# Transit visa: questions Indian applicants ask

Answers to the questions Indian applicants ask the desk about the Transit visa, from bank statements to reapplying after a refusal.

Source: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/transit-visa/faq · Updated 2026-10-08 · Reviewed by UK Visa Desk counselling team, licence 849/DC/PTA/PLA/LC-3/2024 · UK Visa Desk, a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, Patiala, India. WhatsApp +91 91155 80911, Mon to Sat, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM IST.

**Do Indians need a transit visa to change planes at Heathrow?**
Usually yes. If you stay airside and your connection is on the same day, a Direct Airside Transit visa at £41.50 applies. If you need to collect baggage, change terminals through border control or stay overnight, a Visitor in Transit visa at £74.50 applies.

**Does a Standard Visitor visa cover transit?**
Yes. A valid Standard Visitor visa lets you transit without a separate transit visa, airside or landside.

**I hold a valid US visa. Am I exempt?**
Possibly, under the transit without visa concession, which depends on the type of visa, your onward destination and whether you stay airside. The Lifeset Overseas guide lists the exact conditions; do not rely on the airline alone.

**How long is a transit visa valid?**
A Direct Airside Transit visa is for the connection on the day of travel. A Visitor in Transit visa allows up to 48 hours in the UK. Neither can be extended or switched.

**Is the fee shown in rupees?**
The Home Office charges in rupees at its quarterly rate, about ₹5,492 for Direct Airside Transit and ₹9,859 for Visitor in Transit at the rate shown in October 2026. The exact amount appears when you pay online.

**Where do I apply?**
Online on gov.uk, then biometrics at a VFS UK visa application centre in India. Lifeset Overseas tracks appointment availability by city, and its transit guide walks through the form.

Full guide: https://ukvisadesk.com/visas/transit-visa.md

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UK Visa Desk is a brand of Pro Lifeset Overseas Private Limited, a visa consultancy licensed by the Government of Punjab, India. We are a private company, not affiliated with the UK Government, and we are not regulated by the UK Immigration Advice Authority. We serve applicants who are in India; applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated UK adviser. We do not handle work visas. Information here is general, not legal advice, and no visa outcome is guaranteed.
We do not handle UK work visas. Applicants already in the UK are referred to a regulated adviser.