London: the British capital requires a national visa, transit under special conditions. Transit in London: everything you need to know about a transit visa England transit without a visa

Many companies offer their passengers to get to their destination on a transit flight via London. Do I need a visa in this case, and is it possible to be completely sure of a comfortable flight in this way? The information below will help you sort out this difficult issue.

A few years ago, the rules for transit through the UK became more stringent. If earlier a traveler without a visa could afford to see London while passing through, then in 2020 he has no way to leave the airport. But sometimes you can do without the complicated procedure for obtaining permission at the embassy. For Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhstanis (the full list can be viewed on the embassy website) there is a so-called “visa concession”.

It is applicable under the following conditions:

• stay in the country for no more than 1 day (24 hours);
• the use of one type of transport (air or water, for land transport, a visa is required);
• an open visa to the country that is the final destination, or, if a visa is not needed, a receipt for payment of the hotel.

In addition, there is the concept of air transit. They talk about it when the passenger of the plane does not go through customs control and registration at the transfer airport. In this situation, a visa is not required.

The next important question is: “Do people who fly through the United Kingdom to the USA, Australia, Canada or New Zealand need a visa?” Since you usually already have permission to visit these countries at the time of arrival at the British airport, you will not need to issue anything additional. These rules are also valid for passengers with a Schengen visa, as well as with a residence permit in any of the above states or in the euro area.

Who needs a UK transit visa?

In most cases, the voyager will have to change in London. Whether a visa is needed depends on the airport: if at Heathrow or Gatwick you can use the concession, then at all other airports in Britain there are no corresponding conditions for this. Fortunately, most docking occurs at these points. However, do not forget to clarify this point when buying a ticket.

In all cases where the place of landing and departure is not the same, you will have to obtain a transit visa to England to move around the city. Similarly, you should do the same when you have to wait for a transplant for more than 24 hours.

But the most important nuance is this: a "visa concession" is not an exact guarantee of safe transit through London. Whether a traveler needs a visa is finally decided by the customs officer directly when passing through passport control. If something seems suspicious to him, he may well refuse to visit the kingdom. Officially, this is justified as a non-compliance with the rules of migration.

So if time permits, it is still better to open a transit visa to the UK for Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhstanis. According to the latest data, residents of the CIS are increasingly denied permission to visit this state.

What else do you need to know?

Some airlines have their own opinion on whether a transit visa to the British Kingdom is needed. On the forums they write that WizzAir, EasyJet and RyanAir often do not let people on board without permission to enter, so as not to earn themselves additional problems with customs officers. Documents in electronic form are not considered by the migration service.

How to apply for a visa?

This is not as difficult to do as it is to arrange, but there are also enough difficulties of its own. Officially, it will take from 15 days to 2 months to get a transit visa. England is a country with a very strict migration policy and quite often refuses to visit, including travel. For an additional fee, an urgent permit is available, the exact amount is better to see on the consulate website. Speaking about how much a visa to London costs, it is worth noting the lowest consular fee just for the transit category: it is about 80 euros.

But even this amount is unlikely to want to spend in vain. Therefore, you should carefully prepare the documents:

• a passport with a sufficient number of blank pages;
• photograph 3.5x4.5 cm;
• bank account statement;
• marital status document;
• certificate from the place of work;
• photocopies of tickets to the end point of the trip and back are required;
• paid medical insurance;
• in addition, on the website of the embassy, ​​you will have to fill out a special questionnaire.

Please note that all documents are filled out in English. Thus, a transplant in London turns out to be a rather risky event. Whether you need a visa or not, such a trip will still be fraught with a lot of risks and uncertainties.

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- one of those points on the world map that instills vague doubts and anxiety in the hearts of travelers. In view of the strict migration policy, the British approach the visa issue with all caution. As a result, there is an ambiguous situation 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" of passing customs control. We will tell you everything you need to know for a successful transfer flight in the capital of the Foggy Albion.

