What is the type of visa I need to stay at a hotel outside Heathrow, London? [closed]
I am a student from India heading to the USA. I am transiting through London and have a very long layover (22 hours) at Heathrow. My flight from India arrives at noon at Heathrow, and the flight to USA departs the next day at 10 AM. I plan to spend the night at a hotel outside Heathrow or at my cousin's place.
The UK site says I need a Visitor in Transit visa if I need to leave the airport. But since I hold a valid visa to USA, I may be exempt from that too (mentioned in the same site – "transit without visa concession")
Questions:
Is the Visitor in Transit visa only applicable for people transiting to another airport within UK or can be used for staying outside/sightseeing also? The UK Visa wizard site says I can get a 'Visitor in Transit' visa for this, but the Visa4UK site says I can't use the 'Visitor in Transit' visa for any other purpose other than transiting to another airport.
What are the chances of being allowed entry to London with a "transit without visa concession"?
Even if I get a visa, is there a chance for my entry to London getting denied?
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Do I need a visa to stay in a hotel?
No you don't need a visa to stay at the hotel and you do not go through immigration as the hotel is in the terminal building itself. You are considered to be a transit passenger whilst staying at the hotel.Does Heathrow have airside hotels?
There is no hotel room accommodation air side, you have to come through customs to access hotel day rooms. However, one of the airport lounges now offers an airside option at Terminal 3 (see lounge link below).How long is immigration at Heathrow?
Re: How long does it take to get through customs at Heathrow? Allow between 30 minutes and 2 hours.Is there US preclearance at Heathrow?
There is no US pre-clearance in the UK yet. You will have to go through UK immigration on arrival at Heathrow, and US immigration at Charlotte. You clear UK immigration on arrival at Heathrow. There is no US pre-clearance from Heathrow - you'll need to do all formalities at Charlotte.Review: My GUIDE TO HEATHROW - Things you didn't know!
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