UK transit visa needed when having EEA family permit but travelling without spouse?

Question

My wife (Iranian) and I (German) will travel from our home in the US to Germany and then to the UK for a vacation. She got issued an EEA family permit to accompany me to the UK. As I will go to Germany a few days before her, she will fly BOS - LHR - FRA by herself. Will she still need a UK transit visa for her 5 hour layover (move from terminal 3 to 2), as the EEA family permit says "to acc. ~name of spouse~"?

Thanks for your help!

Possible duplicate of Is there a way to find out if I need a transit visa for a layover in the UK? — Traveller, Apr 21 '19 at 16:06
@Traveller I don't see the word "family" anywhere on that page. — phoog, Apr 21 '19 at 16:24
@Traveller: I am aware of that website, but for our case this does not give all options to enter. If anybody has some experience here I would very much appreciate it. — Dominik, Apr 21 '19 at 16:27
What is your wife's status in the US? Does she have a Schengen visa? She can probably qualify for transit without visa from one or both of those without having to worry about whether the EEA family permit applies to her transit. — phoog, Apr 21 '19 at 21:59
She is a permanent resident in the US, and has a multi-year, multi-entry Schengen visa. We got the EEA family permit for our vacation in the UK. — Dominik, Apr 22 '19 at 03:18

score 1 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 22 '19 at 03:39

A US permanent resident does not need a UK transit visa in any case, provided that she can show her green card, so your wife does not need a visa for this trip.

There is also a case to be made that the UK must allow her to transit under the EU free movement regime, because she is traveling to join you. But the EEA family permit is not issued for that purpose, and there does not seem to be anything specific in the UK regulations that implement the directive that would apply to such a situation, so I would avoid invoking the right of free movement except as a last resort.

UK transit visa needed when having EEA family permit but travelling without spouse?

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