London City has no transfer area, so every international connection here passes UK border control. What you need depends on your passport, not on whether you leave the terminal.
At London City you need permission to enter the UK even to change planes, because there's no transfer area and every connection passes UK border control. British and Irish citizens need nothing extra. Most visa-free travellers (US, Canada, Australia, EU and more) need an approved UK ETA (£20) before they fly. Visa nationals such as Indian passport holders need a Visitor in Transit visa (£74.50, up to 48 hours) unless the transit-without-visa concession applies.
Changing planes at London City
London City Airport (LCY) has no transfer area. Its FAQ tells passengers flying on to another flight to clear customs when they arrive, then go through security again and return to the departure lounge. So every international connection here passes UK border control, even if you never step outside.
- What that means. You need permission to enter the UK to change planes at London City, just as you would to leave the airport. The rest of this page applies to every connection.
- The airside exemption doesn’t apply. GOV.UK says you don’t need an ETA when “transiting through a UK airport without passing through border control (airside)”, and the Home Office’s factsheet names Heathrow and Manchester for that. London City has no such route.
- Domestic flights. Arriving from elsewhere in the UK, you’ve already entered the country, so a domestic-to-international connection involves no UK entry check here.
If you want to leave the airport
The documents are the same whether you head into London or wait at the gate.
| Passport | What you need at London City |
|---|---|
| British or Irish | Nothing extra |
| US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand | An approved UK ETA (£20) |
| EU, EEA and Swiss | An approved UK ETA (£20) |
| India and other visa nationals | A Visitor in Transit visa (£74.50, leave within 48 hours) or a Standard Visitor visa, unless the transit-without-visa concession applies |
GOV.UK publishes no full list of nationalities on these pages; its visa checker gives the answer for yours.
The UK ETA
- Cost: £20, on GOV.UK or the official UK ETA app. Other websites may charge more.
- Timing: GOV.UK says a decision usually comes by email within a day but can take up to 3 working days, and the Home Office recommends applying at least 3 working days before you travel. Don’t fly until you have the approval email.
- Validity: 2 years, or until the passport you applied with expires, for any number of visits of up to 6 months.
- One each, babies and children included. You travel on the same passport you applied with.
Visitor in Transit visa
For visa nationals going through UK border control on the way to another country, and leaving the UK within 48 hours. It costs £74.50, which may vary slightly by the country you apply from, and after an appointment at a visa application centre GOV.UK says you’ll usually get a decision within 3 weeks. You don’t need one if you already hold a valid ETA, Standard Visitor visa or one of the other documents GOV.UK lists. For more than 48 hours, apply for a Standard Visitor visa.
Transit without a visa
The Home Office’s transit guidance keeps a concession for visa nationals passing through border control without a visa. You must have a confirmed flight leaving the UK before 23:59 on the day after you land, and meet one of its conditions: for example, a valid visa for Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA when you’re travelling to or from that country, or a permanent residence permit from one of them. Electronic visas, even printed, don’t count. Confirm with the official visa checker and your airline before you rely on it.
If you’re on separate tickets
On two separate bookings you collect your bags at London City, check in again and clear security. Since every connection here goes through the border anyway, you need the same ETA or visa as above. London City’s check-in desks open 2 hours before departure.
At the border
You can usually use the eGates if you’re 8 or older, at least 120 cm tall (8 to 17-year-olds with an adult), and either British or Irish or a national of the EU, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the US holding a valid ETA, eVisa or digital record. London City’s border page notes that children aged 8 and 9 have been able to use them since 8 July 2026. Everyone else sees a Border Force officer. National ID cards aren’t accepted for most EU, EEA and Swiss visitors: bring your passport.
Before you go landside
- Keep your onward boarding pass and passport with you, and know whether your bags are checked through.
- Remember that London City’s terminal closes at night: at 10pm from Sunday to Friday and at 1pm on Saturdays.
- Be back at the airport 2 hours before departure. Timings and trains: getting into London.