Transit visa through London for Russians. Applying for a transit visa to the UK. How to get ready documents

International travel is not complete without flights, some of which require transfers. Moreover, buying flights with transfers can save a lot of money. Some of the inconvenience associated with a flight change is offset by favorable fares.

The task of the traveler is to choose the best transfer option in order to provide for the time required to move around the terminals (if flights are organized in different places). It should also include the time for receipt, baggage check-in, check-in, customs control. Additional time will be spent on obtaining a transit visa. Thinking that transit entry will not require a visa, the traveler is making a mistake.

How is transit with a change in London organized?

A visa for transit travelers is valid for 2 days, and it must be processed before the start of the trip. Authorized transit through London is convenient in that it allows you to visit the capital of the United Kingdom legally, without exceeding the period of its validity. Before the expiration of 48 hours, the transit tourist must leave England.

When the passage of visa control is not expected, it is not necessary. However, experts working at the Embassy strongly recommend preparing permits, as the decision whether to let a transit passenger into the UK will be taken by the visa officer at his own discretion. There is always a risk that the visa officer will not let the traveler through, and as a result, the trip will be disrupted.

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

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

You can travel through London without a visa only 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 the visa permission has been obtained.
Start or end of a trip in one of the following countries: USA, Australia, New Zealand, with a visa or residence 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, more often leaning towards allowing the transit passenger to pass without issuing an additional visa.

In case of a ban on leaving the airport, the transit passenger is in the transit zone on the territory of the airport, if travel documents for a new flight are issued in advance. s 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).
Exiting the transit zone is prohibited.
The final decision whether a 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 stopover in London, visa experts strongly recommend obtaining 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 migration 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 benefits:

obtaining access to the territory of the United Kingdom as a tourist for a period of 6 months;
acquisition of the right to travel without limiting the number of trips;
the opportunity to conduct a tour, get acquainted with the history, monuments, 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, and the benefits are much larger. The turnaround time for paperwork is about the same. Having issued a tourist visa, the traveler does not need to be limited to a 48-hour wait, if necessary, planning a visit to the capital.

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

We will tell you if you need a visa to transit through London, when you can do without it and how to get it. The question of whether you need a visa to the UK to transit is becoming more and more relevant. Although London's airport is not comparable in size to Dubai's, it remains one of the largest in the world and welcomes thousands of tourists, including those in transit. Britain is known for its strict visa regime, and this also applies to passengers on connecting flights.

Britain is an island state and you can get here either by air or by sea. It directly depends on which way a foreigner arrives and how long he will wait for a new flight whether he will need a transit visa to London. General conditions under which transit clearance is not required:

docking will take no more than 24 hours;
in the hands of the passenger tickets for transport and a visa to a third country;
Entry and exit are made by one mode of transport.

Transfer at the airport

The need to obtain a visa when transferring at the airport directly depends on how soon your plane arrives and at which airport you plan to land. Ideally, your flights depart and arrive at one of the airports: Heathrow and Gatwick in London. In this case, you can, without leaving the airport transit area, make a transfer in London within 24 hours without the need for a transit visa.

Attention! If the connection time is longer than the stipulated one, or the departure on the new flight is from another airport, then the transit zone will have to be left, which means that permission will inevitably be required.

Entering the port

The British authorities do not want to leave any loopholes for illegal migrants to enter the country. Since the beginning of the migration crisis in 2015, foreigners arriving at the seaports of the island are not allowed to get off the ship and walk around. Now you have to watch the city lights from the board, this is a strict rule, otherwise you will still have to request an English visa.

Who can do without a visa?

With the latest changes, the circle of people who can do without transit during a transplant has been expanded:

on the way to the USA, Canada, New Zealand or Australia in the presence of valid visas of these countries, as well as back from them;
on the way from the USA, Canada, New Zealand or Australia, with an expired visa of these countries, provided that the foreigner last entered these states no more than six months ago.
a foreigner who has a residence permit in Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada from 28.07.2002, any Schengen country, or the USA from 21.04. 1998;
a foreigner holding a national visa D of any Schengen country or Switzerland;
when traveling to or from Ireland with a valid Irish visa.

Other foreigners who are not able to comply with strict conditions are required to apply for a visa.

What is a transit visa?

This is a stamp on the applicant's passport that allows them to stay in the UK for 48 hours to transfer to an air or sea flight to a third country, in addition, you can catch a glimpse of the beauty of London. Usually, an entry permit is valid for six months, but after activation, only a couple of days remain. This is a very short-term visa and to obtain it you will have to go through the same procedure as for issuing, for example, a tourist permit.

