Do you need an English visa if you are flying in transit? Applying for a UK transit visa. Duration of transit visa and its extension

I really love long connections between flights, when you can see another city along the way. Visa-free transit in London is an excellent opportunity to visit the city without a visa, i.e. free of charge without all the visa bureaucracy. But from 1 December 2014, the UK is significantly tightening the rules for transit on visas (TWOV).

This news is especially relevant for EasyJet passengers, as this low-cost airline allows passengers to board who do not have a UK visa, but have a ticket for a flight from London within the next 24 hours from any of its airports. The rule applies to all traditional airlines and is reflected in the timatics. But WizzAir does not allow passengers without a visa to board, without providing conditions for TWOV.

Many people are looking for cheap tickets from London to the Caribbean, Canary Islands and Madeira, etc., they are often found in many destinations in mailing lists and forums. Well, a pint of ale along the way in a London pub - why not?! Now in most cases this becomes meaningless.

From travel.ru:

The new transit scheme applies to citizens of all countries who require a UK visa. If previously anyone who flies to a third country and has tickets in hand confirming the next flight could apply for visa-free transit, now it is necessary to obtain a transit or tourist visa in advance. There are only a few exceptions.

1. Without a visa in case of 24-hour transit, it is allowed to leave the transit zone if a foreigner flies to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, having a valid visa from that country. If a foreigner flies from these states, then no more than 6 months must have passed since the last entry into that territory (that is: if a person left to study in the USA a year ago and did not leave the States for a year, then when returning home through Britain he will not be able to use visa-free transit).

2. The right to visa-free transit will give a residence permit in the countries listed above, as well as in the states of the European Economic Area and Switzerland. At the same time, it is stipulated that the Canadian residence permit must be issued after 06/28/2002, and the USA - after 04/21/1998.

3. Holders of a valid category D visa (long-term visa allowing a stay of more than 90 days - including work, study, family reunion) issued by one of the countries of the European Economic Area or Switzerland will be able to count on 24-hour visa-free transit.

4. A transit tourist will also be released from the airport if he flies to Ireland with a valid Irish biometric visa. To fly to reverse direction No more than 3 months must have passed since your last entry and stay in Ireland with a valid biometric visa. For Russians, this point is not relevant: in our country, biometrics are not required when applying for an Irish visa; Thus, having a visa from this country does not give you the right to visa-free transit.

In addition, the trip of a foreigner applying for visa-free transit must meet several more criteria. All travel segments are by air only, with a confirmed onward ticket and departure time no later than 11:59 pm the day after arrival in the UK. The transit route must be justified: for example, there are no direct flights from the country of permanent residence to the country of destination, or flights through Britain are much cheaper or take less time (that is, a flight from Moscow to Paris via London is unlikely to look logical from the point of view of a border guard. Not This route seemed logical before, but the decision was made by the border guard on the spot. Now this is simply excluded).

Original:

“Transit Without Visa Scheme
50A. A visa national must meet the requirements in paragraphs 50B and 50C when seeking leave to enter the UK in order to be granted leave to enter under the transit without visa scheme.

50B. The requirements to be met by a visa national seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom under the transit without visa scheme are that he:
(i) has arrived and will depart by air; and
(ii) is sincerely in transit to another country, meaning the purpose of his visit is to travel via the UK en route to another destination country, and he is taking a reasonable transit route; and
(iii) does not intend to access public funds, undertake employment or study in the UK; and
(iv) intends and is able to leave the UK before 23:59 hours on the day after the day when he arrived; and
(v) has a confirmed booking on a flight departing the UK before 23:59 hours on the day after the day when he arrived; and
(vi) is assured entry to his country of destination and any other countries he is transiting through on his way there.

