Any traveler should be aware that a visa issued by the British Consulate does not guarantee entry into the country. The final decision on whether to allow or deny entry to a foreigner is made by the border guard at the time the alien passes passport control.
Requirements for foreigners (we are talking about non-EU citizens) who enter the United Kingdom, both with a visa and without it, are absolutely identical.
Primary requirements:
- the presence of a passport valid throughout the stay in the UK;
- a valid visa, if one is required;
- completed migration card (landing card).
As a confirmation of the purpose of the visit, you may need:
- hotel reservation;
- an invitation from relatives or friends;
- a letter from the educational institution (if the purpose of the visit is training, practical training, participation in a scientific seminar);
- a letter or employment contract from the employer;
- an invitation to participate in events of a scientific, cultural or sports nature;
- tickets to a third country (if the purpose of the visit is transit).
As evidence of financial viability and intentions to leave the UK:
- return ticket or a ticket to a third country;
- availability, traveler's checks or bank cards.
How to fill out a Landing Card?
Migration cards are issued on an airplane / ferry / bus or can be picked up directly in the arrivals hall in front of the passport control desks. The card is filled in English:
- Family name - last name
- First name (s) - name (s) (middle name does not need to be written)
- Sex - gender
- Date of birth - date of birth
- Town and country of birth - country and city of birth
- Nationality - nationality
- Occupation - profession
- Contact address in the UK (in full) - UK contact address in full
- Passport No - passport number
- Place of issue - place of issue
- Length of stay in the UK - length of stay in the UK
- Port of last departure - place of last departure (airport / port / city of departure to the UK)
- Arrival flight / train numer / ship name - flight / train number / ship name
- Signature - Signature
Particular attention should be paid to paragraphs 7, 8 and 11. In paragraph 7, you must specify the profession clearly. For example, “teacher”, “doctor”, etc. If something like "chief", "director", "administrator" is indicated, the border guard may require additional information, so you should initially write, for example, "store director".
Paragraph 8 - the name of the hotel and its address are indicated. In the case of accommodation with relatives / friends, as well as when booking accommodation through couchsurfing sites or arbnb, the name of the private person with whom the foreigner will live, and the exact address are indicated. Important! If, when applying for a visa, you stated in the application form that you would live in a hotel, the hotel card should be indicated on the landing card, not a private person, otherwise this would raise doubts with the border guard regarding the purpose of the visit. This, in turn, can cause a denial of entry to the UK.
Clause 11 - the length of stay indicated on the card must coincide with the date of the return flight. The border guard does not need to know that you have plans to change the ticket and possibly stay another day or two or a week, or even a month. In the card you need to write what is at the time of entry.
Fingerprints
Fingerprints are taken at the vast majority of points of entry into the UK. The system automatically compares them with the fingerprints that the foreigner handed over when applying for a visa. The system also provides basic information about this foreigner obtained during his visa, as well as about his previous entries into the country (if any).
Interview with a border guard
A migration card with a passport is presented to the border guard. The next step will be the interview.
Mandatory questions asked by foreigners are as follows:
- Purpose of the trip?
- How long are you going to stay in the UK?
- Where to stay during your stay?
With a high probability they can ask a few more questions, for example:
- Where are you flying from?
- What do you plan to do (see) during the visit?
- Are there any friends or relatives in the UK?
- Who do you work in Russia and when do you plan to return to work?
How to behave at passport control
General rules are as follows:
- you need to behave correctly and calmly. Excessive emotions, gestures, and fuss during an interview cause suspicions among border guards. From the point of view of formal logic, a person who has documents in order and has no intention of breaking the law should not be nervous.
- answers to any questions should be as short and clear as possible so that the border guard could not interpret them in his own way. No need to overload your answers with details and details, otherwise the border guard will definitely have a desire to ask a lot of additional clarifying questions, which will increase the time spent on crossing the border several times.
