UK ETA Transit Documents 2026 — What You Need at Heathrow & Gatwick

If you are connecting through Heathrow, Gatwick, or any other UK airport, you may need a UK ETA for your transit — but only if you plan to pass through UK border control. Passengers who remain airside (in the international transit area, without entering the UK) do not currently need a UK ETA for a connecting flight at Heathrow or Manchester (a temporary exemption). However, if you need to re-check luggage or have any reason to clear UK immigration, a UK ETA is required (UK Border Force, 2025).

Les UK ETA expliqué system launched in October 2023, was extended to the USA, Canada and many others on 8 January 2025 and to most European nationals on 2 April 2025, and now covers 83 nationalities on the Appendix ETA National List. Furthermore, the transit rules are among the most frequently misunderstood aspects of the scheme. Airlines may deny boarding if the ETA requirement applies and has not been met, even for a simple connecting flight.

Do You Need a UK ETA for a Connecting Flight Through Heathrow?

For most ETA-eligible travellers on connecting flights through Heathrow, Gatwick, or other UK airports, a UK ETA is required unless a specific transit exemption applies. The current temporary exemption covers only passengers who stay airside and never pass through UK border control. A purely airside connection at Heathrow or Manchester is currently exempt; anywhere else you normally clear the border, which does need an ETA. Check with your carrier before you fly, as the transit exemption is under review.

Transit Type	ETA nécessaire ?
Airside transit, ETA-eligible passport	Not currently at Heathrow or Manchester (temporary exemption); at other airports you clear the border — ETA required
Landside transit, ETA-eligible passport	Yes — ETA required
British/Irish citizen transit	Non
Valid UK visa holder transiting	No — existing visa covers transit

Required Documents for UK Transit in 2026

The documents to carry for UK transit in 2026 are: a valid passport, a UK ETA (for ETA-eligible nationals who clear UK border control), your onward booking, and any visa required for your final destination. For landside transit, Border Force may ask about your onward travel and where you will stay overnight, although there is no fixed accommodation requirement. Carry printed copies of all electronic documents.

Full document checklist for UK transit: valid passport (valid for the whole of your time in the UK); UK ETA confirmation email; confirmed return or onward ticket; visa for your final destination if required (e.g., US visa if transiting to the USA); proof of accommodation for overnight landside stays; and travel insurance documentation. The Délais de traitement des visas pour le Royaume-Uni provides information on UK entry and transit rules in more detail.

Heathrow Transit — Terminal-Specific Rules

Heathrow has four operating terminals (T2, T3, T4 and T5; T1 is closed). Passengers connecting between terminals on the same ticket and using designated airside connections do not need to pass through immigration for the connection itself. However, connections between Heathrow and Gatwick always require landside transit — taking the train or a taxi between airports — which means passing through UK border control and requiring a UK ETA (UK Border Force, 2025).

Key Heathrow transit routes: connecting passengers move between T2, T3, T4 and T5 on transfer buses without passing immigration control, so changing terminal does not in itself require an ETA (the exception is a connection from an international to a UK domestic flight); Heathrow to Gatwick is always landside, requiring a UK ETA. The UK entry rules and visa requirements covers UK international entry rules that apply to these situations.

UK ETA for Transit: How to Apply

Transit passengers apply for the UK ETA in exactly the same way as any other traveller — through the official UK ETA app (iOS and Android) or the GOV.UK website. There is no separate “transit ETA” — the standard ETA covers both visits and transit. The fee is £20 per person and the ETA is valid for two years from issue or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. Apply at least 3 working days before your connecting flight; a decision usually arrives within 1 day but can take up to 3 working days (GOV.UK).

The application does not ask for your flight details or itinerary, and there is no separate transit category, so the same ETA covers transit and future full visits to the UK. The Home Office does not publish processing-time statistics; GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 1 day, and most app users receive an automated decision within minutes.

What Documents Do Children Need for UK Transit?

Children transiting through the UK need the same documents as adults, including their own UK ETA if they hold an ETA-eligible passport. Additionally, unaccompanied minors may face additional checks at the UK border. For children travelling as part of a family: each child needs their own ETA on their own passport; if only one parent is travelling, carrying a consent letter from the absent parent is advisable (it is not an ETA requirement); and children’s passports must be valid for the entire transit period (UK Border Force, 2025).

Les UK visa pour les enfants explains UK entry requirements for children in more detail. Furthermore, for families with multiple children, ensuring all ETAs are linked to the correct, current passports before travel is essential to avoiding delays at the border.

Common Transit Mistakes to Avoid

The most common mistake for ETA-eligible passengers transiting through UK airports is assuming that a “transit” means no ETA is needed. That is right only for a purely airside connection, which is currently exempt; as soon as you clear UK border control an ETA is required. A second frequent error is booking separate flight tickets on different airlines and then discovering that baggage reclaim is required, which means landside transit and a mandatory ETA (UK Border Force, 2025).

