Do you need a UK ETA for transit?

Airside or landside: the question that decides it

Whether you need an ETA for a connection depends on one thing: whether you pass through UK border control.

• Airside means staying in the international transfer area. You go from one gate to another without passing through passport control into the UK.
• Landside means going through border control and entering the UK, even if only for a few hours.

Anyone who passes through border control needs an ETA, or another valid permission such as a visa, however short the stay.

The temporary airside exemption

At the time of writing, passengers who stay airside at Heathrow and Manchester airports, without passing through border control, are temporarily exempt from needing an ETA.

Two details matter. The exemption is temporary, so it could change between booking your flights and taking them. And it applies only at Heathrow and Manchester.

When transit passengers do need an ETA

Plan on needing an ETA if any of these apply to your connection:

• you're changing planes at a UK airport other than Heathrow or Manchester, where the exemption doesn't apply
• you have to collect checked bags and check them in again, which usually means going through border control
• your flights are on separate tickets and your bags can't be checked through
• you're changing airports, for example from Heathrow to Gatwick
• you want to leave the airport during a long layover, even for a meal or a hotel night
• you're arriving by air and leaving by ferry or train, or the other way round

If you're unsure which applies, ask your airline. It will know whether your connection is set up as an airside transfer.

Three examples

One ticket, bags checked through at Heathrow

A US citizen flies from Chicago to Rome, changing planes at Heathrow on a single ticket with bags checked through to Rome. They stay airside, so at the time of writing they don't need an ETA.

Separate tickets via Manchester

A Canadian traveller lands at Manchester on one airline and leaves on another, booked separately. If they have to collect their bags and check in again, they pass through border control and need an ETA.

A night in London on the way

A Singaporean family flying to New York stops in London for a night and stays in a hotel. Leaving the airport means entering the UK, so each of them needs an ETA, children included.

Why some transit passengers get one anyway

Connections don't always go to plan. A cancelled flight or a missed connection can mean an overnight rebooking, and getting to a hotel means passing through border control. Without an ETA, you may not be able to leave the airport.

For £20, some travellers apply anyway as a precaution, particularly on tight connections or trips with several legs. The ETA lasts two years or until the passport expires, so it also covers a proper visit to the UK later.

If your nationality isn't on the ETA list

The ETA and its transit exemption only apply to nationalities on the ETA list. If yours isn't on it, you may need a transit visa, even if you stay airside. Use the GOV.UK visa checker and choose transit as the reason for your trip.

Ferry and rail connections

The airside exemption is about airports. If your route takes you through the UK by sea or rail, you'll enter the country and need an ETA, and ferry and rail operators check for one before you board.

Getting an ETA for a connection

The process is the same as for any visit: apply in the UK ETA app or at GOV.UK for £20, and allow three working days. Apply with the passport you'll fly on. If you'd like help, we can check and submit the application for you.