Traveling abroad for the purpose of travel, employment or education requires citizens of other countries to have an appropriate document that confirms the legal right to stay abroad. Visa and passport are the main documents that Russians need to draw up to cross the borders of the UK.
There is an opinion about the strictness and increased rigidity of visa control in relation to Russian applicants by the authorities of the United Kingdom. But you can apply for a visa to travel to the UK on your own by submitting applications at the offices of the Teleperformance visa center. Since 2019, it is this organization that has taken control of the visa centers, whose offices are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Rostov-on-Don, and Novosibirsk.
Applying for a visa to the UK
Many citizens of Russia go to England to see the sights of the country, less often for other purposes. Stonehenge alone attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
But in order to obtain permission to enter the UK, Russian citizens need to apply for a visa on their own or by resorting to the services of organizations specializing in this matter. To see the popular sights of London, to plunge into the atmosphere of old England, to study at prestigious universities, you need a visa to enter the UK.
The complexity of the procedure for obtaining a visa for applicants from Russia is somewhat exaggerated. Many citizens of the Russian Federation turn to third parties in an effort to simplify and speed up the process of obtaining permission to cross the border of the United Kingdom. Getting a visa for an adult or a child on your own is not much more difficult and longer than applying to specialized organizations. With proper preparation and submission of documents for consideration, there are no particular difficulties in obtaining a visa to the UK.
Visiting Britain on a Schengen Visa
Despite the fact that the United Kingdom is a member of the European Union, it is not possible to enter the UK through the Schengen area. The basis for obtaining permission to cross the border of the state is the presence of a national British visa. It, in turn, does not allow you to travel to other EU countries.
For tourists and citizens traveling to the countries of the European Union with a visit to the UK, it is necessary to obtain two visas - a Schengen visa to an EU country and a national British visa.
Types and types of English visas
Depending on the purpose of the trip, Russian citizens can obtain various British visas. The purpose of the visit must correspond to the actual reason for visiting the territory of the UK by foreigners. Types of visas differ in the length of stay of foreign citizens in the United Kingdom and the list of documents required for consideration. Types of British visas:
- Tourist visa
Issued to foreigners who come to England to attend exhibitions, concerts, sporting events or to travel around the country. A tourist visa gives Russian citizens enough time to see British sights. On a tourist visa in the United Kingdom, you can stay from six months to a year. At the same time, the document imposes a number of restrictions - you cannot work, study, receive any type of income, get married when visiting the UK on a tourist visa. You can sightsee, relax, travel. For violation of the rules, a foreign citizen can be deported from the country. - Visitor visa
The basis for obtaining such a visa is an invitation from the UK from a private person. By and large, a visitor visa opens up the same opportunities as a tourist visa with a stay in the Kingdom of up to a year. Most often, a visitor visa is issued when you need to go to England for a long time, and there is an inviting party in the country that is ready to host guests so as not to spend extra money on staying in a hotel or inn - very expensive. Moreover, the inviting party acts as a guarantor of the return of the guest back to the Russian Federation upon the expiration of the document. On a visitor visa, you can go to visit relatives or friends, meet old acquaintances or stay with them for the purpose of traveling. - Transit visa
The name itself defines the document as a short-term permission to stay in the United Kingdom. Many flights are carried out with transfers, while the person needs to end up not in England, but in another country. So that there is no conflict with the British authorities until the transfer to the desired flight, you should take care of obtaining a transit visa. Nuance: a visa-free regime for a foreign citizen is possible, but only within the international zone of the airport or with a Canadian, Australian, Schengen, American or New Zealand visa. If a person plans to leave the international zone for some time while waiting for a flight, a transit visa is required. - student visa
In order to provide quality education at prestigious UK institutions, some parents send their children to study in England. In this case, you must obtain a student visa. As a rule, the basis for obtaining it is a document from a higher educational institution confirming that an applicant has passed exams and enrolled in a training course. Student visas are of two types: regular - issued for a short stay in the country in order to attend language courses, Tier4 - issued for students for a long period of study, which is several years. A visa to Britain allows young people to remain English students for more than one year. - Work Visa
Not all Russian citizens go abroad to see local sights. Many applicants for a visa indicate in the column "the purpose of the visit" - employment. It is assumed that citizens of the Russian Federation wishing to work in the UK are well educated and highly qualified. A work visa is issued on the basis of an invitation from a British employer. The visa allows a Russian citizen to stay in the United Kingdom for one year or more. Important: the presence of a work visa gives a Russian citizen employed in the UK guarantees of compliance with labor rights provided for by British law. For registration, you need to submit an impressive list of documents. - Family visa and document for marriage
Russian citizens whose close relatives are British citizens can apply for a long-term visa to stay in the United Kingdom. A visa for marriage is valid for six months - during this time a marriage must take place, after which documents are submitted for a visa for a spouse. - Urgent visa
In urgent cases, you can get an urgent visa. Any type of visa can be issued urgently for those applicants who request a semi-annual or annual document. The service is not free - an additional consular fee is added to the standard fee for issuing a visa. Urgent visas are issued only in the Moscow center.