- no need to take the initiative: if the border guard does not ask for a return ticket and other documents, you do not need to do this. As a rule, if you are able to adequately answer questions, the border guard will not need anything other than your passport.
- a correctly completed landing card will save the tourist about additional questions. In this case, the information in the card should coincide with your verbal answers.
- the purpose of the visit should be consistent with the purpose that was indicated when applying for a visa. In other words, if initially the basis for issuing a visa was a tourist trip with a stop at the hotel, then when crossing the border you need to say the same thing. Important! A trip to relatives and tourism (rest and stay at the hotel) are different goals of the visit!
How to answer questions
Questions about the purpose of the visit and location during your visit to the UK
If, when applying for a visa, you indicated the purpose of the visit "tourism" in the application form, and the hotel as the address and the receiving party, the correct answer is: "I will stay at the hotel during the trip."
What should I do if a hotel in London was indicated on the questionnaire, and my plans changed, and the tourist decided to go, for example, to Liverpool, or one hotel was replaced by another?
From the point of view of immigration rules, there is no violation of this, when passing through passport control, you must specify the address of the hotel in which the tourist will actually live. If there are several hotels, the one with the most days is booked.
Also, instead of the hotel, you can provide a reservation from the arbnb website (in this case, the answer should be like this: “I booked accommodation on the arbnb website”, and not “I will live with a private person”).
If the purpose of the visit is to visit friends or relatives, you need to name their names and surnames, the degree of relationship or the nature of the relationship (friends, for example) and address.
Additionally, when it comes to friends, border guards may ask how long you have known who they work with, how long and on what basis they have been living in the UK (if we are talking about people who do not have British citizenship).
If a tourist has a British transit visa in his passport, there can only be one answer to the question about the purpose of the visit - "transit".
As a rule, if staying in the UK during transit does not exceed 48 hours, this is not suspicious. However, even in this case, additional questions are possible about why such a route is chosen or why there is such a time gap between flights. The correct answers in this case are as follows (in accordance with the real situation): “flights fly to my country once / twice a week”, “either the air carrier offers only such an option to fly to the final destination”, or “there are several types of transport in my route (for example, train and plane, ferry and plane) and you can only dock them in this way. "
Wrong answers, which can at least alert the border guard, and often lead to a denial of entry:
- "The purpose of our visit is tourism, we will stay with relatives (friends)"
- "First, we will live in a hotel, then with relatives."
- “When we got a visa, we thought that we would be at the hotel, but then we decided to live with friends.”
These answers directly indicate that the purpose of the visit does not coincide with what is indicated in the visa. This can be regarded as an indication of knowingly false information when applying for a visa.
The logic of the border guard in this case is as follows: “If a person wants to visit relatives or friends in the UK, what is the point of applying for a visa in order to visit“ tourism ”? If a person lives with relatives / friends, it means that he provided a fake hotel reservation to the consulate. The conclusion suggests itself - this foreigner may have an intention to remain in the UK illegally. "
In the case of transit, the wrong answer is: “I want to see the country” or “I want to meet relatives / solve business issues / pass exams, etc.” (the purpose of the visit does not match the type of visa issued).
Questions about the length of stay and number of entries
Border officials often suspect too frequent tourist trips to the UK (for example, if a month or less passes between trips and a visa is issued for tourist trips). Border guards in this case are interested in how a tourist combines travel and work. The answer to this question may be the following: "I am given a large vacation, but I can not take it in full and have to split it up" or "one trip falls on holidays, the other - during the holidays."
If you have a return ticket, but you intend to stay in the UK for a longer period, it is not necessary to inform the border guard about this.
Otherwise, you will have to explain why you did not change the ticket to a later date in advance and why you bought a ticket that does not coincide with the actual departure date.
As a rule, this option can lead to a refusal of entry - from the point of view of the border guard, an attempt to stay in the country might look like this.
