Do Indians Need a Transit Visa for London while Flying to India from USA via UK?

Wondering if you need a transit visa for your US-India travel via London Heathrow or Gatwick airport? The answer is straightforward ‘No’, but there are finer details that require your attention. Traveling on British Airways flights from USA to India via London may be a disadvantage for some US visa holders and Green Card users among Indian nationals. Thus, knowing when a London Heathrow layover in your itinerary requires an airport transit visa helps a lot.

If you hold a valid US/Canadian visa or a valid Green Card/Canadian PR, airside transit during a layover at London Heathrow does not require any visa. Landside transit (immigration clearance) at London Heathrow Airport or a change of connecting airports in the UK demands a transit visa, irrespective of your US/Canadian visa or Green Card validity status. The same is applicable to those holding a visa of Australia or New Zealand.

However, there is a condition. Among passengers of British Airways or Virgin Atlantic flights to India, valid US visa or Green Card holders can have visa-free airside transit at London Heathrow if they have a confirmed onward flight from the same airport on the same day.

How to know whether my itinerary has airside or landside transit at LHR Airport?

It is wise to check itineraries in detail for layover information before booking your flight tickets to India from USA via London. If an itinerary entails a change of airports, to say from Heathrow to Manchester or Gatwick, for the connecting leg, you must have a transit visa for landside transit that involves immigration checks. If your USA-India flight itinerary has a layover longer than 10 hours at LHR Airport, it is recommended that you contact the airline and check whether you need a transit visa.

I am flying to India via London Heathrow where I have a layover longer than 12 hours. Do I need an airport transit visa?

Generally, you don’t need an airport transit visa to spend a long layover airside at London Heathrow if you have a valid Green Card, H1B visa, B2 visa, or any other valid US visa. Having a transit visa is a relief in case you need to exit the airside transit area and enter the terminal during an overnight layover at Heathrow Airport. It is advised to contact the airline for transit visa specifics in the event of an overnight layover, as some airports do not allow overnight stay in the airside transit area.

My US visa/Green Card has expired, but I have an I-797 approval letter. Do I still need a London airport transit visa for connecting to India?

It’s important to note that both non-immigrant and immigrant US visas need to be renewed periodically. Some Green Cards are valid for 2 to 10 years. If a Green Card, O1 visa, or H1B visa expires, Indians may still be eligible for transit-visa-free layover at London Heathrow if they have an I-797 approval letter authorizing a legal extension of their immigrant or non-immigrant status.

However, I-797 approval letters come in different forms (I-797A, B, C, and D), depending on your petition type and legal status in the US. These specifics may be too complex to understand and follow for the airline crew and the airport staff. Additionally, some airlines maintain a hard stance on transit visa requirements and tend to overlook I-797 approval letters.