Alongside other reforms, the March 2026 Statement of Changes (HC 1695) quietly removed the long-standing Transit Without Visa (TWOV) concession and introduced mandatory pre-departure status verification for all carriers from 25 February 2026. Airlines, ferries and Eurostar trains must now obtain real-time confirmation from Home Office systems that a passenger’s digital immigration status matches the passport presented—otherwise boarding must be refused.
Travellers who changed or renewed passports since their visa, eVisa or EU Settlement Scheme status was issued face an immediate risk of being turned away at check-in if they have not updated the document number in their UKVI account. Reports from Heathrow and Manchester show a spike in last-minute denials, particularly among dual nationals unaware they must travel on the exact document linked to their status.
For organisations and individual travellers who need help adapting to these changes, VisaHQ’s UK platform offers end-to-end assistance—whether that’s updating passport details in a UKVI account, securing a Standard Visitor visa now required in place of TWOV, or simply verifying that an itinerary meets the latest rules. Their online tools and live consultants (https://www.visahq.com/united-kingdom/) provide a fast, user-friendly way to avoid costly airport surprises.
Simultaneously, TWOV—the heavily-used facility allowing certain third-country nationals to change planes airside without a U.K. visa—was deleted from the Visitor Rules. Carriers have started alerting travel-management companies that previously exempt passengers (notably nationals of India, Nigeria and the Philippines) will now need a Standard Visitor visa even for a short lay-over.
Business-travel managers should run an immediate awareness campaign: 1) instruct staff to log into ‘View and Prove’ accounts and add new passports before any trip; 2) re-check routing options for complex itineraries that used London hubs as a transit point; and 3) budget for extra visa lead-times where TWOV can no longer be used. Failure to act could leave assignees stranded and expose employers to duty-of-care liabilities.