Transit visa documents

In fact, a transit visa to the UK and the procedure for obtaining it is usually identical to a short-term one, you will have to submit the same impressive package of documents and visit the consulate. You must have with you:

application form - an application for a transit visa;
a passport valid for another six months with two blank pages;
copies or originals of all old passports, especially if they have used visas;
photo 35 by 45 mm. Schengen format;
health insurance policy for the entire stay in the country;
certificate from the place of work on the position held, the amount of income and length of service;
pensioners - pension certificate;
students - student card;
tickets for a flight to London and a flight from England;
booking a hotel or hotel for the duration of your stay in London.

Attention! Not superfluous will be a letter from the sponsor for those. who cannot prove that they finance the trip themselves

All documents must be submitted in English, if they were originally written in Russian, then you will have to contact a translator and a notary to certify the translation.
British Consulate officials reserve the right to require additional documents confirming the purpose of the trip, the applicant's actual ties with Russia and the intention to return.

Cost and terms of registration

The price of self-issuance of such a permit is about $80, if the visa has to be transferred to a new passport, then it will double to $160.

So, we answered the question of whether a transit visa is needed when transplanting in London, but we must remember that the British authorities are very sensitive to migration issues. Even if the conditions for visa-free entry are met, problems may arise for foreigners who have previously been deported from somewhere, have a previous criminal record or have been denied an English visa.

The official message on the website of the British Consular Service informs that the visa service considers applications on such issues within up to 2 months. In practice, it usually takes 3 weeks.

The air and sea ports of the UK are the largest transport hubs in the world and are actively used for transit in international passenger traffic. Since 2014, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has stepped up the fight against illegal immigrants and tightened the transit visa regime.

Previously, traveling to a third country could easily enjoy excursions and shopping in London or Manchester. The law set aside a day for this and gave travelers from Russia a transit concession. Now, even for a simple transfer with suitcases from one terminal to another, a transit visa to the UK is required.

There are exceptions to the new system, but in general it has become more complicated. Read on and you will fully understand all the intricacies of the new rules, and at the same time you will understand whether transit without a visa is possible in your case, and how best to implement it.

2 types of transit through the UK

According to the new rules in 2018, 2 types of transit stays in Great Britain are possible:

airside- It involves crossing the territory of the country through a special transit zone at the airport, when transferring from one aircraft to another.

For Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Kazakhs, Uzbeks and Turkmens, the possibility of concessions remained. If a number of conditions are met, residents of these countries of the former CIS can do without a transit permit using Airside. This opportunity does not apply to residents of Belarus and Moldova. They issue and pay for "Direct Airside Transit visas", which cost from 30 euros for the right to cross the transit zone at an English airport.

landside- This is the transit case when a change of airport is needed for a transfer. Either you need to stay overnight in an English hotel, or just walk around the city in a long wait for the next flight. Another Landside option is when there is simply no transit zone at the landing airport (and there are most of them). In order to check in, pick up luggage or just go from one port terminal to another, you need to apply for a “Non-Direct Airside transit visa national” or, more simply, a UK transit visa.

Airside Features and Limitations

Let's start with the fact that transit zones exist only at 3 major airports:

Manchester Airport;
Gatwick Airport (London);
Heathrow Airport (London).

At these airports, a visa concession under Airside is possible for Russians under the following conditions:

Do not leave the transit zone until the very departure to a third country.
Depart for a third country no later than 23:59 on the day after the date of arrival in the UK. (For example, if you arrived on April 20 at 23:59 and depart on April 22 at 00:05, you need to apply for a transit visa on a general basis).
You must fly to any other country (with the exception of Ireland) and have all permits with you to enter that state by law.
Your transit must be by the same mode of transport (air). This rule does not apply to land transport. If you need to transfer from an airplane to a sea vessel, you need to apply for a transit visa. (The case when you need to change from a steamer to a steamer, or just spend the time the cruise liner is on British soil, will be considered below, separately).

Who is allowed to walk around London without a visa while in transit

A Landside Permit may not be required if:

You can present a residence permit in such countries as: Switzerland, Canada, Australia, USA, New Zealand, as well as any of the Schengen countries;
You are the holder of a long-term visa group "D" to the EU countries or Switzerland.
You are traveling to Ireland and you have a biometric visa to enter this country.
You are coming from Ireland with a biometric visa for it, and 3 months have not yet passed from the moment you entered Ireland.

Attention! In the case of moving to Ireland through England, only biometrics is effective for visa-free transit.

You are traveling to (from) one of 4 countries: USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand and you have a visa or residence permit for this country.
You are coming from one of these 4 countries with an expired visa, but six months have not passed since the last entry into this state.