Additional mistakes to avoid: assuming a US ESTA or Australian ETA covers UK transit (it does not — a separate UK ETA is required); forgetting that an ETA must be on the specific passport used for travel; not accounting for processing time (apply at least 3 working days in advance); and failing to check the destination country’s visa requirement. The demande de visa touristique pour le Royaume-Uni est une référence utile pour comprendre les conditions d'entrée au Royaume-Uni applicables aux voyageurs internationaux.

Questions fréquemment posées

Do I need a UK ETA just to connect through Heathrow?

Only if you clear UK border control. A purely airside connection at Heathrow is currently exempt. Check with your carrier before you fly, as the transit exemption is under review.

What if my connecting flight is less than 2 hours — do I still need an ETA?

The length of the transit does not affect the rule. A 90-minute purely airside connection is currently exempt, while any route through border control needs a UK ETA.

Can I enter the UK on a UK ETA obtained for transit purposes?

Yes — the ETA covers both transit and full visits. If you decide to explore the UK during a layover or on a future trip, your transit ETA can be used for a standard visit.

Do EU citizens need a UK ETA for transit?

All EU nationals except Irish citizens have needed a UK ETA since 2 April 2025 whenever they clear UK border control; a purely airside connection at Heathrow or Manchester is currently exempt. Check GOV.UK for the full list of ETA-eligible nationalities.

How do I prove I have a UK ETA at Heathrow check-in?

Your ETA is checked electronically by airlines and border systems using your passport number. There is no physical document. However, carrying the confirmation email as a backup is recommended.

What happens if I arrive at Heathrow without a UK ETA?

If your ETA-eligible passport does not have an associated ETA, UK Border Force may refuse entry. In practice, your airline will typically identify this issue at check-in and deny boarding at the departure airport.

Dernière mise à jour : octobre 2026

Transit côté piste par rapport au transit côté terre — Pourquoi cela décide de tout

La question la plus importante pour toute correspondance au Royaume-Uni est de savoir si vous restez côté piste ou franchissez la frontière. À Heathrow, les correspondances entre vols au sein du même terminal ou via les bus de transfert côté piste vous maintiennent généralement côté piste ; à Gatwick, l'exemption UK ETA côté piste actuelle ne s'applique pas (elle couvre officiellement uniquement Heathrow et Manchester), donc obtenez un UK ETA si vous faites correspondance là-bas. Mais récupérer les bagages enregistrés, passer à une réservation séparée à bas coût, changer d'aéroport entièrement, ou une escale de nuit vous forcent côté terre — et au moment où vous franchissez la frontière, les règles d'entrée complètes s'appliquent à vous exactement comme elles le feraient pour un touriste arrivant pour deux semaines.

Organisez-vous en fonction de votre type de réservation. Un seul billet continu signifie que la compagnie aérienne transfère vos bagages et qu'une correspondance manquée est de sa responsabilité ; deux billets séparés signifient que vous franchissez la frontière, récupérez vos bagages, réenregistrez-les et absorbez tout retard vous-même. Prévoyez au moins trois heures pour une correspondance personnelle à Heathrow ou Gatwick, et considérez tout délai inférieur à deux heures comme un risque.

Liste de vérification des documents pour les passagers en correspondance

• Passeport valide pour tout le voyage, le même auquel votre autorisation est liée.
• Carte d'embarquement de correspondance ou confirmation de réservation, accessible hors ligne — les guichets des compagnies aériennes la demandent plus souvent que les agents frontaliers.
• Preuve des conditions d'entrée de votre destination finale’, puisque les agents d'enregistrement au Royaume-Uni vérifient que vous pouvez embarquer pour le vol suivant.
• Tout visa nécessaire pour le pays de destination — la portion au Royaume-Uni n'est aussi fluide que le reste de l'itinéraire.

Quand les choses s'enveniment en cours de correspondance

Vol d'arrivée retardé ? Si les deux tronçons sont sur un seul billet, allez directement au comptoir de transfert de la compagnie aérienne — le réacheminement est de leur responsabilité et l'hébergement peut être couvert en cas d'attente longue pendant la nuit. Sur des billets séparés, la rapidité compte : les applications des compagnies aériennes réémettent les cartes d'embarquement plus vite que les files d'attente, et expliquer votre situation à la frontière avec les documents en main accélère le passage. Les eGates traitent la plupart des nationalités admissibles en quelques secondes, ce qui est un véritable avantage quand une correspondance serrée devient critique.

Do children need their own documents for a transit?

Oui — chaque passager, y compris les nourrissons, a besoin de son propre passeport valide et de sa propre autorisation pour traverser la frontière. Les demandes familiales sont soumises individuellement, donc vérifiez les détails de chaque enfant par rapport à son propre passeport, pas celui d'un parent.

Can I leave the airport during a long layover?

Once you have legally entered, yes — a twelve-hour layover is enough for central London and back via the Elizabeth line or Gatwick Express. Just respect the return-time maths: be back three hours before departure, and remember rush-hour trains add real risk to tight schedules.