Transit in London: everything you need to know about the transit visa. Applying for a transit visa to the UK Do you need a transit visa when connecting in London?

09.10.2020

Tourists who travel to the UK have to obtain a tourist visa, as the government is strict about entry into the country in general. Visa requirements have also been tightened for those passing through England.

Today it is impossible to leave the airport without the appropriate document, and obtaining a transit visa if a transfer is planned in London is not always necessary. It depends on the traveler's goals.

There are several factors that influence whether you need to obtain a pass when visiting London. To understand whether a visa is needed, it is enough to think about the goals and duration of your stay in England.

Transfer airport

There are three airports in Britain where tourists from several countries, including Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and Kazakhs, do not need to apply for a pass. These are Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports, they are in London. Most flights connect here. If you fly to another airport, obtaining a permit is mandatory.

Movement between terminals is organized so that travelers do not leave transit zone(airside transfer). Therefore, additional permissions from the British Embassy are not required.

But even if you are at the capital’s airport terminals, this condition does not guarantee that the customs inspector will let the tourist through.

There can be many reasons for refusal; even personal suspicion is enough. In any case, the official reason will be stated as follows: non-compliance with migration rules.

It is worth knowing that a transit pass cannot be issued directly at the airport, even if a short-term transfer is planned there.

Other conditions In case the UK - intermediate point

travel, a visa is not required. But for this, the tourist must meet one of the following conditions:
Be a citizen of the European Union or Switzerland.
Have refugee or stateless status.
Use the same type of transport before and after the transfer.
Do not plan to stay in the kingdom for more than a day.

In addition, when connecting in London, a transit pass will not be needed if the passenger has a standard visitor, tourist visa or residence permit for the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland or Australia.

Change of transport

For travelers sea cruises who pass through Britain do not need to issue a transit document if you are not planning a walk around the city. Even during a daily stop at the port, only those tourists who have made a pass in advance will be able to enter the capital.

In the case of changing planes, a passenger can transfer to another flight without a visa only if the planes are at the same airport.

You will not be able to get to another airport terminal by car or train without a document.

Decor A visa can be opened at the consulate, and the package of documents is the same and does not depend on its type. All papers must be translated into English language

and certified by a notary.

Documentation

In addition to the application form, originals and copies of all international passports, you need an insurance policy, a 35x45 mm photograph, a certificate from work and documents confirming income.

Additionally, certain categories of citizens may be required to:
pensioner's ID;
student ID;
confirmation of hotel or hostel reservation;
certificate of work experience;

copies of visas that were previously received.

Procedure

After preparing the papers, you need to fill out an electronic application form, then a date will be set for visiting the consulate. There you will need to submit all originals and fingerprints. Next, the tourist will have a personal interview.

When planning a trip via 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 costs, 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 longer than the 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 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, a transit visa may be required. 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 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. In the UK there are two transit options: airside and landside transits.

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 stopping 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 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 refused a visa if you have violated the law, failed to comply with the visa regime, or have already been denied 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 booking a 144 or 72 hour transit, the passenger must provide his/her current passport, travel documents for the previous and subsequent flights, and a visa to the next stopover, if required. 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 a 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 upon request).
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 funds available sufficient to stay 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 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 within the established time frame 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.

In contact with

Russians need a visa to visit London. Moreover It is not possible to 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 EU countries. Similarly, with a British visa document it is not possible to enter other countries. European countries. A visa to London is issued at British service centers, which are located in a number of Russian cities.

Types of visa documents

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

Visitor visa

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

For example, for a tourist visa, documents about the presence of reserved room in a hotel or apartment rental.

If a foreigner travels as a guest to friends or relatives, then an invitation letter from them will be required, indicating the time, purpose of the trip and intended address of residence. Moreover, documents are required confirming the status of the inviting party: copies of a residence permit or passport.

