How do UK airports prevent people without UK visas from boarding domestic flights?
The UK, like the US, doesn't do exit border checks at Airports, meaning domestic and international flights leave from the same gates.
For this reason, the US does not have airside Transit; however the UK does at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester.
So, if a person Needs a visa to enter the UK, but not for airside Transit, how do the authorities prevent them from flying to the UK, then following the connections signs (thus bypassing immigration) and then boarding a domestic flight (effectively entering the UK illegally)?
Best Answer
Heathrow's airport website has a connection planner. If you try an international arrival followed by a domestic departure it states that you have to go through immigration and then security.
In many airports I have been to (in particular in the US and Canada) this is arranged by forcing passengers into an arrivals area that is segregated from the departures area and requires you to go through immigration and security to access departures.
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Do you have to go through immigration for domestic flights UK?
If you're coming in on a domestic flight then you don't need to worry about immigration as you'll be able to head straight through to baggage reclaim. Flying internationally? You'll need to come through UK border control.Can you fly domestically without a passport UK?
If you are flying solely within the UK, including Northern Ireland, you do not need a passport but we advise that you carry photographic identification with you when travelling, such as your passport or driving licence. This may be requested at certain points in your journey.Do you go through security for domestic flights UK?
British Airways does not check ID at the gate for domestic flights, but they do ask for ID at bag-drop desks, so hand-baggage-only passengers do not require ID. Lowcost airlines operating domestic flights do check ID at the gate, so all domestic passengers need ID.Do you go through immigration on domestic flights?
The agency can still conduct identification checks of passengers deplaning after domestic flights, but they must verbally advise passengers that the checks are voluntary, request the airline to make a public announcement telling passengers that the screening is voluntary, and officers must situate themselves in a way ...UK BORDER FORCE- Asian man loses his passport in Manchester Airport.
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Answer 2
All incoming passengers have to pass through security and/or immigration depending on their onward flight.
If you have a domestic connection, you have to follow the line for UK Connections where you will clear immigration. You are checked again on the way to the gate to verify you've cleared immigration so you can't even get to the aircraft without doing so.
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