British Airways has reported an uptick in South African travellers arriving at the airport without the right visa to travel to the UK, and is turning them away.
“Some South African travellers entering the UK seem to be unsure about visa regulations and those without the correct documents will not be allowed to board flights leaving South Africa,” says Sue Botes, BA’s commercial manager in South Africa.
The British visa regime requires that South African passport holders holding a category C Schengen visa must still obtain a UK visa if transiting the UK en-route to a Schengen country.
South African passport holders travelling to the UK en-route to the United States, Canada, New Zealand or Australia, who hold valid visas for those countries, may transit the UK without a visa as long as they leave the country within 24 hours of arrival.
“The UK Border Agency is very strict in terms of the visa regime and expects airlines to vet passengers before they get to the UK, so passengers won’t even get onto the aircraft,” says Sue.
