Visa-free transfer at London airport London: British capital requires national visa, transit under special conditions

If the route of the planned trip is completely random or quite thoughtful (which is not surprising at all) lies through the UK, then such a trip needs to be very carefully prepared. Everyone knows that the British migration and transit systems have rather stringent requirements, which it is advisable to familiarize with before issuing tickets.

The need for a transit visa depends on two main factors:

  • how the transit is made - airside or landside
  • which group of countries the passenger belongs to (according to the List of visa national countries or the so-called black and red lists of countries)

Airside transit

If your flights are on a transit flight with a connection to International airport Manchester or Heathrow or Gatwick, which are in London, then you can relax and calmly pack your bags - you do not need a visa. The layout of these airports allows you to move or move from one terminal to another (within the same airport, of course) without leaving the transit zone.

That is, the passenger does not need to go through passport control, therefore, no one will request a visa either. But there are some nuances here. For example, citizens of Ukraine (which is blacklisted) can carry out airside transit through Britain without a transit visa only if they meet the following conditions:

  • arrival / departure by plane (this can be a through ticket or several air tickets of different companies, but for the entire route)
  • air tickets for the next flight, the departure of which must be before 23:59 of the day of arrival (the time indicated in the air tickets is taken into account, regardless of the delay / cancellation of the flight)
  • air tickets must be for international flights (with the exception of flights to Ireland)
  • availability of all documents that are required to enter the country of destination
  • the traveler cannot leave transit zone airport

Landside transit

Passengers often choose air tickets to travel around London, or have to purchase air tickets with transit through the UK due to the lack of a more convenient or cheaper way to get to their destination. During a landside transit, the traveler must leave the transit area, for example, to collect / drop off baggage, change the airport, overnight at the hotel or to change to domestic flight or a flight to Ireland.

Usually, in such cases, customs officers require a transit visa, but there are exceptions to each rule. The absence of this document during landside transit is allowed only if the passenger meets the following conditions:

  • arrival / departure by plane only (this can be a through ticket or several air tickets of different companies, but for the entire route)
  • availability of air tickets for the plane, the take-off of which must be before 23:59 the next day after arrival (the time indicated in the air tickets is taken into account, regardless of the delay / cancellation of the flight)

For example, a passenger arrived on June 11 at 22:00 and must leave Britain before 23:59 on June 12. Please note, using this rule, it is quite profitable to buy air tickets for night flights. For example, a passenger arrived on July 15 at 00:15, tickets must be for the next flight with a departure until 23:59 on July 16. In fact, the traveler has two whole days in the UK.

  • valid visa in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA and a plane ticket to one of the listed countries
  • expired visa to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, USA, but six months have not passed since the moment of entering one of the listed countries
  • a valid biometric visa to enter the Republic of Ireland (the remarks must indicate "BC" or "BC BIVS"), as well as plane tickets to Ireland
  • a valid Irish biometric visa (the remarks must indicate "BC" or "BC BIVS"), air tickets confirming that he is flying from Ireland - 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 28.06.2002)
  • Residence permit in the United States (issued after 21.04.1008), including a valid visa US I-551 Temporary Immigrant Visa (note that British border officials will not accept the agreed document with a seal made with wet ink), permanent residence card residence), expired I-551 card (must be accompanied by a valid I-797 letter to authorize renewal), US Immigration Form 155A / 155B (presented with a stamped brown envelope)
  • Residence permit in Switzerland or in any country that is part of the European Economic Area
  • availability of all documents that are required to enter the country of destination

Note! Visa-free landside transit will not be possible if the passenger has an electronic visa (e-visa) or electronic residence permit (e-residence permit), and do not count on luck with a US visa type "YY" or "ZZ" marked " Not a visa. Foil prepared at DHS request "or stamped" Processed for I-551 ".

Also note that even meeting these conditions does not provide a 100% guarantee for visa-free transit through the UK. It all depends on the decision of the immigration officer at passport control, who has every right to refuse you. Therefore, it is in your interests to carefully prepare for communication with the officer.

For example, if a passenger has purchased tickets for a plane that arrives in London in the evening, and the next flight is tomorrow morning, then an additional argument confirming the need to leave the transit zone will be a document (printout) confirming the booked hotel room near the airport.

If your air tickets provide for a route with a change of airport (for example, you are flying to Luton, and air tickets departing from Heathrow), then it would be prudent to book your bus or train tickets in advance and present them to the immigration officer.

And remember - if you do not want to immediately nullify all dreams of a visa-free landside transit, you should not tell the passport control officer that you specially selected tickets for flights with a long connection in London in order to see the city.

What you need at passport control:

  • international passport
  • valid visa to the country of destination (if necessary)
  • air tickets for flights with the appropriate route (for example, air tickets for a flight Kiev-London-Toronto look much more convincing than air tickets with a route Kiev-London-Berlin. The UK immigration officials will clearly guess that you have chosen this route on purpose in order to walk around London . The risk of staying at the airport increases dramatically)
  • fully completed immigration form (the form is taken at the counter in front of control or on the plane of some air carriers)

In what cases it is advisable to obtain a visa in advance:

  • the passenger has already been denied a UK visa
  • deportation or refusal to enter any country
  • problems with the law (in any country)
  • during a previous visit to Britain, the traveler violated the visa regime (worked illegally on a tourist or student visa, etc.