Questions regarding the stay plan and profession of a tourist
Most often, questions about a foreigner's plans while staying in the UK are asked for those who are entering the country for the first time or traveling at the invitation of a private person. In this case, you need to list the main cities / attractions / events, etc. that are planned to be visited.
Also, the answer may sound something like this: “I’m going to visit my sister (friend, children, parents), we haven’t decided on the exact plans yet, we’ll probably go for a walk, do some shopping. If there’s a mood, we’ll go on an excursion / to the museum / zoo and etc. " Such an answer is logical for those who go to visit relatives.
Wrong answers:
- “I will help with the housework”, “take care of children / elderly relatives”, “help my friend with affairs.” All this can be regarded as an attempt to work illegally.
- "I plan to learn English." In this case, it is necessary to focus the border guard on the fact that the duration of training is less than 30 days, and training is not the main purpose of the visit.
Questions about the work of a foreigner in the country of residence are most often asked if the person often visits the UK. Border guards are interested in:
- How can a foreigner combine frequent trips with regular work?
- Are frequent trips really working?
- Is there enough for a foreigner to travel so often?
In this case, it is necessary to clearly explain where and by whom the tourist works, to describe the specifics of the work schedule: the shift method, work at home, piecework, seasonal work, work involving a large number of days off (for example, a teacher or teacher).
Important! If a tourist works as a freelancer, he does not have to tell the border guard the following: "I work always and everywhere, and on a trip too." This answer may be misunderstood and presented as an attempt to work illegally in the UK without an appropriate visa.
How to behave if you are asked to undergo additional testing
The decision on additional verification of a foreigner who wants to enter the UK is made if the border guard has doubts about this person. One of the reasons for such a check may be the tourist’s inability, due to complete lack of knowledge of the language, to answer questions of a border guard officer.
Additional verification is carried out in a separate room and is an extended interview with a foreigner. During it documents are examined confirming the purpose of the visit (hotel reservation, return tickets, etc.), the availability of financial resources necessary for staying in the country is checked (cash, traveller's checks, bank cards - the balance is not checked, account statement is not required) . Examination of personal belongings and baggage can also be carried out.
During all the procedures, it is necessary to remain calm, to behave correctly, in no case to shout, not to threaten and not attack the border guards.
Based on the results of such an interview, a final verdict is issued - to let a foreigner into the country or not. If no violations of the rules of entry are found, a positive decision is made.
What can a foreigner who has been called for additional verification require?
- invite an interpreter - this must be done by all those who do not know English at all, or speak a language at the school level, or are very worried;
- contact the embassy - this must be done when the check lasts a long time, or any charges are brought against the foreigner in violation of UK law;
- to contact relatives, friends, business partners, an organization about whose invitation a foreigner is traveling;
- call a doctor in case of a sharp deterioration in well-being during the interview.
Why entry into the UK may be denied
The most common reasons for refusing entry:
- discrepancy between the real purpose of the visit and the purpose specified in the visa. (For example, a foreigner with a visitor's visa is actually going to work);
- during previous trips, a foreigner violated the laws of the country and a decision was made on a temporary or permanent ban on entry into the UK;
- the visa has expired or has been canceled;
- a foreigner is suspected of having connections with criminal or terrorist organizations.
If entry is denied, the foreigner receives an official confirmation stating the reason for the refusal, as well as information about the possibility of appealing the decision and the timing of the deportation of the foreigner from the UK. As a rule, a foreigner must leave the UK on the next flight to the country of which he is a citizen.
In addition, a passport control system, including an interview process, additional checks and deportations, is featured in the UK Border Force documentary.
If you still have questions, ask them at the Travel.ru Forum. We will help you understand all the nuances.