Important! Your route to this country should be logical, without any detours and long detours. Therefore, if you fly from Russia to Australia or New Zealand through England, the customs officers will not understand you and will suspect you of illegal migration. It is very undesirable to explain to them that you just wanted to see the British and therefore chose such a difficult route. Therefore, for Russians, only the United States and Canada remain on the list.
Attention! Visa-free transit is not issued to holders of US e-Visas or e-Residence permits. As well as holders of US visas of YY and ZZ categories with 2 possible entries:

“Not a visa. Foil prepared at DHS request";
"Processed for I-551".

Don't be fooled! Even if you have the right under the law to a conditional visa-free regime in the transit zone or Landside, the customs officer has the right to refuse you. In this case, the passage through the territory of the country will be prohibited, and the voyage will fail.

Advice: Experienced travelers are advised to play it safe and carry printouts of excerpts from transit legislation (with the full email address of the UK government website from which the documents were copied). Be ready to answer in detail the questions of the customs officer about your route: from the arrival station to the departure station during a transit trip around the country. If you have an online reservation for trains or buses, you need to present it.

Do I need a visa to transit through London at seaports

The good news is that the concession for transit through England under cruise conditions continues to apply after the introduction of the new rules.

Cruise ship passengers can take advantage of the 24-hour British transit for free access to the English port under the conditions:

The liner stays in the port of Britain for no more than 24 hours.
The previous and next stop of the liner was (will be) not in the English port. (You can even visit 2 British ports without a visa, if there is a stop in between them in a non-British one, but, for example, in a Schengen one).

The procedure for obtaining a transit visa-free permit at the ports is simple: The immigration officer will stamp you in your passport indicating the time of arrival and let you go for a walk in any direction. The main thing for you is to return to your ship on time. Because no one will wait for you, and the official period of permission to stay on British soil will expire.

We remind you that residents of Moldova and Belarus will not be able to use this opportunity and they need to apply for a transit English visa. Otherwise, they will remain in the cabin of the liner for the entire stay.

Important point! The decision to let out or not a transit tourist for a walk in an English city always remains with the immigration officer. He has the right to prohibit exit even if he has a transit visa!

How to check if you need a visa for a transplant in London

To consolidate the material covered, let's check the points. You need to apply for a visa in advance at the British Embassy for a layover in London if:

You are arriving at an airport where there is no transit area (Any station except Gatwick and Heathrow).
You do not have a residence permit in the EU, USA, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
Your flight to your destination country will depart later than 23:59 the day after your arrival in the UK.
You arrive in England by plane and leave it by another means of transport.
You are not traveling to the US or Canada with a valid visa to that country.
You do not have a long-term visa type "D" to the Schengen countries or Switzerland.
You are not traveling to Ireland with a valid biometric visa for that country.
You are coming from Ireland with a biometric visa, but more than 3 months have passed since you arrived in this country.

To whom 100% does not shine transit visa-free to England

It is better for you to immediately issue a transit document if:

You have already been deported or denied entry to any country at least once.
You have problems with the law in any country in the world.
You have at least once been refused a visa to the UK.
You had a precedent of violating the visa regime in past visits to this country.

Where and how to apply for a transit visa through the UK

To apply for a transit British visa, you need to contact the consulate or embassy of Great Britain. Please note that the entire preparation of a visa can take up to 2 months.

Russians need a visa to visit London. And You can't enter the country with a Schengen visa, since the UK did not sign an agreement on a simplified passport and visa regime at the borders of the EU countries. Similarly, with a British visa document, it is not possible to enter other European countries. A visa to London is issued in British service centers, which are located in a number of cities in Russia.

Types of visa documents

Depending on the purpose of travel to the country, one or another type of visa document is issued. Let's consider the main ones.

Visitor visa

This visa is required if the purpose of travel is tourism, a visit to relatives or a business trip. And in each case, supporting documents will be required.

For example, a tourist visa requires documents confirming the availability of a booked hotel room or renting an apartment.

If a foreigner travels as a guest to friends or relatives, then an invitation letter from their side is required, which indicates the time, purpose of the trip and the proposed address of residence. Moreover, documents confirming the status of the inviting party are required: copies of a residence permit or passport.

In the case of a business visit, a foreigner is required to provide an invitation letter from a British company indicating the duration of the trip and information about who sponsors it.

