A transit visa to the UK is needed if, traveling to any other state, you are forced to make a transfer in 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 earlier the immigration service made concessions for transit travelers if they presented tickets indicating the need for transit and if their time 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 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, Switzerland or 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.
Types of UK Visas: 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 at which airport you will transfer.
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 a permit 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, you will need to arrange a transit to wait inside the transit terminal.
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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 for visa cases, as well as the time it takes to collect all the certificates, start filling out the documents in advance to avoid annoying misunderstandings during your trip.
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When planning a trip by air travel to other countries, it is important to think over to the smallest detail the route of the flight, possible connections and the plan of action between flights. In order not to find yourself in an unpleasant situation during transit and transfer and not to be forced to incur additional costs, you should carefully study the peculiarities of transit and transfers. For example, you should find out in advance whether you need a visa if you are flying in transit through Europe.
A transit is passing through the territory of the country and being on its territory within the permissible time limits for making a transfer to the next flight.
It does not give the right to stay in the country longer than the specified time and often restricts tourists to their location in the country. However, it is a convenient way to travel on indirect flights with the chance to fly at a better price. Transit rules are generally similar in all countries, however, there are differences in the time of stay and the necessary manipulations in different countries. As a rule, the airport personnel, with the help of specialized programs and existing knowledge, will explain to you the key points of transit, but it is much more convenient and reliable to find out about all the necessary conditions and chances for transit without a visa or the peculiarities of obtaining it yourself. This way you can fully enjoy your trip without causing any unpleasant surprises.
Transit is carried out in two ways: without leaving the airport and the transit zone, and with the possibility of entering the city.
Quite often, when traveling in transit, a transit visa may be required. For example, if a passenger needs to move to another airport to continue traveling or change the terminal in the airport building itself, or in the Schengen area there is a need to make more than one change, in such cases it may be necessary to obtain a transit visa. Usually it gives you the opportunity to stay within the state for up to 72 hours.
A visa is required when connecting Berlin, except for those passengers traveling with Air Berlin. Visiting the USA, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia will not do without a visa. Let's take a closer look at the most popular transit routes.
UK transit
And if you plan to transit through London, do you need a visa? In some cases, yes. There are two transit options in the UK: airside and landside transits. The first one implies being in the border of the airport transit zone, the second one makes it possible to go outside the airport. Airside transit can be made at Manchester, Heathrow, London and Gatwick airports.
The list of documents required for transit, standard - documents confirming the right to enter the country and, if necessary, to enter the next stopover point.
The passenger is obliged to leave England by 23:59 on the day following the day of arrival. You cannot issue this type of transit when flying to Ireland. When transferring to another terminal, a visa is not required at Gatwick and Heathrow due to the design of the terminal buildings. Landside transit often requires a visa. But there are exceptions. You will not need a visa if:
- The flight is carried out to Canada, New Zealand, USA, Australia. The presence of a permit to enter these states is required.
- The passenger flies from the above countries, while the visa is either still valid, or no more than six months have passed since the arrival in these countries.
- The tourist has with him a residence permit in these countries, as well as in Switzerland. The residence permit does not have to be electronic.
- If you have a long-term visa category D in Switzerland and the EU.
- The passenger flies to or from Ireland no later than six months after arriving in the country. A biometric visa is required.
You are guaranteed to be denied a visa if you have violations of the law, non-compliance with the visa regime, or you have once been denied entry into the UK.
Remember that the immigration officer, despite the observance of all of the above conditions, has the right to refuse any person to obtain a transit visa. He also has the right to ask questions about how you plan to get to the hotel, and where it is located. Transit is not an opportunity for a city tour, it is intended to help tourists to make a transfer and proceed further along the travel route. We have described in detail whether a transit visa is needed when transferring in London, and now we will consider other cases.
Transit through China
If you want to transit in China, whether you need a visa in this case depends on the time spent in the country and the airport through which the flight is carried out. China has three visa-free transit alternatives in stock, lasting 24, 72 and 144 hours.
144 hours can be spent traveling through the airports of Shanghai, Hangzhou and Nanjing. The following airports provide a 72-hour transit option:
- Dalian;
- Beijing;
- Guangzhou;
- Guilin;
- Xi'an;
- Xiamen;
- Kunming;
- Harbin.
- Chengdu;
- Chongqing;
- Shenyang.
