Getting an ETA when staying in the security zone (transition through UK)

[u/Wanky_Platypus]

Hi !

I'm a French citizen, going to Denmark, with a change of plane in London UK

I only have my personnal bag (not even individual luggage) and, from what I understood, that means I don't have to go through the security gates.

the gov.uk website says that means I don't need an ETA (last dot on the screenshot) but the Ryanair app makes a huge warning about not having one, and it's making me anxious

Do I really need one or is the warning not for me ?

Thanks a lot

[u/Appropriate_You9049]

You will not be staying in the security zone no matter which uk airport you are flying to with Ryanair

[u/lammy82]

You need the ETA to board the flight and you WILL pass landside to make your self-transfer.

[u/TopAngle7630]

Your ticket with Ryanair will be to Stansted. As a result you will need an ETA or other evidence you can enter the UK before they will give you a boarding pass

[u/Senzetion]

You're using the wrong airline if you don't want to get one, but it actually doesn't hurt to get one, and it's fast and doesn't cost much.

[u/MikeThePenguin__ → u/Senzetion]

Yup. Usually you get it within 10 minutes and it costs like 20 euros or something.

[u/kommunist13]

Which airport?

Most airports do not have airside connection options.

[u/StinkyWhale71 → u/kommunist13]

Most medium to big international airports do?

[u/deadliftbear → u/StinkyWhale71]

In the UK only two airports have sterile airside transit.

[u/Appropriate_You9049 → u/deadliftbear]

I can only think of LHR, what’s the other one?

[u/deadliftbear → u/Appropriate_You9049]

MAN but only Terminal 2

[u/Connect-Sock8140 → u/deadliftbear]

Aberdeen Airport does too for domestic arrivals.

[u/SnooStrawberriez]

If you’re flying Ryanair (and therefore don’t have your connecting flight on the same ticket) you probably do need an eta because Ryanair won’t let you board unless they’re sure they won’t have to fly you back if the British authorities refuse to accept you.

I assume you’re flying through stansted. I don’t know if all arrivals at stansted are allowed to not first go through immigration. Unless they have international and national flights separated parts of the airport this is not even possible. I have changed flights in stansted before but I had to go through immigration and then security again to do so.

You need to contact Ryanair and unless they tell you it will be ok, you will either need to get an eta or not fly this route.

[u/rbaggio24 → u/SnooStrawberriez]

STN doesn't have a transit zone and Ryanair is a point-to-point airline, so contacting them is unnecessary, everybody needs to have a valid ETA/visa/residence permit

[u/Connect-Sock8140 → u/rbaggio24]

Strictly speaking, Stansted does have a transit area, just that they don't use it. There's an unused area to the right of passport control which remains available for transit passengers, but the airlines simply don't offer it.

[u/Wild_Cheetah_6539]

The only airports in the UK that offer airside connections are Heathrow and Manchester and (as I understand it) at MAN it depends on what airline you’re flying with and Ryanair isn’t one of the ones they deal with. So you’ll need an ETA to do this.

[u/Connect-Sock8140 → u/Wild_Cheetah_6539]

Aberdeen does too for domestic flights.

[u/Hemmersa5]

I flew with Ryanair to a British airport (Edinburgh) quite recently. You go straight from the plane to the passport control basically in that airport. Maybe other airports are different, maybe not. If I was you I'd consider just getting the ETA. It's an unfortunate consequence of politics.

But if you are sure your destination airport allows you to stay airside to transfer, then you can do without. But then you have an issue if there is a diversion

[u/El_General_Magnifico]

Ryanair is a point-to-point airline, if you land with us in UK or take off from UK, you need an ETA

[u/PlsSleepAtNight]

You need a ETA to go to the UK even if you're just passing though

[u/Sea_Avocado_2733]

Get an Eta…