I am a Jamaican citizen. Do I need a UK visa to pass through a London airport in transit to Germany if I have a valid Schengen Visa?

A Jamaican citizen travelling to Germany that will pass through London Airport will normally need a UK visa; even he has a Schengen Visa. Especially if you will be staying in London for more than 48 hours, it is strongly recommended that you apply for a UK visa for this visit to avoid any problems in the immigration or as you go around London while waiting for the next air travel.

If you don't have a UK visa yet and will be travelling to Germany that will pass through London, a visa is needed to permit you to travel or enter UK. This permit is called entry clearance and there are 4 types of entry clearance documents that you can apply for:

• A UK visa which is required from a different nationality, particularly to nations outside the EEA or the European Economic Area, that will not only allow you to pass through London but also stay for a fixed number of days
• An entry certificate that is normally granted to non-visa citizens who will only be in the country for a short time. This is a good option to choose if you will only be in London airport in transit to Germany.
• A European Economic Area family permit which is normally given to non-EEA citizens but are a family relative of an EEA citizen. This can probably make the process of application faster as you already have a family member who is a member of EEA.
• Lastly, if you are a diplomat, civil servant, or a country representative, you can be exempted from the regular requirements of the country's immigration.

Once you have chosen the entry clearance document that you qualify for, you can proceed on applying for the entry permit either through the country's online application process or visit their office so they can further assist you with your application needs and queries.