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

The first question that comes to travelers in transit is whether a visa is required? For a full guarantee, we recommend checking the information on 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 Air Transport Association IATA (International Air Transportation Association). Here, with all scrupulousness and accuracy, all the rules for those who travel 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 Manchester International Airport or Heathrow, life is wonderful and you definitely do not need to worry about a visa. The layout of these airports allows you to move from one terminal to another without leaving the transit zone. This type of transit is called airside.

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The second type of transfer is landside transit. With landside transit, the traveler leaves the territory of the airport, 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 receipt for payment of the hotel.

BUT, in addition to this, you 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 passed since the entry into one of the listed countries;
• a valid biometric visa to enter the Republic of Ireland (remarks must indicate "BC" or "BC BIVS"), as well as air tickets to Ireland;
• a valid Irish biometric visa (remarks must indicate "BC" or "BC BIVS"), air tickets confirming that he is flying from Ireland - moreover, more than three months have not passed since the moment of 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 United States (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 agreed document with a stamp made with wet ink), permanent residence card (permanent residence card residence), expired I-551 card (must be accompanied by a valid I-797 letter authorizing renewal), U.S. Immigration Form 155A/155B (provided 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 that are necessary for entry into the country of destination.

But there is a nuance - a visa concession does not yet guarantee a hassle-free transit. If suddenly you seem suspicious to the customs officer, he may refuse to visit the UK, justifying this by inconsistency with the rules of migration. And in general, your fate at this moment depends entirely on his decision.

Therefore, prepare for customs control: it will not be superfluous to print out your hotel reservation if you are staying overnight, and during the interview itself, you should not be frank that you specifically chose a long transfer in order to see the city. You will not be denied a stay at the airport, but they may not be allowed to leave the city.

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At passport control you will need:

International passport;

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

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

A fully completed immigration form (the form is taken at the counter before control or on the plane of some air carriers).

What are we doing?

First you need to print boarding passes for all connecting flights on your route.

1. On departure, during check-in for a flight, you need to stamp the 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 a boarding pass for a flight from London and a passport with a valid visa of the country of arrival.
2. Go through passport control and fly to London.
3. Fill out the landing card on board the aircraft.
4. Upon arrival in London, at passport control, present your passport, landing card and boarding pass for a flight from London.
5. When boarding the next flight, you will be checked for a visa to visit the country you are going to.

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It should be remembered that you only have 24 hours for everything about everything. For stays of more than 24 hours, a transit visa is already required - it allows you to stay in the UK for up to 48 hours.

A transit visa to the UK is needed if, following to any other state, you are forced to make a change in the territory of the Kingdom. This used to be a recommendation. Now - from December 1, 2014 - it is necessary.

The rules have changed

The fact is that before the immigration service made concessions for transit travelers if they presented tickets indicating the need for transit and if their stay in Britain was no more than a day.

With 24 hours to spare, a tourist without an English visa could visit London by way. True, the decision on visa-free transit was made on the spot directly by immigration officers, and it was not always positive.

To reduce the number of illegal immigrants flooding the Kingdom, the British Immigration Service introduced new rules last October, according to which the vast majority of travelers from Russia and Ukraine need a transit visa to England. In December 2014, the innovations went into effect.

UK Visas: Video

The essence of the changes

Now, in order to check in or receive luggage, go to another terminal, get an overnight stay at a hotel or move to another airport, you need a transit visa to the UK.

Exceptions are made for passengers who meet each of these requirements:

In addition, the passenger must meet at least one of the following conditions:

• Country of destination Canada, USA, New Zealand, or Australia and you hold a visa from that country;
• If you arrived from one of the above countries, and you stayed in it for no more than six months and you have a visa from this country;
• If you have a residence permit in one of the above countries, in Switzerland or in any of the states that are part of the European Economic Area;
• If you have a national valid visa for a period of more than 3 months (category D) issued by any of the states of the European Economic Area or Switzerland;
• If you are flying from Ireland and your last entry into Ireland was less than three months old, or you are flying to Ireland and have a valid biometric visa.