Katriona Kopylova
21 AugTo the UK without a visa? Is that possible? Need in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 but don't want to waste time getting a visa? Can I get to the UK without a visa? There are 2 ways to legally enter a country without a visa‼ ️ Yes, a country that issues visas with great difficulty can be accessed from the back door 🙂 Find out how:
To the UK without a visa - Cruise
✔️ First way - go on a cruise⛴️, the route of which is a British city of interest to you! The usual visa rules do not apply to cruise ships, they are subject to the rules of the special maritime convention. Thus, you can get to the UK without a visa! The cruise should not start and end in the UK and the cruise ship (and you) should not be in the port for more than 24 hours.
To the UK without a visa - Transit visa
✔️ Second way - get a transit visa. This is a great way to get to the UK without a visa. The fact is that UK law allows tourists to stay in the country without a visa for up to 48 hours while connecting flights at any airport. But for this, the following conditions must be met:
1. You fly through the UK in transit to / from the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand.
2. You have a valid visa of the country where / where you are going from.
3. Your next flight departs until 23.59 the next day.
🌐
If all the conditions are met, then after a short conversation with the visa officer, your passport will have a stamp with a transit visa and you can enjoy walking around the country! It turns out that you can get to the United Kingdom without a visa! Please note that transit is possible only through airports, so any other transport (train, ferry) is not suitable for a visa-free visit to the UK.
When buying a ticket, pay attention to
An interesting and varied holiday for you!
In 2019, Russians need a visa to visit London. Moreover enter the country on a Schengen visa does not work, since Great Britain 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, entry into other European countries is not possible. A visa to London is issued at British service centers, which are located in several cities of Russia.
Types of Visa Documents
Depending on the purpose of travel to the country, this or that type of visa document is issued. Consider the main ones.
Visitor Visa
This visa is required if the purpose of the trip is tourism, a visit to relatives or a business trip. Moreover, in each case, supporting documents will be required.
For example, a tourist visa requires documents on the availability of a booked room in a hotel or rental apartment.
If a foreigner travels as a guest to friends or relatives, an invitation letter will be required from them, indicating the time, purpose of the trip and the intended 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 traveling 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 out of the Kingdom within 24 hours of arrival at the airport;
- have a ticket for a flight to a third state;
- a stop 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 not to be necessary, the traveler must also meet one of the following requirements:
- arrival country is USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Or a foreign citizen flies from these countries through Britain to a third state;
- the traveler has a residence permit in the above countries or in;
- the person has a visa type "D";
- the alien flies to (or from) her and has a national visa for that state.
More information about all types of English visas and their registration can be obtained.
Getting a visa
To start on the site //www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/account/registeryou 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, the personal number will be sent to the email address specified when creating the account. In the future, you will need it for recording 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 and the size of the monthly salary are indicated;
- Financial records of sufficient funds to complete the trip.
Photo Requirements
The application is accompanied by one photograph, which must meet the following conditions:
- the size of the photo is 3.5x4.5 cm;
- the photograph was taken no later than six months before the application;
- photographs of the applicant in sunglasses, a hat or with other accessories are not accepted if their use is not connected with religious beliefs;
- the image is performed on a light background and occupies at least 70% of the total image.
Financial documents
You can confirm financial viability if you provide the following documentation:
- Bank statement for the last six months;
- Certificate 2-NDFL or other document confirming receipt of wages;
- Tax returns marked IFTS.
The 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 the trip by a third party, financial documentation on the sponsor's solvency 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 filing of documents on the website tpcontact.co.uk, but first you need to create your own account. Upon registration, e-mail, previously issued personal number, passport details, last name and first name are indicated. After creating the account, the place and date of application are 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 indicated time, you should visit the visa center (it is better to arrive 15 minutes earlier). We'll have to go through fingerprint scanning and taking a digital photo. If the applicant refuses to attend these events, then the issuance of a British visa will automatically be refused. 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 are not taken. The procedure itself is carried out no longer than 20 minutes.
Visa to London usually takes up to 15 days. But it is advisable to take care of applying in advance. An urgent visa takes no more than 3-5 days. In a shorter time, applications from visa holders or Schengen countries are considered. When issuing a visa for a period of more than two years, documents are examined within one month.
