UK territory to board the flight (I am not sure why the Visitor in Transit Visa does not apply, as it is specifically for those who need to pass through Border Control). You have two options:
- If your Irish Visa is biometric, you can transit without a visa (here, "you have an Irish biometric visa and an onward flight ticket to the Republic of Ireland")
- Otherwise, you will need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa, as neither of the Transit Visas (Visitor in Transit or Direct Airside Tranit) are valid for transit to the Republic of Ireland
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Do you need a UK visa for a connecting flight?
If you are passing through a UK airport while on the way to another country, you may need a UK transit visa. Transit visas are required by some nationals who are passing through the UK en-route to another country within 24 or 48 hours.Do you need a transit visa for Ireland?
Nationals of some states or territorial entities are required to be in possession of an Irish transit visa when arriving at a port of entry in Ireland for the purposes of passing through a port (airport, seaport) in order to travel to another state. A transit visa does not permit you to enter Ireland for any purpose.Can I travel to Ireland from UK with UK visa?
People with UK visas or residence permits The Short Stay Visa Waiver Programme allows nationals of a number of Eastern European, Middle East and Asian countries who have a short-term UK visa to come to Ireland without the need for a separate Irish visa.Is Ireland covered under UK visa?
The British-Irish Visa Scheme allows for mutual recognition of short-stay visas between the UK and Ireland. This means that a British short stay visa will be valid for travel onward to Ireland, and an Irish short-stay visa will be valid for travel onward to the UK.UK VISAS FAQs: UK TRANSIT VISAS
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Answer 2
The GOV.UK website says:
You’ll usually need to apply for a UK standard visitor visa.
You might be eligible for ‘transit without visa’ if [...] [you] have an Irish biometric visa (marked ‘BC’ or ‘BC BIVS’ in the ‘Remarks’ section) and an onward flight ticket to the Republic of Ireland.
Furthermore, Timatic, the database used by airlines, says:
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.)
So if your Irish visa is not biometric, you need a UK Standard visitor visa (and not merely a transit visa). This is because although you will clear Irish immigration as well on arrival, from the UK's side you haven't "completely" left the country, due to the semi-open border agreement called the Common Travel Area (CTA).
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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