I will warn you right away that obtaining a visa to the UK is not an easy process. In my opinion, the British consulate is one of the most unpredictable and scrupulous. In this regard, I advise you to prepare for the submission of documents in advance in order to have enough time left.
UK Visa Application Center
Main types of visas
- tourist;
- guest room;
- educational;
- working;
- fiancé or wife visa.
Tourist visa
The minimum validity of a visa is 6 months with an unlimited number of entries and days of stay. That is, having received a visa once, you can stay in Britain immediately for six months. A nice bonus is the ability to choose the duration of the visa, it can be for 2 years or even 5 and 10 years, but the consular fee depends on this, which will be much higher for a long-term visa. A visa up to 2 years will cost you $340 (£278), up to 5 years - $625 (£511), and up to 10 years - $900 (£737).
Documentation
The website of the TLScontact visa center details the procedure, but you will not find a list of required documents there - the British ask you to provide all the documents that relate to the trip and, in your opinion, may be useful when considering your application. I advise you to carry everything:
- Hotel or apartment reservation. Suitable as a printed document from the hotel website, Booking.com (or other hotel search services), as well as from Airbnb. Prepayment is not required, just confirming the booking is enough.
- Health insurance with a coverage of at least 30,000 euros. It needs to be done in advance.
- Photograph 3.5x4.5 cm (rectangular, color image) taken no more than 6 months before the submission of documents.
- Certificate of employment on the organization's letterhead indicating your full name, position, term of work and salary (possible in rubles). You can also write that you will be on paid leave during the trip.
- Statement from your bank account.
The more supporting documents you show that you have many obligations in Russia and you have reasons to return, the better. The British do not request airfare reservations (as, for example, the consulate), but it is necessary to provide proof of accommodation booking.
It is also important to show the consulate which visas you have already held. The more countries have agreed to let you into their territory in the past, the higher the probability that the British will let you in too :) Therefore, attach old passports to the package of documents. Don't worry, they will be returned to you when you receive your visa.
You need to submit documents in person, since at the visa center it will be necessary to scan fingerprints and retinas, all this will be verified upon entering the country.
It is important that all documents must be in English. In order not to spend money on translating documents, I advise you to immediately take a certificate in English at work, you can also request a bank statement on it. On hotel booking sites, you can also print an English-language document.
If you do not have a formal job
In this case, I advise you to supplement the questionnaire with the following documents:
- a certificate from a school or university for students;
- pension certificate for pensioners;
- a sponsorship letter (relevant to confirm the financial situation of the categories above), which must be supported by a certificate of income of the person who incurs your expenses on the trip;
- marriage certificate, birth certificate of children - show that you definitely have someone to return to your homeland;
- if you have your own business, then bring the most complete set of documents that would confirm its registration and your income (for example, a copy of the certificate of registration in the unified register and a copy of the certificate of registration with the tax office);
- if you are a freelancer, show the maximum amount on the account, as well as documents confirming that you own movable and immovable property;
- as another confirmation of the financial situation, I always bring not only a certificate of the amount of funds in the bank account, but also an extract that shows the movement of funds on the account for at least the last three months, so that the consulate can see that you regularly receive income.
If you are traveling with a minor child
In this case, please attach the following documents:
- a copy of the birth certificate;
- permission to leave from both parents if the child is traveling without you. The document must be notarized;
- if the child is traveling accompanied by one of the parents, then just in case, I advise you to bring permission to leave on behalf of the second parent;
- a sponsorship letter addressed to him stating that you cover all expenses for the trip.
Terms of obtaining a visa
It is better to make a visa in advance, officially the application process takes from 15 to 60 days, so you should play it safe. A visa is rarely done faster than 2-3 weeks, so I really advise you to apply as early as possible. The documents of those who already had several British visas are sometimes quickly considered, but no one guarantees this, of course.
If you want to apply for a visa in advance, and before that you have another trip planned, don't worry. Documents can be submitted without a passport (in this case, you need to provide copies of all pages), and then bring the passport to the visa center separately. This service costs $52 (£42).
But don't be discouraged if you decide to go on a trip spontaneously, you can use the "urgent visa" service at the Visa Application Centre, it costs $183 (£150), but your documents will be reviewed within 3 business days.
If you are denied a visa
In case you were not given a visa, do not despair! I must say right away that filing an appeal is pointless, this right is not given to those who apply for a tourist visa. Just think again what exactly in your documents you might not like at the consulate and, taking into account these errors, feel free to submit documents again. If you have a refusal, this does not mean at all that next time you will not be given a visa.
The subtleties of crossing the border
On the plane, you will be given a migration card, which you will need to fill out and give to the officer when crossing the border.
In addition, be sure to take copies of all documents with you, you may also be asked for them. A return ticket, accommodation reservation and financial documents will most likely be asked. If you are traveling with children, they may also ask for documents for the child. Be prepared to talk about yourself, the purpose of your trip and where you will be staying.
In addition, you will be sure to check either fingerprints and / or retinas. Therefore, be prepared for a full dialogue with a British customs officer.
But this usually applies to London, where the flow of people entering is very high, if you fly through any other city, most likely, the process of passing the border will be much easier.
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A nice bonus: an open British tourist visa allows you to enter Ireland, although it is a separate country and is not part of the United Kingdom. You can continue your journey along it, there is also something to see :)
