UK Transit Visa

A UK transit visa is permission to pass through the United Kingdom on your way to a third country.

It is not a visitor visa. It does not allow you to enter the UK for tourism, visit family, or conduct business. Its sole purpose is to allow eligible travellers to connect through a UK airport as part of a longer journey.

The UK operates two types of transit visa, and the one you need depends entirely on a single question: will you be going through UK border control during your stopover?

Your airline can tell you whether your specific journey requires you to pass through immigration control, so it is worth checking this before you apply.

As a South African passport holder, you fall into a category that requires a transit visa regardless of which type of transit you are undertaking.

There are limited exemptions, but for the vast majority of South Africans travelling via the UK, a transit visa is a non-negotiable step in the journey planning process.

Page Contents

• Overview of Transit Visas in the UK
• Do I Need a Transit Visa for the UK?
• Types of UK Transit Visa
• If You Are Not Going Through UK Border Control
• If You Are Going Through UK Border Control
• If You Are Staying in the UK for More Than 48 Hours
• Direct Airside Transit Visa: Key Details
• Visitor in Transit Visa: Key Details
• Persons Who Transit Through the UK Regularly
• Travelling to the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or Ireland
• UK Transit Visa Requirements
• Required Documents for a UK Transit Visa Application
• UK Transit Visa Application Process
• UK Transit Visa Fee and Processing Time
• How IAS Can Help?
• Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, as a South African passport holder, you will need a UK transit visa unless one of the following exemptions applies to you.

You do not need a transit visa if you hold a valid:

• UK Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
• EU Settlement Scheme family permit
• Home Office travel document (for example, if you are a refugee or stateless person)
• Standard Visitor visa for the UK
• Marriage Visitor visa for the UK
• Valid visa for Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or the United States (this exemption applies even if you are not travelling to those countries)
• Permanent resident card issued by Canada on or after 28 June 2002
• Permanent resident visa issued by Australia or New Zealand
• Common format residence permit issued by an EEA country or Switzerland
• Uniform format Category D visa for entry to an EEA country or Switzerland
• Valid Irish biometric visa marked ‘BC’ or ‘BC BIVS’ in the remarks section
• Schengen Approved Destination Scheme (ADS) group tourism visa, where you are travelling to a Schengen country

Holders of South African diplomatic or special passports do not require a transit visa. However, this exemption does not extend to holders of ordinary South African passports.

If none of the exemptions applies to your situation, you will need to apply for the appropriate UK transit visa before travelling.

There are two main types of transit visa available, and understanding the difference is essential.

Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV)

The Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) is for travellers who will be changing flights at a UK airport and will not be going through UK border control at any point during their stopover. In this scenario, you stay in the international departure area of the airport at all times.

The DATV is the simpler and less expensive of the two options. It is valid for a 24-hour airside transit and costs £41.50.

You will always be required to pass through UK border control if you leave the main airport building for any reason, or if you need to collect your bags and re-check them for your onward flight.

This can catch some travellers by surprise, particularly on routes where bags are not checked through automatically to the final destination. If in doubt, confirm with your airline whether your bags will be checked through before assuming you can transit airside.

You will also be required to go through border control if your connecting flight departs on a different calendar day from when you arrive, and there is no transit hotel available within the airside area of the airport.

Visitor in Transit Visa

The Visitor in Transit visa is for travellers who will be going through UK border control as part of their journey. This applies if you need to collect your bags, check them in again, or leave the airport building for any reason. It also applies if you arrive and depart on different calendar days and cannot remain airside overnight.

The Visitor in Transit visa allows you to enter the UK briefly as part of your onward journey. It costs £74.50 and requires you to leave the UK within 48 hours of arriving. You must not work or study while you are in the UK on this visa.

If your connecting flight is at the same airport, your bags are checked through to your final destination, and your onward flight departs on the same calendar day, there is a good chance you will not need to go through border control. In this case, you need a DATV.

You will remain in the international transit zone at the airport and move between gates or terminals without clearing immigration. Some UK airports have transfer desks and dedicated transit routes to make this easier.

Practical points to remember:

• Keep your onward boarding pass accessible
• Keep your connecting flight ticket or booking confirmation with you
• Allow plenty of time between your arrival and departure flights, as UK airports can be large and busy, and even an airside transfer can take longer than anticipated

You must apply for a DATV before you travel. It will not be issued on arrival.

There are several situations in which you will be required to clear UK border control even if your overall intention is simply to transit. These include:

• Your bags are not checked through to your final destination, and you need to collect and re-check them
• You leave the main airport building for any reason, including to change terminals, where a landside transfer is required
• Your onward flight departs on a different calendar day from your arrival, and there is no airside transit hotel available

In these circumstances, a Visitor in Transit visa is required. When you clear border control, the immigration officer will check your visa and your onward travel documents before admitting you to the UK. Make sure you have your connecting flight ticket or booking confirmation ready.

You must leave the UK within 48 hours of arriving. This visa does not permit any form of extended stay, even informally.

A Visitor in Transit visa does not cover stays of more than 48 hours. If your journey requires you to remain in the UK for longer than this, you will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa instead.