UK visa types: Video

Is a visa concession possible now?

Do I need a visa when transiting through London if the time between flights is less than 24 hours? You can answer the question if you know at which airport you will be transferring.

The rules state that the conditions for air visa-free transit (that is, a transfer in which the passenger does not leave the transit zone) have not changed.

If you do not leave the airport transit area and show the immigration officers purchased tickets, visa or hotel reservations in another country, you may be subject to a visa concession.

Transit terminals are only available at Gatwick and Heathrow airports. That is, if you are in one of them, departing in less than a day and you have permission to enter the country where you are flying, then you can count on a visa concession. If you are departing later than 11:59 p.m., you will need to process transit to wait inside the transit terminal.

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Yes, the prospect of sitting non-stop at the airport, waiting for the next flight, somehow does not please ...

Do I need a visa if the transfer in London will take place at an airport that does not have a transit terminal? If you land at an airport that does not have a transit area, such as Stansted or Luton, you will definitely need to take care of transit in advance.

Start preparing documents in advance

Whether you need a visa to transit through London is up to you. If you do not meet the new UK immigration criteria, you have two options.

You can choose the route in such a way that the transfer is carried out at the airport where there is a transit zone, and the time between flights is no more than 24 hours in order to use the right of a visa concession. Although immigration officers have the right to refuse you.

Following the second, safer way, apply for a transit visa to England. It will allow you to stay in England for up to 48 hours. It is issued for six months. The list of documents is almost the same as when receiving a guest visa, but instead of an invitation, you will need to attach tickets and permission to enter the country of destination.

Taking into account the terms of consideration of visa cases, as well as the time required to collect all the certificates, start filling out the documents in advance to avoid annoying misunderstandings during the trip.

Top 5 European countries for Russians to travel without a visa in 2019: Video

And, finally, the most interesting thing is the restriction of travel abroad for debtors. It is about the status of the debtor that it is easiest to “forget” when going on another vacation abroad. The reason may be overdue loans, unpaid utility bills, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2019, we recommend that you find out information about the presence of debt using a proven service not to fly.rf

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:

1. 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;
2. the traveler has a residence permit in the above countries or in;
3. the person has a visa type "D",;
4. 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:

1. photo size is 3.5x4.5 cm;
2. the photograph was taken no later than six months before the application was submitted;
3. photographs of the applicant wearing sunglasses, a hat or other accessories are not accepted if their use is not related to religious beliefs;
4. 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

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

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

A lot of people look at cheap tickets from London to the Caribbean, Canaries and Madeira, etc., they are often found in many directions in mailing lists and forums. Well, a pint of ale on the way to a London pub - why not?! Now, most of the time it doesn't make sense.

From travel.ru:

The new transit scheme applies to citizens of all countries who require a UK visa. If earlier anyone who flies to a third country and has tickets 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 the case of a 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 of that country. If a foreigner flies from these states, then no more than 6 months should pass from the moment of 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 a Canadian residence permit must be issued after 06/28/2002, and for the USA - after 04/21/1998.

3. Holders of a valid category D visa (long-term visa allowing stay for more than 90 days - including work, study, family reunification) 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. For a return flight, no more than 3 months must have elapsed since the last entry and stay in Ireland with a valid biometric visa. For Russians, this item is not relevant: in our country, when applying for an Irish visa, biometrics is not given; thus, the presence of a visa of this country does not give the right to visa-free transit.

In addition, the trip of a foreigner applying for visa-free transit must meet several other criteria. All travel segments are operated by air only, with a confirmed ticket for the next flight and a departure time no later than 23:59 the next 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 the border guard. Not such a route looked logical before, but the decision was made by the border guard on the spot, but now it is simply ruled out).

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 genuinely 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 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."