The United Kingdom government has released an official list of 45 countries and territories whose citizens must obtain a visa before entering or transiting the UK on land, a requirement that many travelers are unaware of. The list, published by the UK government on its official website, includes nationals from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and the Americas. Landside transit is the process of passing through a UK port of entry that requires immigration clearance, as opposed to airside transit, which allows passengers to remain in an airport’s international area without passing through UK border control.
Countries on UK Landside Transit Visa List A large number of African countries appear on the list. All 45 countries are listed below. Armenia Azerbaijan Benin Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Burkina Faso Cambodia Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Cuba Djibouti Dominican Republic Ecuador Equatorial Guinea Fiji Gabon Haiti Indonesia Kazakhstan Korea (Democratic People’s Republic of) Kyrgyzstan Laos Madagascar Mali Mauritania Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Niger Philippines Sao Tome e Principe Surinam Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Togo Tunisia Turkmenistan Ukraine Uzbekistan Venezuela (biometric) Zambia UK: What the requirement means for travellers For citizens of the listed countries, this means that even a connecting flight through a UK airport that requires immigration clearance will necessitate advance visa arrangements.
Travelers who do not have the necessary documentation risk being denied boarding by their airline, as carriers are legally required to verify visa status before allowing passengers to fly to the UK. The requirement is applicable regardless of the traveler’s final destination. A passenger from Zambia, for example, who connects through London on their way to another country will still require a UK transit visa if their journey involves clearing immigration at any point.