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

Transit visa

When traveling in transit through England, a visa is required. However transit through London without a visa is possible. To do this, a foreigner must:

travel exclusively by plane;
fly from the Kingdom within 24 hours after arriving at the airport;
have a ticket for a flight to a third country;
stopping in Britain must 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 for collection to be unnecessary, the traveler must also meet one of the following requirements:

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

More detailed information You can get information about all types of English visas and their registration.

Obtaining a visa

To get started on the website //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, you will receive an email to the email address specified when creating your account. personal number. In the future, you will need it to register at the visa center. Then you should prepare a package of documents:

A foreign passport with a validity period of more than six months and at least two blank pages;
One photograph that meets all the requirements described below. The photo is pasted into the application form;
, where the position held and the monthly salary are indicated;
Financial documentation of availability Money sufficient for the trip.

Photo requirements

The application form is accompanied by one photograph, which must meet the following conditions:

photo size is 3.5x4.5 cm;
the photograph was taken no later than six months before submitting the application;
Photos of the applicant wearing sunglasses, a hat or other accessories will not be accepted unless their use is related to religious beliefs;
The image is taken against a light background and occupies at least 70% of the entire image.

Financial documents

You can confirm your financial solvency by providing the following documentation:

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

Supporting documentation does not include certificates of ownership of real estate. However, having them can significantly increase your chances of obtaining a visa. It is worth adding that when a trip is paid for by a third party, financial documentation about the sponsor’s wealth is provided.

Submitting documents to the visa center

The 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 to submit documents on the website tpcontact.co.uk, but first you need to create your own account. When registering, indicate your email, previously issued personal number, passport details, last name and first name. After creating an account, a place and date for submitting an application are selected. Here you can pay the visa fee online and, if necessary, order Additional services, For example, Express delivery or urgent visa application. After entering all the data, a letter will be generated, which must be printed and attached to the package of documents.

You should visit the visa center at the specified time (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 measures, the UK visa will automatically be refused. If you have cuts or scratches, as well as swelling on your fingers or face, you must wait until they heal: if the skin is damaged, biometric data will not be collected. The procedure itself takes no longer than 20 minutes.

It usually takes up to 15 days to obtain a visa to London. But it is advisable to take care of submitting your application in advance. It takes no more than 3-5 days to obtain an urgent visa. Applications from persons with visas to or Schengen countries are processed within a shorter period of time. When issuing a visa for a period of more than two years, the documents are examined within one month.

Visa to certain regions of the country

There is no separate visa for entry into 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 is traveling to the UK unaccompanied, the consent of both parents will be required. If the second parent is absent, you must provide certificates confirming this fact.

All accompanying documents must be translated into English. Moreover, the documentation can be translated either by the applicant himself or by a specialist from the Translation Agency or another person who speaks the language. Notarization is not required.

Applying for a visa: independently or through an agency?

If the question arises about traveling to Britain, then there are two options for resolving it: contact an agency to complete the necessary documentation or obtain a visa to London yourself. Considering that The UK is a country with a fairly strict migration policy, then the advantages of seeking help from agencies are obvious. Specialists from such organizations know all the intricacies, pitfalls and nuances of obtaining a visa; moreover, the process of obtaining an entry document is reduced to the shortest possible time. But such organizations, of course, will charge an additional fee for their services.

On average, depending on the type of visa, the cost of processing documents at the agency will vary in the range of 3,000-9,000 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 you are planning a visit that will last two years, the consular fee increases to $459. It is, of course, cheaper to apply for a visa yourself, but the likelihood is

- 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.

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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;
a valid biometric visa to enter the Republic of Ireland (must indicate “BC” or “BC BIVS” in the remarks), 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 employees border control The UK will not accept a specified document with a wet ink stamp), permanent residence card, expired I-551 card (must be accompanied by a valid I-797 letter authorizing its 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 Union economic zone;
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.

Therefore, prepare for customs control: it would be a good idea to print out your hotel reservation if you are staying overnight, and during the interview itself you should not be frank about what you specifically chose long transfer 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.

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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 him 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.

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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.