Transit visa

When transiting through England, a visa is required. but possible transit through London without a visa. To do this, the foreigner must:

travel exclusively by plane;
depart from the Kingdom within 24 hours of arrival at the airport;
have a ticket for a flight to a third country;
stopping in Britain should have a logical explanation. For example, a flight through London will seem more than strange if a foreigner travels from St. Petersburg to Paris.

These are the so-called general conditions. But in order to not be required, the traveler must also meet one of the following requirements:

the country of arrival is the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Or a foreign citizen flies from these countries through Britain to a third country;
the traveler has a residence permit in the above countries or in;
the person has a visa type "D",;
a foreigner is flying to (or from) and he has a national visa of this state.

More detailed information about all types of English visas and their processing can be obtained.

Obtaining a visa

To get started on the site //www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/account/register you need to create your own account, fill out, print and sign the application form. All information is entered in English. After entering all the data, a personal number will be sent to the email address specified when creating the account. In the future, you will need it to register at the visa center. Then you should prepare a package of documents:

Passport with a validity period of more than six months and at least two blank sheets;
One photo that meets all the requirements described below. The photo is pasted into the questionnaire;
, where the position held and the amount of the monthly salary are indicated;
Financial documentation of the availability of funds sufficient to complete the trip.

Photo Requirements

One photo is attached to the application form, which must meet the following conditions:

photo size is 3.5x4.5 cm;
the photograph was taken no later than six months before the application was submitted;
photographs of the applicant wearing sunglasses, a hat or other accessories are not accepted if their use is not related to religious beliefs;
the image is performed on a light background and occupies at least 70% of the entire image.

Financial documents

You can confirm financial solvency if you provide the following documentation:

Bank statement for the last six months;
Certificate 2-NDFL or other document confirming the receipt of wages;
Tax returns stamped by the IFTS.

Supporting documentation does not include certificates of ownership of real estate. However, their presence can significantly increase the chances of obtaining a visa. It is worth adding that when paying for a trip by a third party, financial documentation on the solvency of the sponsor is provided.

Submission of documents to the visa center

Prepared documents are submitted to one of the visa centers. Embassies and consulates located in the Russian Federation do not deal with visa issues. You can sign up for the submission of documents on the website tpcontact.co.uk but first you need to create your own account. When registering, an e-mail, a previously issued personal number, passport data, last name and first name are indicated. After the account is created, the place and date of application submission is selected. Here, the visa fee is paid online, and if necessary, additional services are ordered, for example, courier delivery or urgent visa processing. After entering all the data, a letter will be generated, which must be printed and attached to the package of documents.

At the specified time, you should visit the visa center (it is better to arrive 15 minutes earlier). You will have to go through the procedures of scanning fingerprints and taking a digital photo. If the applicant refuses to undergo these activities, then the issuance of a British visa will automatically be denied. In the presence of cuts or scratches, as well as swelling on the fingers or face, it is necessary to wait for their healing: if the skin is damaged, biometric data is not taken. The procedure itself takes no longer than 20 minutes.

It usually takes up to 15 days to process a visa to London. But it is advisable to take care of applying in advance. It takes no more than 3-5 days to issue an urgent visa. In a shorter time, applications from persons who have visas to, or countries of the Schengen agreement are considered. When issuing a visa for a period of more than two years, the documents are studied within one month.

Visa to certain regions of the country

There is no separate visa for entering certain parts of the country (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales), as well as cities of the Kingdom, for example, London. In all cases, a UK national visa is issued.

Traveling with children

If you plan to travel with a minor child, you must provide a birth certificate (make a copy) and have the written consent of the other parent. If a child travels to the UK unaccompanied, the consent of both parents is required. In the absence of a second parent, it is necessary to provide certificates confirming this fact.

All supporting documents must be translated into English. Moreover, both the applicant himself and the specialist of the Translation Agency or another person who speaks the language can translate the documentation. Notarization is not required.

Issuing a visa: independently or through agencies?

If the question arises about a trip to Britain, then there are two options for solving it: contact the agency to complete the necessary documentation or get a visa to London on your own. Given that The UK is a country with a fairly strict migration policy., then the advantages of seeking help from agencies are obvious. The specialists of such organizations know all the subtleties, pitfalls and nuances of obtaining a visa, in addition, the process of obtaining an entry document is reduced to the shortest possible time. But for their services, such organizations, of course, will charge an additional fee.

On average, depending on the type of visa, the cost of processing documents at the agency will vary in the range of 3000-9000 rubles. To this amount should be added the cost of the consular fee, which will vary depending on the type of visa. For example, the cost of a visa to London for up to 6 months will be $132. If a visit is planned that will last two years, the consular fee increases to $459. It is, of course, cheaper to apply for a visa on your own, but the probability