There is provided a thermal transfer receiving sheet comprising a substrate, a barrier layer laminated on said substrate, and an image receiving layer laminated on said barrier layer, wherein said barrier layer and said image receiving layer are laminated on at least one side of said substrate, characterized in that the major components of said barrier layer are a swellable lamellar inorganic component and an adhesive, wherein said swellable lamellar inorganic component has a mean particle diameter of at least 0.1 .mu.m and not greater than 100 .mu.m, and an aspect ratio (ratio of mean particle diameter to thickness of the lamellar composite) of at least 100 and not greater than 5000.