Airports in the rest of the settlements have the possibility of a day of transit, except for Fuzhou and Yanji, in which there is no possibility of transit at all. In Urumqi, transit lasts up to two hours.
When making a 144 or 72-hour transit, the passenger must provide his / her valid passport, travel documents for the previous and next flight after the transit and a visa to the next stopover point, if necessary. The passport will be stamped with the arrival time and transit time. Boarding passes must be printed in English upon presentation.
The starting point of the 72-hour transit is the arrival time at the airports of Chengdu, Dalian, Shenyang, Guilin, Xiamen, Kunming and Harbin. From 00.01 the next day counts in Beijing, Guangzhou, Chongqing, and Xian.
The start of a 144-hour transit at the respective airports is 0.01 days after arrival. In the case of daily transit, it is possible to move to another city. It can be done when flying with the same airline or different companies with a common booking on a single form. It may also be dictated by the need to make a technical stop at one of the airports.
To obtain the right to transit for a period of 24 hours, in addition to a passport and travel documents, you must present a migration form filled in by the passenger. The passport is also stamped with the time spent in China.
Transit in the USA
Very often, tourists are interested in whether they need a visa for transit to the United States. The United States is on the list of countries where obtaining a transit visa is mandatory in any case. There are two types of visas: P-1 and B-2. The first assumes a constant presence in the transit zone, the second provides an opportunity to go beyond it.
For a C-1 visa, you need to provide an air ticket, sufficient money to stay in the United States and documents confirming the right to enter the next country.
The B-2 visa will require the presentation of an electronic application, a passport valid for six months longer than the intended stay in the United States, a 5 * 5 cm photo and a letter with an invitation for an interview. Applications for both types of visas are quickly accepted and processed. B-2 visas differ in duration and multiple entries, therefore, they are considered the preferred option for those who would like to walk the city streets or those who often fly through the States.
Transit through the UAE
Now we will figure out if you have a transfer in Dubai, whether you need a visa. If you plan to stay in the Emirates for no more than 24 hours and do not plan to leave the transit zone at the same time, you will not need a visa. In other cases, you can apply for a visa with the UAE airlines or with the UAE Citizenship and Migration Office. The application can be either electronic or paper through the office. It must be submitted no later than three days before the expected arrival. The list of documents is as follows:
- A copy of the passport in color format;
- Photo of a passenger on a light background;
- Air ticket.
- Additional documents (one is chosen at will).
- Completed questionnaire.
Connection in Singapore
When transiting through Singapore, a visa-free stay in the country can last up to 96 hours.
At the same time, it is necessary to provide tickets and documents for entry to the next destination on the route, confirmation of booking a room in a hotel or hostel during transit, and sufficient funds to stay in the country at the specified time. It is not recommended to use a scheme in which you leave Singapore by sea or land. There are times when tourists manage to make such maneuvers, but if the deception is revealed, you may be prohibited from entering the country.
Doha transit
When connecting in Doha, you can use Qatar Airways' popular service of accommodation, meals and visa assistance for transit times between 8 and 24 hours.
This airline has exclusive rights to provide services of this kind. However, she is not responsible for the possible refusal of a visa by the decision of the migration officers. Therefore, the risk that the tourist, after refusing a visa, will lose the money paid for booking a hotel room and other manipulations, completely falls on the shoulders of the passenger himself.
This is all you need to know for a successful flight between the countries of the world with transfers. Remember that the conditions and time spent in different countries can vary significantly. If you find yourself in a country where you should have taken care of opening a visa in advance, you will incur significant costs to correct the situation on the spot.
You should also know in advance what kind of transit is allowed in a particular state in order to take care of housing and accommodation in advance or be prepared for the fact that you will spend all the time in the territory of the transit operations zone. Be sure to take care of the possibility of getting outside the state on time and prepare the necessary documents for staying in this country. Compliance with all these rules and requirements will save you not only money and time, but also nerves. Travel comfortably and with pleasure.
In contact with
International travel is not complete without flights, some of which require a transfer. Moreover, buying airline tickets with a stopover manages to save a lot. Some of the inconveniences of changing flights are offset by favorable fares.
The task of the traveler is to choose the best transfer option in order to foresee the time required to move through the terminals (if flights are organized in different places). The time for receiving, dropping luggage, registration, customs control should also be included. Additional time will be spent on obtaining a transit visa. Thinking that a transit entry will not require a visa, the traveler is making a mistake.
