Transit Visa

When you pass through the UK on your way to another country, you might need a transit visa.
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Transit Visa

The Transit visa is applicable to people who do not have an EU Settlement Scheme family permit, Home Office travel document, Standard Visitor Visa, or a Marriage Visitor Visa. You can check here if you want to see if you need one.

The type of transit visa you apply for depends on whether you are or are not going through border control.

How we can help

We have experience of preparing successful applications on behalf of our clients. We pride ourselves on the presentation of our applications to the Home Office. You can be assured that your application process will be managed in a professional and organised manner.

Key contact

Usof Shah PNG
Usof Shah
Legal Director

What our clients say about us

We have also greatly benefited from the excellent work of Usof Shah, Immigration Director, whose expertise has been instrumental in helping our members address critical skills shortages in the construction industry. Usof has provided clear, actionable guidance on immigration laws, empowering our members to legally employ skilled foreign workers and sustain their businesses. His commitment extends beyond traditional legal services - he has delivered live webinars and offered free advice to some of our SME members, which was highly valued and, in several cases, helped save their companies. This combination of deep legal expertise, accessibility, and genuine care for clients' success sets him apart from others in the field.

Throughout my UK career, I came across many solicitors and solicitor firms. But Herrington Carmichael is the best so far. Their quick response, wider knowledge, and straightforward decisions come with a very competitive advisory fee. I can easily recommend them, and I did. Their success rate for me is 100%. In a nutshell, they are brilliant.

The individual deals with my requirements and makes sure I fully understand what he is advising and what the best way to proceed is.

Responsive, commercial, and able to explain immigration requirements in clear, simple terms.

The individuals we work with stand out for being approachable, knowledgeable, and responsive. Usof Shah, in particular, has been extremely professional, helpful, and practical in his advice.

Usof Shah stands out for his strong combination of technical expertise, commercial awareness, and responsiveness. He is able to explain complex immigration matters in a clear and practical way while remaining highly approachable and solutions-oriented throughout the process. What differentiates him from competitors is the level of personal attention and ownership he brings to matters. He is proactive, detail-oriented, and demonstrates a strong understanding of the operational and business needs of his clients rather than approaching matters from a purely technical perspective. I have particularly valued his responsiveness, clear communication, and ability to manage matters efficiently under tight timelines. He consistently provides pragmatic advice and maintains a high level of professionalism, which creates a strong sense of confidence and reliability throughout the engagement.

Usof Shah and his team stood out for their professionalism, responsiveness, and clear communication.

Herrington Carmichael’s team stands out for its strong expertise in immigration matters, combined with a highly personalized and responsive service. Over the past few years, they supported me and three members of my family, managing each of our individual cases efficiently and professionally. Compared to other firms, they are notably more organized and responsive.

Thank you for helping me to apply the exceptional assurance and I got the application succeed very quickly.

Usof was a pleasure to work with and his wealth of knowledge on the topic of immigration law was evident. We collaboratively delivered a successful webinar to hundreds of construction professionals on the post-Brexit immigration system and Usof was able to answer complex questions on the spot, demonstrating his attention to detail and professionalism. We would not hesitate to recommend Usof and Herrington Carmichael.

Usof Shah has been a great source of information and guidance both in setting up to become a sponsor and also in getting candidates sponsored.

The team provides useful guidance and support on the pitfalls and processes of being a sponsor. The team helps set everything up to become a sponsor as well as assisting with processing CoS applications.

Meet our experts

Dedicated professionals ready to assist you.

Usof Shah PNG
Legal Director
Neelu-Gurung-PNG
Paralegal

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to your most pressing questions about our services and processes.

Direct Airside Transit Visa is for when you are changing flights in the UK and will not go through UK border control.

Visitor in Transit Visa is for when you do go through UK border control but will be leaving the UK within 48 hours of arriving.

If you intend to stay for more than 48 hours, you will need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa.

The Direct Airside Transit visa is for people with connecting flights and no need to go through border control.

For the Visitor in Transit visa:

  • you are changing flights in the UK on your way to another country
  • you are going through UK border control, to check in your luggage for a connecting flight as an example
  • leaving the UK within 48 hours
  • will not be working or studying while in the UK

You might need to apply for the Standard Visitors visa to visit one of these countries and are passing through the UK. You do not need any visa if:

  • you have a valid visa for the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man
  • you have a valid Irish biometric visa (marked as ‘BC’ or ‘BC BIVS’ in the remarks section)

If you are not a national of the country you are travelling to, you will need to show evidence of allowed entry such as a resident permit, a green card or a valid visa.

If you are not a resident, they may ask why you are going and provide the details of where you are staying.

You may be asked to prove your onward journey through showing evidence like a flight booking confirmation, a ticket or boarding pass, or confirmation from a travel agent.

It is recommended to bring these documents with you as you travel through the UK.

The Direct Airside Transit visa costs £35 and the Visitor in Transit visa costs £64.