50C. The visa national must also:
(i) be traveling to (or on part of a reasonable journey to) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and have a valid visa for that country; or
(ii) be traveling from (or on part of a reasonable journey from) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and it is less than 6 months since he last entered that country with a valid entry visa; or
(iii) hold a valid residence permit issued by either:
(a)Australia;
(b) Canada, issued after 28 June 2002;
(c) New Zealand;
(d) USA, issued after 21 April 1998 including: a valid USA I-551 Temporary Immigrant visa (a wet-ink stamp version will NOT be accepted by UK border control); a permanent residence card; an expired I-551 Permanent Residence card provided it is accompanied by a valid I-797 letter authorizing extension; a standalone US Immigration Form 155A/155B; or
(e) an EEA state or Switzerland; or
(iv) hold a valid uniform format category D visa for entry to a state in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland; or
(v) be traveling on to the Republic of Ireland and have a valid Irish biometric visa; or
(vi) be traveling from the Republic of Ireland and it is less than 3 months since the applicant was last given permission to land or be in the Republic by the Irish authorities with a valid Irish biometric visa.

Leave to enter under the transit without visa scheme
50D. A person seeking to leave to enter the United Kingdom on arrival under the transit without visa scheme may be admitted for a period ending no later than
23:59 hours on the day after the day on which he arrived, with a prohibition on employment, study and recourse to public funds, provided the Immigration Officer is satisfied that the requirements of paragraphs 50B and 50C are met."

Visa-free transit to the UK is allowed for 24 hours for residents of Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan. At the same time, you can not only sit inside the airport, but also go out into the city. Well, let's try to figure out all the aspects that may arise during such a transit.

Why make visa-free transit?

First of all, to see London or other UK cities without a visa. As you know, a visa to this country is quite difficult to obtain and, moreover, it is expensive (from €100).
It is profitable to fly through London to many cities in Europe and part of America, which has been mentioned more than once in articles about budget flights. For example, by opening the route map of the low-cost airline EasyJet (http://www.easyjet.com/), you can see hundreds of places where flights are made from London.

Europe's cheapest airline, Ryanair (http://www.ryanair.com/), also flies from London. Using the mentioned low-cost airlines, you can purchase tickets from Moscow to Europe and back (via the UK) for only €120.

If you want to use the services of Thomson airline(http://www.thomson.co.uk/) for transit to countries Caribbean Sea, Europe or Africa. Round-trip tickets to the Caribbean with a transfer in London or Manchester can be found for €300.

Conditions for visa-free transit through UK cities

entry and exit from the UK only by plane (other transport is not allowed);
less than 24 hours between arrival and departure;
the flight must be to a third country;
a third country visa is required (if it is needed at all);
visa-free transit to Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands is prohibited;
you are allowed to go out into the city, and it is assumed that London is a purely transit city for you, so do not tell anyone right or left that you have come to see the capital of England itself and its attractions (although no one, of course, will follow you) ;
Departure from another airport or from another city is permitted.

Find more information about the UK transit visa at https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa.

How to avoid problems when boarding a flight

Going through security in the UK is not difficult, the main thing is to get on a flight to England. Some airlines illegally won't board you on a flight if you don't have a visa in your passport. Previously, there were quite a lot of such cases, but now they have become rare. However, this trouble can be avoided. To do this you need:

When boarding, have tickets from the UK in hand. They must be printed.
Fly to London and Manchester with EasyJet. Not only are the tickets cheap, but the carrier’s website also states that a visa is not needed for transit.
If you are not flying with EasyJet, be sure to complete the online check-in and print out boarding pass. The presence of the latter means that you have already been allocated a seat on board and you do not have to force yourself to go to the check-in counter.
Have printed transit rules from official sources on hand. So that you don’t have to look for where to get information, download the data from the linkDownload. There are only 3 pages here: one from the official website border service, the second is from Thematics (a professional program for airline employees), the third is the rules from the EasyJet website. If you are not allowed on the flight, and you have shown your transit tickets, then show the above “trump cards” and say that the border guards are violating the established boarding standards.
If boarding is denied, call the senior manager and stand firm. Most likely, things will not reach this stage.

How to get through passport control in London

This is an absolute formality and usually no unnecessary questions arise here. To quickly pass passport control, follow the rules:

Approach one officer together, especially if you are traveling as a family.
Present documents:

passport;
completed migration card;
ticket or boarding pass to a third country.

The officer will either immediately put you in transit for 24 hours, or ask one of the following questions:

“Purpose of visit to Great Britain?”, answer: “Transit”;
“Where are you going?”, answer: name of the country;
“Purpose of visit to a third country?” Answer: “Tourism.”