Visa to certain regions of the country
There is no separate visa to enter certain parts of the country (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales), as well as the cities of the Kingdom, for example, to London. In all cases, a UK national visa is issued.
Ride 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 second parent. If the child travels to the UK unaccompanied, the consent of both parents will be required. In the absence of a second parent, it is necessary to provide certificates confirming this fact.
All accompanying documents must have a translation into English. Moreover, the documentation can be translated by both the applicant himself and the specialist of the Translation Bureau or another person who speaks the language. Notarization is not required.
Visa processing: on your own or through agencies?
If the question arises about a trip to Britain, then there are two options for solving it: contact the agency to obtain the necessary documentation or obtain a visa to London yourself. Given that Great Britain is a country with a rather strict migration policy, then the benefits of seeking help from an agency are obvious. Specialists of such organizations know all the intricacies, pitfalls and nuances of applying for 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 paperwork 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 dollars. If a visit is planned that will last two years, then the consular fee increases to $ 459. It is cheaper, of course, to apply for a visa yourself, but the probability
For Russian citizens, there are two options to enter the United Kingdom without applying for a visa. True, we must immediately warn you that traveling around London in such cases will not be long.
Option 1: Transit Flight
You can get to the UK without a visa during a transit stop at a London airport when traveling to another country. Until 2014, it was possible to fly through London anywhere - even to visa-free Latin America for Russians, even to Africa, even to Asia.
But from December 1, 2014, the British authorities seriously tightened transit rules. Now you have the opportunity to leave the transit zone of an airport in the UK without a visa only if you fly from Russia to four states: the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. But there is one caveat - a flight through London should be logical. In other words, the border guard needs to prove that the route through the British capital is either cheaper or faster (or both).
Therefore, the option of traveling from Moscow to Australia or New Zealand via London is hardly suitable for Russian citizens, since it is almost impossible to explain the reason for such a “hook” to a migration officer.
But flights Moscow - London - New York or Moscow - London - Toronto look quite logical, since the capital of Great Britain is located along the way.
The maximum visa-free stay in the UK during a transfer is limited: you must leave no later than 23:59 the day after arrival at the British airport. Also, you should already have a paid and confirmed ticket for a flight from London, and a Canadian or American visa.
UK immigration law is one of the most stringent in Europe. Visa-free transit through the UK is the exception rather than the rule. Those travelers who have a long-term (more than 8-10 hours) change are more likely to leave the airport transit zone without a visa. A plus would be the availability of hotel reservations in the city or near the airport. Also, the chances will increase if you need to change the airport - for example, you flew from Moscow to Heathrow, and fly to Gatwick to the United States or Canada.
But the most important thing is whether or not to let a foreigner across the border always remains at the discretion of the border guard. Therefore, if for some reason he refuses, the next flight will have to wait at the airport.
Option 2: Sea Cruise
Another way to get to the UK without a visa is as a passenger on a cruise ship. In this case, your chances are almost 100% (remember that the last word still remains with the border guard).
The right to visit the United Kingdom without a visa for cruise ship passengers is specified in paragraph 3 of Chapter 19 of the UK Visa Code.
However, in this case there are several nuances.
The first is that for a Russian tourist without a visa to be released from the liner onto British soil, the cruise should not begin and end in the Kingdom. In other words, British ports should be intermediate while sailing.
The second - a cruise ship should not be in the British port for more than 24 hours.
And the third - if during the voyage the liner should call at several British ports, then they should not go in order.
Most cruise routes, during which Russians can visit the United Kingdom without a British visa, pass through the seas of Northern Europe. As a rule, ships to the UK come to two ports - Dover and Southampton.
Dover is located 120 km from London. It is connected to the trains of the railway company South Eastern with the Victoria or Charing Cross stations in the British capital. Travel time in one direction - 1 hour 15 minutes.
