UK transit visa. London: a national visa is required to the British capital, transit on special conditions Transit in London whether a visa is needed

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 carrier 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 a visa-free transit, now it is necessary to obtain a transit or tourist visa. There are only a few exceptions.

1. Without a visa in the case of a 24-hour transit, it is allowed to leave transit zone if a foreigner flies to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States, with a valid visa of that country. If a foreigner flies from these states, then no more than 6 months must 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 visa category D will be able to count on 24-hour visa-free transit ( long stay 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.

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 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."

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:

1. 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.
2. 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 the event of a ban on leaving the airport, transit passenger is located 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:

1. Transit zones are organized only at Heathrow and Gatwick (the two main airports).
2. Exiting the transit zone is prohibited.
3. 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 greater. 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 visa permission, you need to analyze the specific situation, take into account the peculiarities of the trip and the needs of the person.

Aviation and seaports Great Britain are the largest transport hubs in the world and are actively used for transit travel 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 transition with suitcases from one terminal to another, it is required transit visa to the UK.

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 concession 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:

1. Do not leave the transit zone until the very departure to a third country.
2. 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).
3. You must fly to any other country (with the exception of Ireland) and have all permits with you to enter that state by law.
4. Your transit must be by the same mode of transport (air). On ground transport this rule does not apply. 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 owners e-visas US or electronic types for residence. 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.

Passengers cruise liners can use 24-hour British transit for free access to an English port under the conditions:

1. The liner stays in the port of Britain for no more than 24 hours.
2. 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 in 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 issue a transit visa. 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 for a walk in English city transit tourist, 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:

1. You are arriving at an airport where there is no transit area (Any station except Gatwick and Heathrow).
2. You do not have a residence permit in the EU, USA, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
3. Your flight to your destination country will depart later than 23:59 the day after your arrival in the UK.
4. You arrive in England by plane and leave it by another means of transport.
5. You are not traveling to the US or Canada with a valid visa to that country.
6. You do not have a long-term visa type "D" to the Schengen countries or Switzerland.
7. You are not traveling to Ireland with a valid biometric visa for that country.
8. 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:

1. You have already been deported or denied entry to any country at least once.
2. You have problems with the law in any country in the world.
3. You have at least once been refused a visa to the UK.
4. Did you have a breach visa regime on 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.

- 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 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 zone. This type of transit is called airside.

1 /1

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.

1 /1

At passport control you will need:

International passport;

Tickets for flights with the corresponding route. For example, air tickets for the Kyiv-London-Toronto flight look much more convincing than air tickets with the Kyiv-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 boarding pass for a flight from London and a passport with valid visa 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 for 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.

1 /1

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.