Step-by-step instructions on how to independently obtain a visa to the UK. Features of a tourist and transit visa. Pitfalls, reasons for refusals and prices.
What kind of visa is needed to the UK
In terms of the complexity of paperwork, the British bureaucracy is second only to the American and Japanese. Getting a UK visa is not easy. According to official statistics, the number of refusals reaches 15-20% of all submitted applications, but this does not mean that the result is unattainable!
There are about 30 types of visas in the UK. Long term give the right to stay in this country from 2 to 10 years. Short term issued for six months, 1, 2, 5 and 10 years. Many of them require a scoring system and a language proficiency certificate.
We will tell you how to get a Standard Visitor visa yourself. With this visa, you can visit England for up to six months as a tourist.
Step 1: Learn First-Hand Information
We advise you not to collect reviews on forums and from friends, but to look for the latest information about applying for a visa to the UK on the official website: gov.uk. See gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa for a complete list of all documents.
Step 2: Prepare a package of documents
You will need:
International passport with a validity period of 6 months and at least one blank page for pasting a visa. A Schengen visa, even an open one, does not affect entry into the UK in any way. But it will be a plus if the passport contains Schengen visas from previous trips. We recommend that you attach your previous passport. So the embassy staff will be able to get acquainted with the history of your travels and the visas that you received earlier.
Personal documents... Take a certificate from the job, which will indicate your position, salary and date of enrollment. Such a document is endorsed by the director and chief accountant. Even if you go on the road alone, prepare birth certificates for minor children, marriage or divorce certificates.
Financial documents collected individually. An embassy official treats each applicant as a potential immigrant. Information about your finances should convince him that you are satisfied with the financial situation in your home country and do not think about illegal immigration.
A certificate of personal income tax-2 salary for the last six months, bank statements with a wet seal, a certificate from a bank about savings deposits, property documents - certificates of ownership of land and other movable and immovable property are suitable.
If you have income from renting out housing, take a personal income tax-3 certificate. Children and students need parental cover letters, income statements from their jobs, and account statements.
Please note that if the certificate from work indicates an insignificant income, and a large receipt of funds is shown on the accounts, you may be required to documents where this money came from - an inheritance, a gift, etc.
Flights and hotel booking... When applying for a visa to the UK on your own, you should attach copies of the round-trip air tickets. This is an optional but desirable item! We advise you to book tickets with a major airline that is ready to refund your money if a visa is refused, for example, in Lufthansa. On Booking you will always find hotels with a "free cancellation" option.
Consent form... Russian citizens need to fill out a consent form for the processing of biometric personal data.
Medical insurance is not required to obtain a visa, but it is better not to go anywhere without it. You can make it on Cherekhapa and SravnRu.
Translate all collected documents into English.
zerokol: "On all translations, you must indicate a translator, if you translated yourself - just write it."
Step 3: Submitting your visa application
The UK visa application is submitted online. To get a Standard Visitor visa, fill out an application not earlier than 3 months before the start of the trip.
Register at visa4uk.fco.gov.uk. Select the language "Russian", and then the Russian translation will appear under the questions in English. After filling in the personal data, a link will be sent to your e-mail. Confirm your account and enter your personal account.
If you are applying on your own behalf, choose Apply For Myself... You will be taken to a page with the documentary requirements for the embassy. Enter your passport details, travel date and select the type of visa. To get a Standard Visitor visa, click General Visitor.
Filling out the form is not difficult, but it is important to have all the information in front of your eyes - passport and personal data, addresses of paid hotels and visa numbers that were received earlier. After everything is ready, put your last name in Sign Declaration and press Book / view Appointmentto choose when you will carry the package of all papers to the Visa Application Center.
Sergeypol Pol: "It is necessary to carefully check all the information provided several times before clicking the" Submit "button, then it will be impossible to make corrections."
The visa application is paid online. You are taking Pay for Application, and you will be offered different payment options. It is convenient to transfer money from Visa or MasterCard. Try to pay immediately, otherwise after 3 hours the date of your visit to the visa center will be canceled and the application will have to be filled out again.
The usual option is Standard Appointment - costs £ 89 ($ 125). The embassy will consider your application from 10 days to a month. With rare exceptions, they respond within 15 days. To reduce the time frame to 3-5 days - Priority Visa, you have to pay £ 212.
After payment, print out the application form and confirmation of the appointment of a visit to the visa center. Print on the best paper, one side of the paper for the best print quality. Do not forget to personally sign the application!
Important! In addition to filling out an online application form, in order to obtain a visa to the UK, you will need to register on the website of the visa center for your region TLScontact: uk.tlscontact.com. Indicate there received GWF numberand you will be able to track the status of the application online.
How to fill out a UK visa application form
Step 4: Visit the Visa Application Center
Please arrive 15-20 minutes before the indicated time. Pass in the Reception window the printed confirmation of the appointment of the visit and take the coupon with the number of the visitor. When your number appears on the board, hand over your documents to the employee of the center. In addition, you will need to go to the biometrics department to take fingerprints and take photos. The entire visit will take about an hour.
Almost all applications are submitted according to this scheme. On rare occasions, applicants are scheduled for face-to-face interviews.
After the decision has been made, you will receive an envelope with your passport at the Visa Application Center. On the site you can order the receipt of an envelope through a courier
TOMATO: "The passport arrived. In total - 10 working days. It is simply incredible, considering that I have not had a single trip abroad to this day and, accordingly, a clean one abroad."
Transit visa
There are two types of transit visas. The first one is needed if you want to leave the airport for up to 48 hours or make a transfer at another airport in the country. The second allows you to stay at the airport for 24 hours, without the right to exit customs control.
The process of applying for a transit visa to the UK is similar to the process of applying for a tourist visa. You need to show proof that the purpose of your trip is another country. You will need a passport, financial documents, air tickets and hotel reservations.
Fill out the application online and pay the US $ 87 consular fee. Have English translation of all papers. Personal presence at the Visa Application Center for biometrics and submission of documents is required!
We'll have to wait 14-15 days. If there is enough information about you, the transit visa will be given earlier.
Reasons for refusal
The documents are checked very carefully.How much detail your papers will look at depends on your personal visa history, the type of visa and the databases that the embassy has.
The main reasons for refusal:
The purpose of the trip is indicated incorrectly... For a tourist trip, the applicant must submit a package of documents that supports this purpose.
Problems with law... If the applicant is registered in criminal databases, he will not receive a visa.
Money is tight... How much should you have in your accounts? There are no specific financial requirements, but it is known that the embassy workers are guided by the subsistence level in the UK, that is, £ 65 per day. Word of mouth recommends a minimum monthly income of $ 700-800.
Counterfeit... All information about you must be true! If a forgery is found, you will be banned from entering the country for 10 years, and in fact will never be allowed into the country.
Bad translation... The information you provided was simply misunderstood or misinterpreted. Do not skimp and use the services of a professional translator or agency to translate documents!
Unobvious connection with the sponsor... It is more credible if your closest relatives - wife, husband and parents - are interested in the trip. Sponsorships from distant relatives and friends are always viewed with suspicion.
Unpleasant experience... Come to the Visa Application Center in a decent, not eye-catching suit. Be polite, restrain your emotions, and do not show undue interest in the visa. The British will appreciate the confidence and tranquility.
