# The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2014

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U.K.

Statutory Instruments

# 2014 No. 2702

Immigration

# The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2014

Made

8th October 2014

Laid before Parliament

16th October 2014

Coming into force

1st December 2014

The Secretary of State, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 41 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 F1, makes the following Order:                        

F11999 c. 33.

## Citation and commencementU.K.

1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2014.                  

(2) This Order comes into force on 1st December 2014.

## InterpretationU.K.

2.—(1) Subject to paragraph (5), in this Order a “transit passenger” means a person to whom [F2paragraph (2), (3), (4) or (4A)] applies and who on arrival in the United Kingdom passes through to another country or territory without entering the United                     Kingdom.                  

(2) This paragraph applies to a person who is a citizen or national of a country or territory listed in Schedule 1 to this Order.

(3) This paragraph applies to a person holding a travel document issued by the purported “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”.

(4) This paragraph applies to a person who holds a passport issued by the Republic of Venezuela that does not contain biometric                     information contained in an electronic chip.                  

[F3(4A)This paragraph applies to a person who holds—                  

(a)a passport; or                  

(b)another document that can be used (in some or all circumstances) instead of a passport;                  

which does not establish citizenship or nationality].                  

(5) A person to whom paragraph (2), (3) or (4) applies will not be a transit passenger if he—

(a)has the right of abode in the United Kingdom under the Immigration Act 1971 F4;                  

(b)is a citizen or national of an EEA State; F5...                  

(c)in the case of a citizen or national of the People's Republic of China, holds a passport issued by either the Hong Kong Special                        Administrative Region or the Macao Special Administrative Region[F6; or                  

(d)is a citizen or national of the territory of Taiwan.]                  

(6) In this Order—

“Approved Destination Status Scheme” means a scheme for issuing visas to Chinese tour groups under—                  

the Memorandum of Understanding between the European Community and the National Tourism Administration of the People's Republic                              of China on visa and related issues concerning tourist groups from the People's Republic of China (ADS) signed at Beijing                              on 12th February 2004 F7; or                           

a similar agreement between the People's Republic of China and a Schengen Acquis State;

[F8“Convention Travel Document” means a document issued in accordance with Article 28 of—                  

the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to Status of Refugees done at Geneva on 28th July 1951 as amended by the New York                                 Protocol of 31st January 1967; or                           

the 1954 United Nations Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons done at New York on 28th September 1954.]                            

“EEA State” means a country which is a contracting party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area signed at Oporto on 2nd May                     1992 F9 as adjusted by the Protocol signed at Brussels on 17th March 1993 F10;                  

“Schengen Acquis State” means an EEA State (excluding the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland) or Switzerland.                  

F2Words in art. 2(1) substituted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(2)**

F3Art. 2(4A) inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(3)**

F41971 c. 77.

F5Word in art. 2(5)(b) omitted (24.4.2015) by virtue of The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(4)**

F6Art. 2(5)(d) and word inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(5)**

F7OJ L83, 20.3.04, p. 14.

F8Words in art. 2(6) inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(6)**

F9OJ L1, 3.1.94, p. 3.

F10OJ L1, 3.1.94, p. 571.

## Requirement for a transit passenger to hold a transit visaU.K.

3.  Subject to article 4, a transit passenger is required to hold a transit visa.                  

## Exemption from the requirement for a transit passenger to hold a transit visaU.K.

4.—[F11(1)] A transit passenger is not required to hold a transit visa if he holds or a person with whom he arrives in the United Kingdom                     holds on his behalf—                  

(a)a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America;                  

[F12(aa)an expired visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America provided it is less than six months                           since the transit passenger last entered that country with a valid visa;]                  

(b)a valid Australian Permanent Resident Visa;                  

(c)a valid Canadian Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 28th June 2002;                  

(d)a valid New Zealand Permanent Resident Visa;                  

(e)a valid USA I-551 Permanent Resident Card issued on or after 21st April 1998;                  

(f)an expired USA I-551 Permanent Resident Card provided it is accompanied by a valid I-797 letter authorising an extension of                        the period of permanent residency;                  

[F13(g)a valid temporary USA I-551 machine readable immigrant visa;]                  

(h)a valid standalone US Immigration Form 155A/155B attached to a brown sealed envelope;                  

(i)a valid common format Category D visa for entry to an EEA state or Switzerland;                  

(j)a valid common format residence permit issued by an EEA State pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 1030/2002F14 or Switzerland;                  

(k)a valid biometric visa issued by the Republic of Ireland;                  

(l)a valid visa issued by a Schengen Acquis State under the Approved Destination Status Scheme where the transit passenger is                        undertaking a journey via the [F15United Kingdom to that] Schengen Acquis State;                  

(m)a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from a Schengen Acquis State to another country                        or territory, provided that the transit passenger does not seek to travel via the United Kingdom on a date more than 30 days                        from the date on which he last entered a Schengen Acquis State with a valid visa issued by a Schengen Acquis State under the                        Approved Destination Status Scheme;                  

(n)a [F16valid] diplomatic or service passport issued by the People's Republic of China;                  

(o)a [F17valid] diplomatic or official passport issued by India; F18...                  