A Standard Visitor visa is also the appropriate option if you need to pass through the UK in transit on a regular basis for more than six months. In that case, you can apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa, which is available for periods of 2, 5, or 10 years.

Each individual visit under a multi-year Standard Visitor visa can last up to six months, giving regular UK transit travellers considerably more flexibility than a single-use transit visa.

The DATV is the right visa if you will be changing flights in the UK without going through border control.

Who needs it: South African passport holders transiting airside (not clearing immigration) at a UK airport.

Validity – Valid for a single 24-hour transit. You must depart the UK on the same calendar day you arrive in most circumstances.

Key restriction – You must not leave the international transit zone. If you leave the airside area for any reason, even briefly, you will be required to go through border control, at which point you would need a Visitor in Transit visa instead.

Exemptions from the DATV – If you hold a valid visa for the US, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, an EEA residence permit, or another qualifying document, you may not need a DATV. Always use the official GOV.UK visa checker to confirm.

The Visitor in Transit visa is required when you clear UK border control as part of your journey.

Who needs it – South African passport holders who will pass through UK immigration as part of a transit journey and depart within 48 hours.

Validity – Allows entry to the UK for transit purposes only. You must leave within 48 hours.

Key restrictions – You cannot work, study, or extend your stay beyond 48 hours on this visa. You must be able to demonstrate that you have confirmed onward travel out of the UK.

If your work or personal circumstances mean you pass through UK airports frequently, applying for a new transit visa every time you travel is inconvenient and expensive. The most practical solution is a long-term Standard Visitor visa, which can be issued for 2, 5, or 10 years.

Under a long-term Standard Visitor visa, you can transit through the UK as many times as you need, with each stay in the UK limited to six months. This is significantly more cost-effective for frequent travellers than applying for individual transit visas on each occasion.

South African business travellers and those with family or professional ties that require regular UK transit are the most likely to benefit from this route.

If your ultimate destination is the Channel Islands (Jersey or Guernsey), the Isle of Man, or the Republic of Ireland, a standard transit visa will not be sufficient.

You will need to apply for a visitor visa instead of a transit visa in these cases.

You will not need a UK visitor visa to travel through the UK to these destinations if you hold a valid visa for the Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or an Irish biometric visa marked ‘BC’ or ‘BC BIVS’.

In all other cases, a Standard Visitor visa is required.

This is a commonly overlooked point for South African travellers heading to Dublin via London.

The transit visa route is specifically for travellers passing through the UK to a third country that is not in this special category.

If Ireland is your destination, plan accordingly.

Regardless of which type of transit visa you are applying for, you will need to satisfy certain requirements and provide supporting documentation.

Your passport must be valid. There is no specific minimum validity period stated for transit visa applications, other than that your passport must cover your entire journey. As a general rule, it is advisable to have at least 6 months remaining on your passport at the time of travel.

You must have confirmed onward travel. A booked and confirmed onward flight (or other means of transport) from the UK to your final destination is a fundamental requirement. You cannot apply for a transit visa without demonstrating that you are genuinely in transit.

If your final destination requires a visa and you do not yet hold one, this may complicate your transit visa application. You will need to show that you are permitted to enter your destination country or provide a satisfactory explanation for your travel.

You must have no intention of working or studying in the UK, and no intention of remaining beyond the permitted transit period.

The following documents are generally required for both the DATV and the Visitor in Transit visa:

• Your current, valid South African passport and copies of any previous passports
• Your onward flight tickets or booking confirmations should show your complete itinerary
• Visa or other entry permission for your final destination, if required
• Bank statements or other evidence of sufficient funds for your journey
• Details of your travel history if requested. Biometric information (fingerprints and a photograph) will be collected at a UK visa application centre in South Africa

You may be asked for additional documents depending on your specific circumstances. Ensure all documents are genuine and complete. Submitting false or misleading documents is a serious offence that can result in refusal and a ban on making future applications.

Applications for both types of UK transit visa are made online through the official GOV.UK website. You cannot apply on paper or in person at an embassy. The process works as follows:

• Complete your online application at gov.uk/apply-uk-visa
• Select the correct visa category (transit visa) and complete all fields accurately
• Pay the visa fee online at the time of application
• Book an appointment at your nearest UK Visa Application Centre in South Africa. These are operated by TLScontact and are located in Johannesburg (Sandton), Cape Town, and Pretoria (Menlyn)
• Attend your appointment in person to submit your documents and have your biometrics recorded
• Wait for a decision. You can track the progress of your application online

Do not book non-refundable travel until you have received your visa. Processing times can vary, and there is no guarantee of a decision within any specific timeframe.

The fee for a Direct Airside Transit Visa is £41.50. The fee for a Visitor in Transit visa is £74.50. These fees may vary slightly depending on the country in which you apply, as they are sometimes charged in local currency at the prevailing exchange rate.

For standard applications, UK transit visa processing time is typically around three weeks. If you need a faster decision, a priority service may be available at an additional cost through the visa application centre.

It is advisable to apply well in advance of your travel date, and ideally no later than three months before you intend to travel.