After this, you are given a stamp allowing you to stay in the country for 24 hours, and you can go to the city.

How to fill out a migration card

You can get a migration card on the plane, the main thing is not to oversleep the moment when it will be issued. Listen carefully when flight attendants offer a landing card. On the card you need to indicate your last and first name (as in your international passport), gender, date of birth (DD-day, MM - month, YYYY - year). Next, write the city and country of birth, nationality. The “Occupation” field is not a place of work, but a profession, do not be confused. Find out in advance what your type of activity is called in English. If you are a pensioner or a student, then write this. It is not advisable to indicate that you are unemployed. Please provide a contact address in the UK below. Relevant for those who will be staying overnight in a hotel. Next, indicate the passport number and its place of issue (placeofissue). The “LengthofstayintheUK” field is the length of your stay in the UK. Here you need to write not 24 hours, but exactly how many hours until your next flight. The last lines are the city you flew from, the flight number you arrived on, and your signature.

When planning a trip by air travel to other countries, it is important to think through the details of the flight route, possible transfers and a plan of action between flights. In order not to find yourself in an unpleasant situation during transit and transfers and not be forced to incur additional expenses, you should carefully study the features of transit and transfers. For example, you should find out in advance whether you need a visa if you are flying in transit through Europe.

Transit is traveling through the territory of a country and staying on its territory within the permissible time frame for making a transfer to the next flight.

It does not give the right to stay in the state for longer than a specified time and often limits tourists to their location in the country. However, it is a convenient way to travel on indirect flights with the chance to travel longer distances. favorable price. Transit rules are generally similar in all countries, but there are differences in the length of stay and the necessary manipulations in different countries. As a rule, airport staff, using specialized programs and existing knowledge, will explain to you the key points of transit, but it is much more convenient and reliable to find out on your own about all the necessary conditions and chances of transit without a visa or the features of obtaining one. This way you can fully enjoy the trip, and it will not bring you any unpleasant surprises.

Transit is carried out in two ways: without leaving the airport and transit zone and with the possibility of exiting into the city.

Quite often, when flying in transit, you may need transit visa. For example, if a passenger needs to move to another airport to continue travel or change the terminal in the airport building itself, or there is a need to make more than one transfer in the Schengen area, in such cases it may be necessary to obtain a transit visa. Usually it allows you to stay within the state for up to 72 hours.

A visa will be required when connecting to Berlin, except for those passengers traveling with airlines Air Berlin.

You cannot visit the USA, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia without a visa. Let's take a closer look at the most popular transit routes.

Transit through the UK And if you plan to transit through London, do you need a visa? In some cases, yes. The first implies being within the airport transit zone, the second makes it possible to travel outside the airport. Airside transit is available at Manchester, Heathrow, London and Gatwick airports.

The list of documents required for transit is standard - documents confirming the right to enter the country and, if necessary, to enter the next stopover point.

The passenger must depart from England before 23:59 on the day following the day of arrival. You cannot arrange this type of transit when flying to Ireland. When transferring to another terminal, a visa will not be required at Gatwick and Heathrow airports due to the design of the terminal buildings. Landside transit quite often implies the issuance of a visa. But there are exceptions. You will not need a visa if:

The flight is carried out to Canada, New Zealand, USA, Australia. It is mandatory to have permission to enter these states.
The passenger is flying from the above countries, while the visa is either still valid, or no more than six months have passed since arrival in these countries.
The tourist has a residence permit in these countries, as well as Switzerland. The residence permit does not have to be electronic.
If you have a long-term visa category D in Switzerland and the European Union.
The passenger flies to or from Ireland no later than six months after arrival in the country. A biometric visa is required.

You are guaranteed to be denied a visa if you have violations of the law, non-compliance visa regime, or you have already been refused entry into the UK once.

Remember that the immigration officer, despite meeting all the above conditions, has the right to refuse any person to obtain a transit visa. He also has the right to ask questions about how you plan to get to the hotel and where it is located. Transit is not an opportunity for a city tour; it is intended to help tourists make a transfer and continue further along the travel route. We have explained in detail whether a transit visa is needed when making a transfer in London, and now we will look at other cases.

