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Hi, I have booked my tickets in Sri Lankan Airlines from Cochin to Toronto. We have a layover at Heathrow, for 12hrs 30ms. We are reaching on 25 sep 2017 at 08.30 PM and the connection flight to Toronto is at 08.00 AM the next day. So wondering if we need a transit visa. I have checked with airline as well as UK immigration. Very confusing answers. UK immigration people said I need a transit visa, but need to check with Airline to see if I am passing through border control so that they could tell which transit visa is required. There are two, one is airside transit and visitor transit. I will be changing Terminals. Can anyone tell me do I require a transit visa? If yes, then which one?

Thanks in Advance!
 
Hi, I have booked my tickets in Sri Lankan Airlines from Cochin to Toronto. We have a layover at Heathrow, for 12hrs 30ms. We are reaching on 25 sep 2017 at 08.30 PM and the connection flight to Toronto is at 08.00 AM the next day. So wondering if we need a transit visa. I have checked with airline as well as UK immigration. Very confusing answers. UK immigration people said I need a transit visa, but need to check with Airline to see if I am passing through border control so that they could tell which transit visa is required. There are two, one is airside transit and visitor transit. I will be changing Terminals. Can anyone tell me do I require a transit visa? If yes, then which one?

Thanks in Advance!
You don't need a transit visa unless you want to move out of the airport. Let's say you have a flight to catch in Gatwick Airport but you arrive at Heathrow, You need a transit visa. If you are landing at heathrow and have a flight to catch in Heathrow but different terminals, you don't need a transit visa. Trust me, I traveled to the US in the past via British Airways and we didn't need a transit visa even though we had to catch the connecting flight in a different terminal. You should be fine as long as you are inside Heathrow.
 
till 24 hours.. a free of cost visa is obtained..
as long as you have a valid ticket and VISA for the destination country..

So tecnically, you DO NEED a visa, but you get it at the airport.. free of charge..
:)

all the best..
I have a doubt whether we can go out for a shopping from airport in that transit time
 
I have a doubt whether we can go out for a shopping from airport in that transit time
Of course not! You can't do do that in the layover time. If you do have a valid visitor visa, you may go for shopping. Well, you still can shop in the shops inside the airport.
 
You don't need a transit visa unless you want to move out of the airport. Let's say you have a flight to catch in Gatwick Airport but you arrive at Heathrow, You need a transit visa. If you are landing at heathrow and have a flight to catch in Heathrow but different terminals, you don't need a transit visa. Trust me, I traveled to the US in the past via British Airways and we didn't need a transit visa even though we had to catch the connecting flight in a different terminal. You should be fine as long as you are inside Heathrow.
The OP will have a very uncomfortable night sleeping either on an airport seat or on the floor though waiting for their 0800 flight with limited facilities airside and Heathrow as an airport in effect shuts down overnight from 2400 through approx 0600 I believe so no outlets open overnight even though some checkins open earlier than 0600 of course. Cannot find anything official but often airport authorities do not like people sleeping in the terminals overnight .
 
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