The Extra Mile
Do South Africans need a transit visa to fly to America via the UK?
Sunday Times Travel editor Paul Ash answers your queries
Q. We are travelling to New York from Nice on November 5, via London, Gatwick. We land at Gatwick with Easyjet at 10.10pm and then have to collect our luggage to move to the departures lounge for Norwegian Airlines. We fly to New York from Gatwick at 6am on November 6, giving us a layover of nearly eight hours. The rules, I have found, say that we do not need a landside visa if we are from South Africa and are in possession of a visa for the US. Where can I confirm this please? - Sharon Eldridge
A. There has been considerable hot air and anxiety expended on this question in the past few years - probably enough hot air to send an airship into the upper atmosphere.
The basic rule is that you do not require a UK transit visa if you have a valid US (or Canadian) visa and a confirmed onward flight from the UK within 24 hours. We understand that this rule applies even if you change airports, such as arriving at Gatwick on your inbound flight and departing from Heathrow on your flight to the US...
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