Transit through China

If you want to transit in China, whether you need a visa depends on the time you spend in the country and the airport through which you fly. China has three alternatives for visa-free transit, lasting 24, 72 and 144 hours.

144 hours can be spent traveling through Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing airports. The following airports offer 72-hour transit options:

Dalian;
Beijing;
Guangzhou;
Guilin;
Xi'an;
Xiamen;
Kunming;
Harbin.
Chengdu;
Chongqing;
Shenyang.

Other airports settlements have the possibility of a day of transit, except for Fuzhou and Yanji, where there is no transit possibility at all. In Urumqi, transit lasts up to two hours.

When registering for a 144 or 72 hour transit, the passenger must provide his/her valid passport, travel documents for the previous and subsequent transit flights and a visa to the next stopover point, if necessary. The passport will be stamped indicating the time of arrival and duration of transit. Boarding passes must be printed in English upon presentation.

The starting point for the 72-hour transit is the arrival time at the airports in Chengdu, Dalian, Shenyang, Guilin, Xiamen, Kunming and Harbin. From 00.01 the next day is considered in Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Xi'an.

The start of a 144-hour transit at the respective airports is taken to be 0.01 days after arrival. In the case of daily transit, it is possible to move to another city. It can be done when flying on flights of the same airline or different companies with a common reservation on a single form. It may also be dictated by the need to make a technical stop at one of the airports.

To obtain the right to transit for a period of 24 hours, in addition to the international passport and travel documents, you must present a migration form filled out by the passenger. The passport is also stamped with a stamp indicating the time spent in China.

Transit to the USA

Tourists often ask whether they need a visa when transiting to the United States. The USA is on the list of countries where obtaining a transit visa is mandatory in any case. There are two types of visas: C-1 and B-2. The first presupposes a constant presence in the transit zone, the second provides the opportunity to go beyond its limits.

For a C-1 visa, you must provide an air ticket, enough money to stay in the United States, and documents confirming the right to enter the next country.

The B-2 visa will require the presentation of an electronic application, a passport valid for six months longer than the intended stay in the United States, a 5*5 cm photo and a letter inviting an interview. Applications for both types of visas are quickly accepted and processed. B-2 visas are durable and multiple-entry, so they are considered a better option for those who would like to walk the streets of the city or those who frequently fly through the States.

Transit through the UAE

Now let’s figure out if you have a layover in Dubai and whether you need a visa. If you plan to stay in the Emirates for no more than 24 hours and do not plan to leave the transit zone, you will not need a visa. Otherwise, you can apply for a visa from UAE airlines or the UAE Citizenship and Migration Office. The application can be either electronic or paper through the office. It must be submitted no later than three days before your expected arrival. The list of documents is as follows:

A copy of the international passport in color format;
Photo of the passenger on a light background;
Air ticket.
Additional documents (select one at will).
Completed questionnaire.

Transfer in Singapore

When transiting through Singapore visa-free stay in the country can last up to 96 hours.

In this case, it is necessary to provide tickets and documents for entry to the next destination on the route, confirmation of booking a room in a hotel or hostel for the duration of transit and cash in stock, sufficient for living in the country at the specified time. It is not recommended to use a scheme in which you leave Singapore by sea or land. There are cases when tourists manage to perform such maneuvers, but if the deception is discovered, you may be prohibited from entering the country.

Transit in Doha

When connecting in Doha, you can take advantage of Qatar Airways' popular service, which includes accommodation, meals and visa assistance for transit times between 8 and 24 hours.

This airline has exclusive rights to provide services of this kind. However, she is not responsible for a possible refusal of a visa based on the decision of the migration officers. Therefore, the risk that a tourist, after being denied a visa, will lose the money paid for booking a hotel room and other manipulations, falls entirely on the shoulders of the passenger himself.

This is all you need to know for a successful flight between countries of the world with transfers. Please remember that the conditions and time of stay in different countries may differ significantly. If you find yourself in a country where you should have taken care of obtaining a visa in advance, you will incur significant costs to correct the situation on the spot.

