Changing planes in the UK (ETA)
If you are connecting through a UK airport, you need an ETA if you pass through UK border control. Airside transit, where you stay in the international area, is currently exempt. This guide explains when a transit ETA is required and when you can transit without one.
- Section
- ETA
- Reading time
- 7 min
- Last checked
- 21 October 2026
- Source
- The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
- Rowan does not
- Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.
In short
- You need an ETA for transit only if you pass through UK border control (landside).
- An ETA covers both airside and landside transit if you have one.
- Airside transit without passing through border control does not need an ETA. Check with your airline if unsure.
- An ETA is permission to travel to the UK, not permission to enter it.
Travellers transiting through the UK need an ETA, if their nationality requires one, only when they pass through UK border control (landside). GOV.UK lists airside transit without passing through border control as a case where no ETA is needed. This guide explains the rules and exceptions.
Understanding UK Transit
Transit through the UK means passing through a UK airport on your way to another country. There are two types:
- Airside transit. You do not pass through UK border control before you leave on your connecting journey.
- Landside transit. You pass through UK border control, for example to check in your luggage for a connecting flight, and come back through it to leave the UK within a short time. GOV.UK says this is usually 24 hours.
When You Need an ETA for Transit
If your nationality is on the ETA countries list, you need an ETA for landside transit: GOV.UK says you need one if you are passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing your onward journey. An ETA is permission to travel, not permission to enter: a Border Force officer decides at the border whether to let a person in, and GOV.UK says an ETA does not guarantee entry.
If you are a national of a visa-required country (not on the ETA list), you may need a separate transit visa instead. GOV.UK lists two: a Direct Airside Transit visa for people who will not go through UK border control, and a Visitor in Transit visa for people who go through UK border control and leave the UK within 48 hours.
Exceptions
GOV.UK lists transiting through a UK airport without passing through border control (airside) as a case where you do not need an ETA, and says to check with your airline if you are not sure. The Home Office has described this airside exemption as temporary and under review, so it may change. Check the GOV.UK visa checker for your specific nationality and circumstances. Airlines check travel documents before boarding.
Changing Airports
GOV.UK does not deal with changing airports as a separate case. What decides the ETA requirement is whether the journey passes through UK border control: GOV.UK says an ETA is needed if you are passing through border control at a UK airport before continuing your onward journey.
How to Get an ETA for Transit
The process is the same as for a regular visit. See our ETA application process guide. The cost is £20. An ETA lasts for 2 years or until the passport it is linked to expires, whichever is sooner, and covers as many journeys as needed in that time.
At the Airport
Airlines will check your ETA status before boarding. At the UK airport:
- If transiting airside, you stay in the airport and do not go through border control
- If transiting landside (or if you wish to leave the airport), go through UK border control
What If My ETA Is Refused?
The Immigration Rules say a person who is refused an ETA has not been refused permission to enter the UK, and will need to apply for a visa to come to the UK. There is no right of appeal or administrative review against an ETA decision.
Do I Need an ETA If...
- I have a connecting flight on the same ticket? Yes if you pass through UK border control and your nationality requires an ETA. Not if you stay airside; check with your airline.
- I am staying less than 24 hours? The duration of your transit does not affect the requirement. What matters is whether you pass through border control.
- I already have a visa for my destination country? Having a visa for another country does not exempt you from the UK ETA requirement.
- I am a child? Yes, children need their own ETA.
Common Travel Area
Travelling from Ireland does not remove the ETA requirement. Home Office guidance says it applies to every route into the UK, including through the Common Travel Area. The exception is a person who lives lawfully in Ireland and travels from Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. GOV.UK says a Border Force officer may ask to see a passport on journeys from Ireland to England, Scotland or Wales. See our Ireland-UK travel guide.
Next Steps
GOV.UK says most ETA decisions arrive by email within a day but can take up to 3 working days, and that you must wait for the email confirming the ETA before you travel. Apply through GOV.UK.
Related guides:
Questions and answers
Do I need an ETA to transit through the UK?
If your nationality requires an ETA, you need one when you pass through UK border control (landside transit). GOV.UK says you do not need an ETA if you are transiting through a UK airport without passing through border control (airside), and to check with your airline if you are not sure.
Can I leave the airport during a UK transit?
Leaving the airport means going through UK border control. An ETA is permission to travel to the UK, not permission to enter: a Border Force officer decides at the border whether to let a person in as a visitor, and GOV.UK says an ETA does not guarantee entry. There are two transit visas. A Direct Airside Transit visa is for people who change flights without going through UK border control. A Visitor in Transit visa is for people who go through UK border control and leave the UK within 48 hours.
How long can I stay in the UK on transit with an ETA?
An ETA lets a visitor come to the UK for up to 6 months. GOV.UK says visitors may be asked questions at the border about the activities they plan to do.
This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.