Traveling to Ireland through London Heathrow: Is UK transit visa needed?
I am traveling to Cork, Ireland on a short stay (C) visa. It is not a biometric visa. I hold an Indian passport and am traveling from USA where I am a permanent resident (green card) holder. I am transiting through London Heathrow. Do I need a UK transit or short stay visa? The information on the gov.uk website is quite confusing when it comes to transiting to Ireland due to common travel area reasons.
But, most documents/websites I have seen indicate that anyone with a valid US green card issued after 1998 are exempt from needing a visa (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/648410/UK_Visa_requirements_Oct_2017.pdf) and can transit without visa (TWOV).
Can someone on this forum please confirm this?
Thanks, Yogesh
Best Answer
Per the GOV.UK Website, you need a UK Standard visitor visa since your Irish visa isn't biometric, because in the eyes of the UK, you aren't actually in transit, as they treat the Common Travel Area as a single country (Ireland doesn't share this viewpoint though).
If you were in transit to outside the Common Travel Area, your green card would be enough, both for airside and landside transit. But you're going to Ireland, so this doesn't apply (because again, transit to Ireland does not count as transit)
On the other hand, as an Indian you wouldn't have needed an Irish visa in addition, as the UK visa lets you enter Ireland for a stay of max 3 months.
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Do you need a UK visa to transit through Heathrow?
You're going through UK border controlApply for a Visitor in Transit visa if you'll be going through UK border control but leaving the UK within 48 hours. You'll need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa if: you need to stay longer in the UK. you can prove you need to frequently pass through the UK over a longer ...Is transit visa required for connecting flight in Heathrow?
Re: Is Transit Visa Required at London(Heathrow) Airport? "You usually only need a transit visa if you want to leave the airport as you have a long layover." Nope.Does Ireland need a transit visa?
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.Do you need a transit visa for connecting flights?
Most countries that normally require that you have a visa, do not require the visa if you are a transit passenger, someone who is only transiting through the airport. As you don't go through immigration, and you don't enter the country, hence no visa is needed.UK VISAS FAQs: UK TRANSIT VISAS
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