Southampton - 130 km from London. South West Trains trains travel this distance in 1 hour 20 minutes. They arrive at Waterloo Station.
Considering that the cruise ship costs about 10-12 hours in the port, it’s enough time to go to London, see the Big Ben parliament building, the London Eye wheel, walk to the Queen Buckingham Palace residence and even have a pint of beer in a London pub.
It is better to buy train tickets on the Internet on the websites of railway operators and immediately in both directions. So you will save not only time in line at the box office, but also money.
Before leaving from the port to London, specify whether there is a plan for an afternoon strike of railway workers on this day. Recently in the UK this is not such a rare occurrence, and being late on a cruise ship threatens with huge problems.
The ship is not waiting for anyone - it will leave the port on schedule. In this case, the passports of Russian citizens, as a rule, are stored in the safe on the liner during the cruise. Being late, you will be left in the UK without documents, and in order to leave the United Kingdom and catch a cruise ship at the next port, you will have to contact the police and the immigration authorities. The trial may take a long time, and exceeding the 24-hour stay in the Kingdom is a violation of migration law. For this later you will not see the UK for a very long time.
How to apply for a UK visa
London deserves to stay there much more than a few hours, and for this, Russian citizens will have to apply for a British visa.
An electronic application form must be completed on the website of the UK Visa Application Center. In addition, you will have to personally visit the center for biometrics. They are located in Moscow, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Rostov-on-Don.
Consideration of an application for a standard tourist visa takes 15 days, for an urgent one - from three to five days.
An application for a visa can be submitted six months before the planned date of travel. At the same time, the consulate does not require pre-purchased airline tickets and hotel reservations (if your visa is refused, you will not lose money).
The cost of a semi-annual visa is $ 120, a two-year visa is $ 455, a five-year visa is $ 826 and a ten-year visa is $ 1,035.
According to official figures from the United Kingdom Consulate in Russia, 96 percent of Russians who apply for a British visa get it.
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Related links:British Embassy in Moscow, Visa to England for FE, Visa to England for schoolchildren.
If you are planning a trip to Britain for any purpose (tourism / study / business trip / visiting relatives, etc.), then you should definitely consider applying for a British visa. The fact is that for Russians there is no visa-free entry to the UK, and it will not work to cross the border without a visa. However, there are some exceptions and features that we will cover in this article. First, I would like to note that, contrary to the erroneous opinion of many travelers, Britain is not among the countries visited by a Schengen visa. Can someone go there without a visa at all? Under what conditions? Read below.
Features of visiting Britain without a visa in 2019
For passport holders of the Russian Federation, there are only two options to come to the UK without a visa. Firstly, if you make a transit stop, but provided that you are traveling to the United States, New Zealand, Canada or Australia and have a valid visa from the relevant country. In all other situations, it is impossible to leave the transit zone in 2019 even for a few hours. There are also concessions for other tourists - from a cruise ship. If this journey does not start and end in a British port, then visa-free stay of Russian citizens in the UK is allowed, but not more than 24 hours. In other cases, you need a visa.
A few years ago, an agreement was signed between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain that some foreign citizens, including Russians, can visit Ireland with a valid British visa. For the first time, travel is possible only through Britain, and then you can travel directly to Dublin and other cities. Among our compatriots, this option is very popular. However, this rule is asymmetric: after receiving permission to stay from the Irish Embassy, \u200b\u200bRussians are not allowed to enter the UK without a visa. A visa to Ireland allows you to travel only to the territory of this country.
In general, there is a whole category of citizens who are able to visit Britain without a visa. We are talking about holders of passports of the EU countries and some other states (Australia, Monaco, Switzerland, Argentina, etc.). But it is worth noting that this rule applies only to short trips that are not related to immigration purposes. For visits with the intention of extended stay, a visa is required. Accordingly, Russians can enter the UK without a visa if they are also citizens of these countries. Please note that ownership of a passport is required, residence permit is not enough.
Leave a visa application
