Transit Visa
What is Transit Visa?
A transit visa is a document that permits a traveller to pass through a country's territory — typically an airport — for a limited period while en route to another destination. Transit visas are required either when a traveller needs to clear immigration during a layover, or when their nationality requires documentary clearance even for airside transit (remaining within the international departure zone, without clearing immigration).
Several jurisdictions require certain nationalities to obtain a Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) even when they never plan to leave the airport's sterile transit zone. This is a particularly common trap for travellers connecting through London Heathrow: passport holders of many countries need a UK DATV even for a two-hour connection that never involves clearing UK border control.
Example of Transit Visa
Priya, on an Indian passport, booked a flight connecting through London Heathrow on her way to New York. While rebooting after a payment failure, she realised she needed to check transit visa requirements. She discovered she needed a UK Direct Airside Transit Visa even though she'd never leave the terminal. She applied online, paid £35, and received approval within a week. Without it, she'd have been denied boarding entirely in Mumbai.