A London transit visa is not a separate visa: it is the same UK Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) or Visitor in Transit visa, and which one you need depends on whether your connection through Heathrow, Gatwick or another London airport stays airside or goes through UK border control. If you change airports, collect bags or book separate tickets, you will pass border control, and the rules for landside transit apply.
If you are searching for a London transit visa, the practical question is not only your nationality but also how your two flights are booked. This guide explains how a London connection works at Heathrow and Gatwick, when you stay airside, when you must go landside, which visa or ETA that triggers, and how long to allow between flights. It uses a Trip.com Heathrow transit guide published on 28 May 2026, a TripBuffer guide updated on 21 August 2026, an ETAVisaUK article updated on 27 September 2026 and a Davidson Morris page last modified on 12 January 2026. All four are commercial or independent sites, and they disagree on some details, which we flag. Confirm every rule on the GOV.UK visa checker and with your airline. For the visa types and fees in full, see our transit visa UK guide, and for the paperwork see our UK transit visa requirements guide.
How Does a London Connection Work?
It is airside if you stay on one ticket with bags checked through, and landside if you do not. Trip.com and TripBuffer give the same split for Heathrow.
- Airside: one ticket, bags checked to your final destination, and you follow the purple “Flight Connections” signs. You are re-screened at security, but there is no immigration and no baggage reclaim.
- Landside: separate tickets, bags not checked through, a change to another London airport or an overnight stay. You pass border control, collect bags and check in again.
Trip.com adds that Heathrow has no airside hotels, so an overnight stay means going landside. This is why the type of ticket matters as much as your passport. Our can you leave an airport during a layover guide explains the general logic.
Which London Transit Visa Do You Need?
A DATV for airside, and a Visitor in Transit visa for landside, if you are a visa national. Davidson Morris gives the fees as £39 and £70, while Visafeecalc and Visaverge report £41.50 and £74.50 from 8 April 2026.
Trip.com says holders of valid US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand visas may be exempt if they stay airside, and that a Visitor in Transit visa typically allows up to 48 hours. Davidson Morris says a DATV cannot be used if you must pass border control, for example to collect and re-check bags or change airports. Our direct airside transit visa guide covers the airside visa in detail.
Do You Need an ETA for a London Layover?
Landside, yes if you are a non-visa national. Airside at Heathrow, currently no. ETAVisaUK says the Home Office describes the airside exemption as temporary and kept under review.
ETAVisaUK adds that the Home Office names Heathrow and Manchester for the exemption, that Heathrow connections within the secure zone need no ETA, and that landside transit always requires one. It states that connecting passengers at Gatwick must pass UK border control and so need an ETA, even though Gatwick’s two terminals are linked by a free shuttle. That is a single-source claim, so check the government page before you rely on it. The ETA fee is £20 from 8 April 2026 according to ETAVisaUK and Visaverge, while Trip.com lists £10 and Davidson Morris £16, so those two are out of date. Davidson Morris also warns the Heathrow exemption “may be withdrawn in future.” Trip.com says Transit Without Visa ended in February 2026, with ETA checks at boarding from 25 February 2026.
How Long Does It Take to Change Terminals at Heathrow?
Plan roughly 10 to 50 minutes of movement time, plus security. TripBuffer says its figures are editorial estimates and exclude security, immigration, baggage and check-in.
Trip.com gives lower figures, such as about 5 minutes from T3 to T2 and 10 minutes from T3 to T4 or T5, and says free shuttle buses run every 6 to 10 minutes airside, while TripBuffer says roughly every 10 minutes. Both say T2 and T3 connect by a walkway and that T4 and T5 are far apart and need a shuttle. TripBuffer says British Airways runs dedicated buses for T3 to T5. The times differ because the two pages measure differently, so use the larger numbers when planning.
What Minimum Connection Time Should You Allow?
Use your airline’s minimum for a single ticket, and at least four hours for separate tickets. TripBuffer says there is no single terminal-to-terminal connection time and tells readers to use the minimum shown in their booking.
Trip.com lists 60 to 75 minutes for a single ticket in the same terminal and 60 to 90 minutes between T2 or T3 and T4 or T5, and at least four hours for self-transfer, suggesting four to five hours. TripBuffer cites British Airways recommending at least four hours for separate tickets at Heathrow. Trip.com cites a 75 minute minimum for British Airways at T5, calling it the absolute minimum and not a target. Our Hamad International Airport transfer guide shows how connection times work at another hub.
What About Gatwick and Other London Airports?
Gatwick is covered by the same visa rules, but the sources give less detail. ETAVisaUK says Gatwick connections go through border control.
None of the pages we read gives a Gatwick transit guide for visa nationals, and the sources only mention Heathrow and Manchester for the ETA airside exemption. Since the DATV is tied to airside movement and Davidson Morris says it cannot be used for changing airports, a journey from Heathrow to Gatwick or another London airport needs a landside route. Trip.com says switching to another London airport is landside, and ETAVisaUK says Heathrow to Gatwick is always landside. Check with your airline if you are unsure whether your connection is protected.
How Do You Move Between Airports Landside?
By rail or road, after clearing border control. TripBuffer lists the Elizabeth line, the Piccadilly line and Heathrow Express between Heathrow terminals.
It says Heathrow Express takes about 20 minutes between T3 and T5, but its claim that Heathrow Express is free for terminal to terminal travel is not backed by a cited official source, so verify it. Separate-ticket passengers cannot use the airside bus. After arriving, you must check in again, meet bag-drop deadlines and clear security again.
Can You Leave the Airport Into London?
Only if you hold a Visitor in Transit visa, an ETA or a visa that allows entry. Trip.com says a Visitor in Transit visa typically allows up to 48 hours.
If you want to see London on a long layover, check that the visa allows it and allow time for border control, the journey and the return. Our UK visit visa guide explains the standard visitor routes, and our do you need transit visa for London guide gives a short decision list.
What Mistakes Cause Problems?
Booking separate tickets, forgetting the ETA and using old fees cause most problems. Check each point first.
- Booking two separate tickets and then needing border control.
- Applying for a DATV when the journey needs bag collection.
- Changing airports without a landside plan.
- Forgetting the ETA for landside transit.
- Using the £39, £70, £10 or £16 figures.
- Assuming the Heathrow airside ETA exemption is permanent.
- Using too short a connection time between T4 and T5.
- Trusting a blog without checking GOV.UK.
FAQs
Is there a special London transit visa?
No. It is the UK DATV or Visitor in Transit visa, depending on your route.
Do I need a visa to change planes at Heathrow?
Visa nationals generally need a DATV for airside transit unless exempt. Non-visa nationals need none airside.
Do I need an ETA?
For landside transit, yes if you are a non-visa national. Airside at Heathrow, currently no.
Is Heathrow to Gatwick airside?
No. Two sources say it is landside.
How long should I allow?
Follow your airline’s minimum on a single ticket, and at least four hours on separate tickets.
Where do I check my case?
On the GOV.UK visa checker, and with your airline.
Conclusion
A London transit visa is the same UK transit visa framework, and your ticket type decides whether you stay airside or face border control. Keep one ticket with bags checked through if you can, check your visa and ETA status for the route you will actually take, and leave generous time for terminal changes.