You should also know in advance about what type of transit is allowed in a particular state in order to take care of housing and overnight accommodations in advance or be prepared for the fact that you will spend all the time in the territory of the transit operations zone. Be sure to take care of the possibility of getting outside the state to deadlines and prepare Required documents to stay in this country. Compliance with all these rules and requirements will allow you to save not only money and time, but also nerves. Travel comfortably and with pleasure.

International travel is not complete without flights, some of which require transfers. Moreover, by purchasing airline tickets with transfers you can save a lot of money. Some inconveniences associated with changing flights are compensated for by competitive rates.

The traveler's task is to select best option transfers to allow for the time required to move between terminals (if flights are organized in different places). The time for receiving, checking in luggage, registration, and customs control should also be included. Additional time will be required to obtain a transit visa. Thinking that transit entry will not require a visa, the traveler makes a mistake.

How is transit with transfers organized in London?

A visa for transit travelers is valid for 2 days, and must be processed before the start of the trip. Permitted transit through London is convenient because it makes it possible to visit the capital of the United Kingdom legally, without exceeding the limits of its validity. Before 48 hours have passed, the transit tourist must leave England.

When visa control is not expected, it is not necessary. However, specialists working at the Embassy strongly recommend preparing permits, since the decision whether to allow a transit passenger into Britain will be made by the visa officer at his own discretion. There is always a risk that the visa officer will not allow the traveler to pass, and as a result the trip will be disrupted.

There are several situations in which a visa is required when going through control:

flight with a change of terminal and exit from the airport;
the need to independently collect baggage and check in for another flight;
the passenger transfers to a flight scheduled for another day, which requires an overnight stay at a hotel.

You can only travel through London without a visa under certain circumstances:

The traveler travels exclusively by plane, and the next flight is scheduled for the same day. The final destination of the trip is the state for which a visa permit has been obtained.
Start or end of the trip in one of the following countries: USA, Australia, New Zealand, with a visa or resident permit. A citizen traveling by plane is the holder of a category D visa open to an EU country.

A transit visa may not be required if you have a biometric visa to travel to Ireland.

Considering such circumstances, the visa officer makes a decision, often leaning toward allowing the transit passenger through without issuing an additional visa.

In case of a ban on leaving the airport, the transit passenger is in the transit zone on the airport territory if travel documents for new flight. ov for the next flight.

To organize transit through London, you must remember the following information:

Transit zones are organized only at Heathrow and Gatwick (the two main airports).
Leaving the transit zone is prohibited.
The final decision as to whether the transit traveler can be allowed to wait for the next flight is at the discretion of the visa officer.

Due to the high risk of problems when flying with a transfer in London, visa experts strongly recommend applying for a transit visa, which will allow you to safely plan your trip and take the opportunity to get acquainted with the sights of the English capital.

Choosing a visa: tourist or transit?

Britain takes a tough stance on immigration issues. For this reason, it is so difficult to achieve a positive verdict when considering a visa application. A 48-hour permit to visit London requires no less careful preparation than applying for a visa as a tourist.

Obtained through a similar procedure, a tourist visa provides more advantages:

obtaining access to the territory of the United Kingdom as a tourist for a period of 6 months;
gaining the right to travel without limiting the number of trips;
the opportunity to take a tour, get acquainted with the history, monuments, and cultural traditions of the capital of the transit country.

The differences in the amount of the consular fee for the two categories of visas are insignificant, but the benefits are much greater. The processing time for documents is approximately the same. Having issued a tourist visa, a traveler does not need to be limited to a 48-hour wait, planning a visit to the capital if necessary.

To determine the best option for a visa permit, you need to analyze the specific situation, take into account the characteristics of the trip and the needs of the person.

- one of those points on the world map that instills vague doubts and anxiety in the hearts of travelers. Due to the strict migration policy, the British approach the visa issue with the utmost caution. As a result, an ambiguous situation arises with a transit visa when transferring from flight to flight.

The good news is that you may not need a visa (but don’t count on it too much), the bad news is that there are many pitfalls when going through customs control. We will tell you everything you need to know for a successful flight with a transfer in the capital of Foggy Albion.