The list of basic documents for issuing British visas
Visa control for entering the UK is quite strict. The applicant must provide a lot of personal information that will convince the commission for the consideration of papers and certificates to make a positive decision on the request. The list of documents depends on the type of visa that needs to be issued. The main list of papers is the same for all Russian citizens wishing to visit the UK. Depending on the purpose of the visa, the main list is submitted with additional documents. What is included in the list of papers on the main list for obtaining a British visa:- Questionnaire. It is filled out on the website of the Embassy in the special section "UK Visas & Immigration". After filling out the questionnaire, print it out.
- Passport with a couple of blank pages for a visa. Valid for at least six months from the date of departure abroad.
- If there are invalid passports, they must be presented.
- Copies of all pages of foreign identity cards, both valid and old.
- Photo in good quality, size 3.5x4.5 cm. The requirements for photographs are strict and must be strictly observed.
- Confirmation of the solvency of the applicant for departure and his financial status.
- A document confirming social status - a certificate from the place of work indicating the position, papers on business ownership.
- A document confirming marital status, or a paper on divorce or death of a spouse.
- Confirmation of the booked room at the hotel or other place of residence.
- Purchased airline tickets, tickets for other transport or providing a plan for an upcoming trip.
- If a visa is issued for a period of more than six months, they provide a certificate stating that the person is not sick with tuberculosis.
As a confirmation of the material status and solvency of a citizen, an extract from a valid bank account, a document from the tax service, a salary certificate or other document proving the availability of funds for traveling and living abroad is suitable. The main list of documents is suitable for obtaining a tourist visa. For other types of visas, additional paperwork must be provided.
List of additional documents
Since the purpose of a visit to the UK can vary, Russian citizens receive different types of British visas. In addition to the main list of documents, additional papers and certificates must be attached to them. So, depending on the purpose of the visit, the main list of documents is additionally attached:
- Registration of a visitor or family visa. You need to provide an invitation from a friend, relative, family member. The inviting party must provide information confirming the status: biometric passport details, full name, copy of the visa stamp, permission letter to stay in the UK. In addition, the inviting party must confirm its financial situation.
- To obtain a work visa, an additional official invitation is submitted from a British company (organization, enterprise) for the employment of a Russian citizen. The document must be made on company letterhead indicating the date and purpose of the visit. The company must provide papers confirming its activities. The applicant submits a letter from the employer indicating work experience and qualifications, as well as a diploma or professional certificate.
- When applying for a visa to study in the UK, a student must provide a letter from the educational institution with the main list of documents indicating the cost, duration, date of study and the name of the course. It is obligatory to have a diploma of education or an academic certificate, a certificate of knowledge of the English language. If necessary, indicate information about the foreign sponsor - passport and financial documents.
- To obtain a marriage visa in the UK, it is necessary to confirm the submission of an application for marriage, provide a receipt for payment of various marriage fees, and prove the applicant’s ability to get married / get married. In addition, they attach a certificate of good command of the English language and indicate the details of the upcoming marriage abroad.
In the case of a transit visa, a Russian citizen must indicate a detailed travel route, if necessary, provide visas of the countries where the Russian citizen is sent.
When filling out the documents submitted to the visa center, it is necessary to ensure that the texts of certificates and papers are translated by a competent translator with his personal signature. You can translate the papers into English on your own or resort to the help of third-party organizations, indicating the name of the translator and his contact details.
When submitting documents not in the capital's visa center, you must make two copies of each paper and certificate. In some cases, the applicant may be invited to the consulate for an additional interview.
UK visa fees
For today 21 Apr. 2019 The cost of the visa fee to the UK is the ruble equivalent of the amount shown in the table below:
How to fill out a visa application form
- Tourist visa
- The first step in obtaining a UK visa is to fill out an application form. You can fill it out yourself, but the process is quite laborious, since the document contains many points. The more accurately and accurately the information is entered into the questionnaire form, the sooner the document will be considered in the appropriate authority.
The main requirement is that the questionnaire is filled in English. The document consists of several sections: - Passport data (Passport / Travel Document).
- Personal data and contacts (Personal Details).
- Information about family members (Family Details).
- Employment data.
- Friends and relatives in the UK (Family and Friends).
- Medical information (Medical Treatment).
- Additional information (Additional Information).
These are the main sections of the questionnaire, each of which contains many questions in English. All questions should be answered as accurately and correctly as possible. This allows you to increase the chances of obtaining a positive result when considering documents. In case of difficulties with translation, it is worth entrusting the matter to a good translator from English.
Visa photo requirements
When applying for a visa to the United Kingdom, the applicant needs to take a photo.
There are a number of requirements for the quality of the photo, and they must be observed:
- A color photograph taken at least one month prior to submission.
- The photo must be taken against a light gray or cream background.
- There must be only one visa applicant in the frame.
- The UK visa photo size is 3.5 x 4.5 cm.
- The man's gaze is directed strictly at the camera, without emotions on his face.
