Since December 1, 2014, the rules for visa-free transit through the territory of Great Britain have significantly changed. While previously citizens of Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan could fly through London or Manchester without a visa, the requirements have now become stricter.

The new rules distinguish between two types of transit:

— Airside — transit within the airport's transit zone. You do not need to leave the transit zone, for example, to collect and re-check luggage, check in for a flight, etc.

— Landside — transit outside the transit zone. For example, to change airports. 

Airside Transit

A visa is not required for layovers at Manchester airports, as well as at Heathrow and Gatwick in London.

However, you must meet the following conditions:

— you must have the documents required for entry into your destination country, for example, a visa;

— you must be flying to any third country, with the exception of Ireland;

— your connecting flight must depart before 23:59 on the day of arrival;

— you must not leave the airport's transit zone.

Is a transit visa required if there is a terminal change during the layover?

A visa is not required at Heathrow and Gatwick airports, as they are designed so that you do not need to go through passport control to transfer or move from one terminal to another.

Landside Transit

Landside transit is now subject to a visa, meaning that to change airports, or to stay overnight in a hotel during a layover, or simply to walk around London, you need a visa. Although there are a few exceptions.

Who still has the right to visa-free transit in the UK?

Under the new rules, visa-free transit is only possible if:

— you are flying TO/FROM the USA, Canada, New Zealand, or Australia and you have a valid visa for entry into your destination country, OR

— you are flying FROM the USA, Canada, New Zealand, or Australia, your visa has already expired, but less than 6 months have passed since your entry into the USA/Canada, etc.

For example:

You are flying Moscow — London — New York: visa-free transit is possible because you have a valid US visa.

You are flying back with an expired visa 7 months after entering the USA on the same route — visa-free transit is not possible because more than 6 months have passed since your entry into the USA. If, under the same conditions, you fly back 5 months after entry, then visa-free transit is possible.

OR

— you have a residence permit issued by Switzerland, any country belonging to the EEA (all Schengen countries), Australia, Canada (provided it was issued after June 28, 2002), New Zealand, or the USA (provided it was issued after April 21, 1998), OR

— you have a long-stay D visa issued by an EU country or Switzerland, OR

— you are traveling TO Ireland and you have a valid biometric visa for entry into Ireland, OR

— you are traveling FROM Ireland, you have a valid biometric visa, and less than 3 months have passed since your entry into Ireland.

Please note that in Russia, biometric data for Irish visa applications only started being collected from July 1, 2015. If you obtained a visa before this date, it is not biometric and does not grant the right to visa-free transit.

If you meet any of the above conditions, you can not only make a layover without a visa but also visit the city, walk around London, and stay overnight in a hotel both near the airport and in London itself.

Under the new rules, you must leave the territory of Great Britain by 23:59 on the day following your arrival. For example, if you arrived on December 5 at 20:00, you must leave the territory of Great Britain by 23:59 on December 6. It is now very advantageous to arrive on night flights; for example, if you arrived on January 6 at 00:30, you must depart by 23:59 on January 7, meaning you effectively have 2 days in Great Britain.

Please note that the visa-free transit rule does not guarantee you this visa-free transit; it is merely a possibility, and whether it materializes or not depends on the discretion of the immigration officer at passport control.

Exceptions:

Visa-free Landside transit is not possible if you have:

— a US visa of type «YY» or «ZZ» with the annotation «Not a visa. Foil prepared at DHS request» or a stamp «Processed for I-551»;

— an electronic visa (e-visa) or an electronic residence permit (e-residence permit).

At passport control, you will need:

— a completed immigration form (you can get it at the counter before control or on some airlines' planes). For convenience, bring a pen, as there might not be one;

— a passport;

— airline tickets. Please note, the itinerary must be logical.

For example, a passenger flying Moscow-London-Toronto has a much higher chance of entering London without a visa than someone flying Moscow-London-Berlin. In other words, you shouldn't deliberately make a detour just to walk around London, as this will raise many questions from the border officer.

— a visa for the destination country, if required.

If your transit involves changing airports, for example, you arrived at Heathrow and plan to depart from Luton, border control may ask you how you will get from the airport to the city and then to Luton Airport. Be prepared to answer these questions. If you already have booked train or bus tickets, show them.

It is not advisable to state that you deliberately arranged a long layover in London to sightsee.

Remember that with visa-free transit, the final decision always rests with the immigration officer.

If you arrive in London in the evening and your departure is the next morning, in most cases you will be allowed to enter, provided you have booked a hotel near the airport for an overnight stay.

When not to rely on visa-free transit (even if you meet the conditions) and it is advisable to obtain a visa in advance

As we mentioned above, the final decision is always made by the immigration officer at the border, already at the airport. And there are factors that reduce your chances of obtaining visa-free transit. These include:

— legal issues (in any country);

— deportation or refusal of entry to any country;

— during a previous visit to the UK, you violated visa regulations, for example, by working illegally on a tourist or student visa;

— you have previously been denied a UK visa.