How to check if I need a visa if I am flying in transit?

The first question that comes to mind when traveling in transit is whether a visa is needed? For complete guarantee, we recommend checking information about transit flights on the official website of the British Migration Service.

Another way to check is to look at TIMATIC. This is a unified information system of the International Association air transport IATA (International Air Transportation Association). Here, with all the scrupulousness and precision, all the rules for those traveling by plane are collected. So, to double-check the need for a transit visa, use TIMATIK on one of these resources:

The development of events also depends on the airport of arrival: if you arrive at international Airport Manchester or Heathrow – life is wonderful and you definitely don’t need to worry about a visa. The layout of these airports allows you to move from one terminal to another without leaving the transit area. This type of transit is called airside.

1 /1

The second type of transfer is landside transit. With landside transit, the traveler leaves the airport territory, and, consequently, the transit zone. At this time you can visit: in a couple of hours you can see the legendary sights of London, better understand the history of the city and feel its special atmosphere. Usually in such cases a transit visa is required, but you may not need it if you comply with the following:

you have tickets for a flight that departs on the day of your arrival or before midnight the next day;
arrival and departure only by plane;
an open visa to the country that is the final destination, or, if a visa is not needed, a hotel payment receipt.

BUT, in addition to this you have Necessarily must be one of the following documents:

a valid visa to New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the USA and a plane ticket to one of the listed countries;
an expired visa to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, but six months have not yet passed from the date of entry into one of the listed countries;
current biometric visa for entry into the Republic of Ireland (the remarks must indicate “BC” or “BC BIVS”), as well as air tickets to Ireland;
a valid Irish biometric visa (must indicate “BC” or “BC BIVS” in the notes), air tickets confirming that he is flying from Ireland - and less than three months have passed since entry into this country;
long-term visa category D issued by one of the countries of the European Union or Switzerland;
residence permit in Australia;
Residence permit in New Zealand;
Residence permit in Canada (issued after June 28, 2002);
Residence permit in the USA (issued after 04/21/2008), including a valid US I-551 Temporary Immigrant Visa (please note that British border control officers will not accept the specified document with a wet ink stamp), permanent residence card (permanent residence card) residence), expired I-551 card (must be accompanied by a valid I-797 letter authorizing renewal), US Immigration Form 155A/155B (which is presented with a stamped brown envelope);
Residence permit in Switzerland or in any country that is part of the European Economic Area;
availability of all documents necessary to enter the country of destination.

There’s just one nuance - a visa concession does not guarantee problem-free transit. If you suddenly seem suspicious to a customs officer, he may refuse to allow you to visit the UK, citing non-compliance with migration rules. And in general, your fate at this moment depends entirely on his decision.

So get ready for customs control: It’s a good idea to print out your hotel reservation if you’re staying overnight, and during the interview itself you shouldn’t be frank about the fact that you specifically chose a long layover to see the city. You will not be denied a stay at the airport, but you may not be allowed to travel to the city.

1 /1

At passport control you will need:

International passport;

Air tickets for flights with the corresponding route. For example, air tickets for the Kyiv-London-Toronto flight look much more convincing than air tickets for the Kyiv-London-Berlin route. The UK immigration officers will clearly guess that you have specifically chosen this route to walk around London;

Valid visa for the country of destination (if necessary);

A fully completed immigration form (the form can be picked up at the counter before security or on the plane of some air carriers).

What are we doing?

First, you need to print out your boarding passes for all connecting flights on your itinerary.

On departure, during check-in for the flight, you need to get a stamp from an airline employee stating that the airline has no questions about your documents. To do this, you need to tell him that you are flying in transit, show your boarding pass for a flight from London and a passport with a valid visa from the country of arrival.
Go through passport control and fly to London.
On board the plane, fill out the landing card.
Upon arrival in London passport control present your passport, landing card and boarding pass for the flight from London.
When boarding the next flight, you will be checked to see if you have a visa to visit the country you are traveling to.

1 /1

You should remember that you only have 24 hours to do everything. For a stay of more than 24 hours, a transit visa is already required - it allows you to stay in the UK for up to 48 hours.