Do I need a transit visa for the UK travelling from Ghana to Canada?

Question

I hold a Ghanaian passport and possess a valid Canadian visa. My travel plans involve a one way trip with British Airways from Ghana to Canada, with layovers of 6 hours 30 minutes in London, but I have to change airport in London from Gatwick to Heathrow so do I need a transit visa?

Answer 1

The UK's "check if you need a visa" site tells us that in your case:

You’ll need a visa to pass through the UK in transit

You should apply for a Visitor in Transit visa if you arrive on a flight and will pass through immigration control before you leave the UK.

Transiting without a visa

You may be eligible to transit without a visa if:

• you arrive and depart by air
• have a confirmed onward flight that leaves on the day you arrive or before midnight on the day after you arrive
• have the right documents for your destination (eg a visa for that country)

One of the following must also apply:

• you’re travelling to (or on part of a reasonable journey to) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and have a valid visa for that country

(...)

(!) E-visas or e-residence permits are not acceptable for transiting through immigration control without a visa.

So you shouldn't need a visa.

Timatic (one of the databases used by the airlines to check document requirements) also states (from the IATA Travel Centre):

Nationals of Ghana making a landside transit with a confirmed onward ticket for a flight to a third country that departs before 23:59 the next day. They must:

• have a visa issued by Australia, Canada, New Zealand or USA, and
• be traveling to the country that issued the visa, and
• clear immigration, and
• have documents required for the next destination.

Traveldoc, another database used by airlines likewise says:

Visa is required for passengers who leave the international transit area of the airport to transit land-side, or otherwise have to pass through border control.

This does not apply to passengers holding a confirmed onward ticket to depart the United Kingdom by air before the end of the next calendar day, and one of the following exemption documents (electronic visas or residence permits are not accepted) provided complying with any conditions specified:

• Visa issued by Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States, provided the passenger is travelling to or from the issuing country. If the visa is used or has expired, the passenger must be returning from that country and have entered the country using a valid visa no more than 6 months ago. This does not apply to nationals of Syria holding a category B1 or B2 visa issued by the United States;

(...)

Note however that some Timatic interfaces (like the one on Emirates' website) bizarrely do not return this and only the airside transit visa exemption.

As you fly with BA to the UK, I would expect them to know the rules for transit there better than average, so I wouldn't expect any issues. Still, arrive at the airport early in case they have any issues and this needs to be escalated.