- Accessories, hairstyles, glasses that cover the face are not allowed.
- The requirement for the distance from the chin to the crown is 29-34 mm.
- To obtain a child visa, a child is photographed without parents.
- Headwear is only allowed for religious reasons.
- Children under one year old can be photographed with their eyes closed.
- A child under six years of age is allowed not to look directly at the camera.
With regard to specifically issuing a visa for children, you should prepare a birth certificate for the child. It is mandatory to provide the consent of the second parent if the trip abroad is initiated by one of the responsible guardians. Consent must be notarized and signed. It indicates the duration of the trip and the country of destination of the child.
How to apply for a UK visa
Every citizen of Russia can apply to the visa center in the Russian Federation to obtain permission to travel to the UK. Visa of any kind is issued only through Teleperformance centers.
In 2017, British consulates and embassies do not directly accept such applications. What to do to get a visa to the United Kingdom:- Entrance to the official website of UK Visas & Immigration.
- Registration, account activation, choice of visa type.
- Filling out the questionnaire, pressing the "confirm application" button.
- Submission of an electronic application, clicking "submit application".
- Making an appointment for submitting documents - "Book Appointment".
- Payment of the consular fee for obtaining a visa to England.
- Re-register and create an account on the Teleperformance website.
After that, the applicant receives an invitation with a number by e-mail, which allows him to visit the visa application center to submit documents. You need to have a completed printed application form, a receipt for payment of visa services and a list of required documents with you.
Applying for a UK visa on your own is not much more difficult than obtaining permission to travel to some other country. With minimal knowledge of English and following the instructions, citizens will be able to obtain a document without much difficulty.
Validity of documents and the cost of registration
In 2017, the cost of obtaining a visa and the amount of the visa fee depends on the type of document. All types of visas (guest, tourist, work and others) can be single and multiple. Accordingly, you can come to the UK one or more times. The applicant must pay:
- Visa center services.
- The cost of a visa to England.
- Consular fee.
It is important to take into account that the consular fee does not depend on the type of visa - multiple or single entry. In case of refusal, the consular fee is not returned to the applicant. The cost of the visa itself to the United Kingdom is paid by bank transfer. The validity period of the documents depends on the type and type of the issued visa.
- If you have any difficulties with the language when filling out the questionnaire, you can use an online translator. The form of the questionnaire depends on the purpose of the trip.
Terms of consideration of documents for a tourist visa
In the visa centers, the applicant's application is considered on average from ten days to two weeks. However, with a significant workload of visa authorities, it may take up to two months to review documents from the moment of submission. When applying for a visa with a validity of more than a year, the documents are considered for a long time.
Before planning a trip to the UK, you should apply for permission to enter the country in advance. To clarify how long documents can be considered, you can use the statistics on this issue, collected in various cities.
- You can check the readiness of documents directly on the website of the visa application center using the options for tracking the readiness of visas to the UK. To do this, you need to go to your personal account on the official website and by the number assigned to the applicant's profile, clarify the status of the application.
Refusal to obtain a visa
When applying for a visa to the United Kingdom, the applicant must be prepared for a negative result when considering the questionnaire. It is necessary to take into account the peculiarities of British migration policy and recognize the fact that Russian citizens with high incomes have the greatest chances. After all, a wealthy tourist or a well-to-do traveler is much more attractive to London than the average Russian. In addition, visa applications may be denied for various reasons:
- Inaccurately, inaccurately, inaccurately filled out the questionnaire.
- One of the submitted documents was found to be unreliable.
- The package of documents as a whole does not meet the requirements.
- The applicant did not comply with the regime on previous trips.
- Doubts arose as to the applicant's identity and status.
In such situations, the applicant will be denied a visa. But this should not be a reason to abandon the intention to travel to the United Kingdom. With the correct submission of documents, applicants have every chance of a positive consideration of the questionnaire. You need to fill out the documents correctly, resort to the help of experts in the absence of proper knowledge of the English language. The more documents collected confirming solvency and financial security, the higher the probability of receiving a positive response to the application.
Getting a UK visa on your own is a complicated but doable procedure.
- Additionally, the applicant may provide certificates of ownership of some property. You need to pay all visa fees, collect the required documents and submit papers as early as possible.
How and where to check the readiness of a visa to the UK
There are several ways to check if your UK visa is ready.
- You can call the number of the visa center, which is listed in this article just below.
- You can write a letter on the website of the visa center with a request to clarify the terms of readiness.
- The fastest and easiest way: check the status in your personal account on the TLSContact website. When logging in with your username and password, select the item in the vertical menu on the left: Manage my Application. You will see the statuses of your review as in the picture below. If the status Ready for collection lights green - you can go to the visa center and pick up your passport.
Useful video: how to get a visa to England
UK Visa Application Centers
In total, there are 5 UK visa centers in Russia. You can apply in any of them, regardless of your residence or registration. Below are the addresses of all British visa centers in our country.
Consular staff guarantee that the documents will be reviewed within 15 working days from the date of submission.