Up-to-date information on the country's migration policy,

check in official sources - Visa Center and consulate.

A transit visa to the UK is needed if, traveling to any other country, you are forced to make a transfer on the territory of the Kingdom. Earlier this sounded like a recommendation. Now - from December 1, 2014 - it is necessary.

The rules have changed

The fact is that in the past, 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 left, a tourist without an English visa could visit London in transit. 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 took effect.

UK Visas: Video

The essence of the changes

Now, in order to check in or receive luggage, move 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 condition from the following list:

  • The country of destination is Canada, USA, New Zealand, or Australia, and you hold a visa for that country;
  • If you arrived from one of the aforementioned countries, and you have stayed in it for no more than six months and you have a visa for that country;
  • If you hold a residence permit in one of the aforementioned countries, in Switzerland or in any of the states belonging to the European Economic Area;
  • If you have a valid national visa for 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 not more than three months ago, or you are flying to Ireland and you have a valid biometric visa.

UK Visa Types: Video

Is Visa Assignment Possible Now

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

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

If you stay outside the airport transit area and show immigration officials your purchased tickets, visa, or hotel reservations in another country, you may be in for a visa concession.

There are transit terminals only at Gatwick and Heathrow airports. That is, if you are in one of them, departure 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 fly out later than 23 hours 59 minutes, then you will need to arrange a transit to wait inside the transit terminal.

overdue loans nevylet.rf

Yes, the prospect of staying out of the way 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 should definitely arrange for transit in advance.

Start preparing documents in advance

Whether you need a visa for transit through London is up to you. If you do not qualify for 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 visa concession. Although the immigration officers have the right to refuse you.

Following the second, safer route, apply for a transit visa to England. On it you can 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, only instead of an invitation you will need to attach tickets and permission to enter the country of destination.

Considering the processing time of visa cases, as well as the time required to collect all the certificates, start drawing up the documents in advance to avoid annoying misunderstandings during your 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 the debtor's status that is easiest to “forget” when going on another overseas vacation. 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 to find out information about the availability of debt using the proven service nevylet.rf

Transit is a fairly common occurrence for travelers. Firstly, the prices for tickets with a transfer are usually lower, and secondly, not every city can get to another by direct flight, especially from Russia. We have already talked about transit visas and the most popular countries for transit, and now let's dwell in more detail on the UK and how to apply for a transit visa to the UK.

UK airports are a fairly popular connecting point when traveling from Russia to countries North America which became popular in recent times Iceland and many other countries. Until recently, the UK government was flexible and allowed visa-free transit for a limited time in a fairly a large number cases, even giving the right to enter the city. Now the country's migration rules have tightened, and Russians planning a transplant there, in most cases, need to obtain a transit visa to the UK.

Before you worry about how to apply for a transit visa to the UK, first you need to make sure that you really need a visa. You can count on visa-free transit only when you fly through Heathrow and Gatwick airports in London, as well as through Manchester airport, and do not plan to leave the transit zone at the airport. Please be aware that baggage claim belts and check-in desks are outside the transit area. In addition, your next flight to a third country must depart before midnight the next day after arrival.

It is worth noting that in order to transit without a visa, Russian citizens must meet one of the following conditions:

  • Travel to Australia, New Zealand, the United States or Canada with a valid visa from that country
  • Arriving from Australia, New Zealand, the United States or Canada after staying in that country for less than six months
  • Have a residence permit in Australia, New Zealand, one of the EU countries or Switzerland, Canada (issued not earlier than 06/28/2002) or the USA (issued not earlier than 04/21/1998)
  • Have a European or Swiss Category D visa
  • Fly to or from Ireland (less than 3 months after entry) and have a valid Irish biometric visa (only relevant if you are getting an Irish visa outside of Russia, since biometric data is not collected for this visa in Russia)

Electronic visas and electronic residence permits are not accepted for consideration and are not a reason for allowing visa-free transit.

Despite the fact that there is still an opportunity to make a transfer without applying for a transit visa in the UK, whether it will really be allowed for you is always at the discretion of the immigration officer at the airport. In the event that a visa at the airport is required, its cost will be £ 30, and you will need to have a passport, tickets and visa to the country of destination, as well as an immigration form.

How to apply for a UK transit visa

A transit visa to the UK entitles you to stay in the country for 48 hours. Applying for a visa takes place in several stages:

  • filling out an online questionnaire,
  • payment of the cost of the visa (92 US dollars according to the official website),
  • registration on the website of visa centers and entering all the details of your application,
  • interview.

At the interview, you will need a printed and completed application form, tickets to a third country of destination within 48 hours of arriving in the UK, a visa to a third country (if applicable), and 2 color photographs.

It may take some time to obtain a transit visa to the UK, so it is better to do it in advance (no earlier than 3 months before the trip).

Now you know how to apply for a transit visa to the UK and when planning your next trip, you can include, for example, London in your itinerary. You can also read about how to apply for other categories of visas to the country of the Beatles and Sherlock Holmes on our website. Aviasales is always ready to help you find cheap tickets.

Enjoy your travels!

Fitting © 2021 Where to tour - Portal for travelers