(p)a [F19valid] diplomatic or official passport issued by Vietnam.                  

[F20(q)a valid diplomatic passport issued by Turkey;                  

(r)a valid alien’s passport issued by Estonia or Latvia;                  

(s)a valid Convention Travel Document; or                  

(t)a valid laissez-passer issued by the United Nations or the International Committee of the Red Cross.]                  

[F21(2)Paragraph (1)(a) [F22and (1)(aa)] shall not apply where the transit passenger is a citizen or national of Syria holding a B1 or B2 visa for entry to the United                        States of America.]                  

[F23(3)All documents listed in this article exclude versions held—                  

(a)in electronic format; or                  

(b)in hardcopy format which derives from electronic format                  

except where the document can be verified by the owner of the aircraft (or his employee or agent) in which the transit passenger                        intends to travel to the United Kingdom.]                  

F11 Art. 4 renumbered as art. 4(1) (17.3.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(13)**

F12Art. 4(1)(aa) inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(7)**

F13Art. 4(1)(g) substituted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(8)**

F14OJ L157, 15.6.02, p. 1.

F15Words in art. 4(1)(l) substituted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(9)**

F16Word in art. 4(1)(n) inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(10)**

F17Word in art. 4(1)(o) inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(10)**

F18Word in art. 4(1)(o) omitted (24.4.2015) by virtue of The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(11)**

F19Word in art. 4(1)(p) inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(10)**

F20Art. 4(1)(q)-(t) inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(12)**

F21 Art. 4(2) inserted (17.3.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(13)**

F22Words in art. 4(2) inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(14)**

F23Art. 4(3) inserted (24.4.2015) by The Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) (Amendment) Order 2015 (S.I. 2015/657), arts. 1(2), **2(15)**

## Method of application for a transit visaU.K.

5.  An application for a transit visa may be made to any British High Commission, Embassy or Consulate which accepts such applications.                  

## RevocationsU.K.

6.  The Orders specified in Schedule 2 to this Order are revoked.                  

James Brokenshire

 Minister of State

 Home Office

 Article 2(2)

## SCHEDULE 1U.K.Countries or territories whose nationals or citizens need transit visas

### 

          -  Afghanistan 
          -  Albania 
          -  Algeria 
          -  Angola 
          -  Bangladesh 
          -  Belarus 
          -  Burma 
          -  Burundi 
          -  Cameroon 
          -  F24...                         
          -  Congo 
          -  Democratic Republic of the Congo 
          -  Egypt 
          -  Eritrea 
          -  Ethiopia 
          -  Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 
          -  Gambia 
          -  Ghana 
          -  Guinea 
          -  Guinea-Bissau 
          -  India 
          -  Iran 
          -  Iraq 
          -  Ivory Coast 
          -  Jamaica 
          -  Kenya 
          -  Kosovo 
          -  Lebanon 
          -  Lesotho 
          -  Liberia 
          -  Libya 
          -  Malawi 
          -  Moldova 
          -  Mongolia 
          -  Nepal 
          -  Nigeria 
          -  Pakistan 
          -  Palestinian Territories 
          -  [F25People’s Republic of China]                         
          -  Rwanda 
          -  Senegal 
          -  Serbia 
          -  Sierra Leone 
          -  Somalia 
          -  South Africa 
          -  South Sudan 
          -  Sri Lanka 
          -  Sudan 
          -  Swaziland 
          -  Syria 
          -  Tanzania 
          -  Turkey 
          -  Uganda 
          -  Vietnam 
          -  Yemen 
          -  Zimbabwe 

 Article 6

## SCHEDULE 2U.K.Revocations

## Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order consolidates and amends the Immigration (Passenger Transit Visa) Order 2003 (the “2003 Order”). The 2003 Order requires certain passengers to hold a transit visa to pass through the United Kingdom, without entering                        the United Kingdom, while transiting to another country.                     

Article 2 defines a “transit passenger” as a person who on arrival in the United Kingdom passes through to another country                        or territory without entering the United Kingdom and is either a citizen or national of a country or territory listed in Schedule                        1 (article 2(2)); a person holding a travel document issued by the purported “Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus” (article                        2(3)); or holds a non-biometric passport issued by the Republic of Venezuela. However, a person will not be a transit passenger                        if they have a right of abode in the United Kingdom; are a national of an EEA State; or are a national or citizen of China                        and hold a passport issued by either the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the Macao Special Administrative Region.                     

Article 3 imposes a requirement for transit passengers to hold a transit visa unless they are subject to an exemption in article                        4.                     

Article 4 sets out the categories of documents which, if held by a transit passenger or on his behalf by a person with whom                        the transit passenger arrives in the United Kingdom, exempt the transit passenger from the requirement to hold a transit visa.                     

Article 5 provides that an application for a transit visa may be made to any British High Commission, Embassy or Consulate                        which accepts such applications.                     

Article 6 revokes previous orders relating to transit visas as part of the consolidation of the Immigration (Passenger Transit                        Visa) Order 2003 (as amended).