How is connecting with a stopover in London organized?
A visa for transit travelers is valid for 2 days, and it must be processed before the start of the trip. Permitted transit through London is convenient in that it makes it possible to visit the capital of the United Kingdom legally, without exceeding its validity period. Before the expiration of 48 hours, the transit tourist must leave England.
When the passage of visa control is not expected, it is not necessary. However, specialists working at the Embassy strongly recommend preparing permits, since the decision whether to let a transit passenger through the territory of Britain will be made by the visa officer at his own discretion. There is always a risk that the visa officer will not let the traveler through and the trip will be disrupted as a result.
There are several situations in which a visa is required when passing control:
- flight with a change of terminal and with an exit from the airport;
- the need for independent baggage claim and check-in for another flight;
- a passenger is transferred to a flight scheduled for another day, which requires an overnight stay at the hotel.
You can travel through London without a visa only under certain circumstances:
- The traveler travels exclusively by plane, and the next flight is scheduled for the same day. The ultimate purpose of the trip is the state to which a visa has been obtained.
- The beginning or end of the trip in one of the following countries: USA, Australia, New Zealand, with a visa or resident permit. A citizen traveling by plane is the holder of a Category D visa, open for an EU country.
A transit visa may not be required if you have a biometric visa to travel to Ireland.
Considering such circumstances, the visa officer makes a decision, more often inclining to allow a transit passenger to pass without issuing an additional visa.
In case of a ban on leaving the airport, a transit passenger is in the transit zone on the territory of the airport, if travel documents for a new flight are prepared in advance. s for the next flight.
To arrange transit through London, you must remember the following information:
- Transit zones are organized only at Heathrow and Gatwick (two main airports).
- Leaving the transit zone is prohibited.
- The final decision whether the transit traveler can be allowed to wait for the next flight is at the discretion of the visa officer.
Due to the high risk of problems when flying with a stopover in London, visa specialists strongly recommend applying for a transit visa, which will allow you to safely plan your trip and take the opportunity to get acquainted with the sights of the English capital.
Choosing a visa: tourist or transit?
Britain is taking a tough stance on migration issues. For this reason, it is so difficult to achieve a positive verdict when considering a visa application. A 48-hour permit to visit London requires as much preparation as applying for a visa as a tourist.
Obtained under a similar procedure, a tourist visa provides more advantages:
- obtaining access to the territory of the United Kingdom as a tourist for a period of 6 months;
- gaining the right to travel without limiting the number of travels;
- the emergence of an opportunity to conduct an excursion, get acquainted with the history, monuments, cultural traditions of the capital of the transit country.
The differences in the amount of the consular fee for the two categories of visas are insignificant, and the benefits are much greater. The processing time for documents is approximately the same. Having issued a tourist visa, the traveler does not need to be limited to a 48-hour wait, if necessary planning a visit to the capital.
To determine the best option for a visa permit, you need to analyze a specific situation, take into account the peculiarities of travel and the needs of a person.
- one of those points on the world map that instills vague doubts and anxiety in the hearts of travelers. Due to the strict immigration policy, the British approach the visa issue with all caution. As a result, an ambiguous situation arises with a transit visa when transferring from flight to flight.
The good news is that you may not need a visa (but don't count on it too much), the bad news is that there are many pitfalls in customs control. We will tell you everything you need to know for a successful connecting flight in the capital of Foggy Albion.
How to check if a visa is needed if I am flying in transit?
The first question that arises for those traveling in transit is whether you need a visa? For a full guarantee, we recommend checking the information about transit flights on the official website of the British Migration Service.
Another way to check is to look at TIMATIC. This is a unified information system of the International Air Transport Association IATA (International Air Transportation Association). Here, with all the scrupulousness and accuracy, all the rules for those who travel by plane are collected. So, in order to double-check the need for a transit visa, use TIMATIC on one of these resources:
The development of events also depends on the airport of arrival: if you arrive at Manchester or Heathrow International Airport, life is wonderful and you definitely do not need to worry about a visa. The layout of these airports allows you to move from one terminal to another without leaving the transit area. This type of transit is called an airside.
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The second type of transfer is landside transit. In a landside transit, the traveler leaves the airport territory and, therefore, the transit area. At this time, you can visit: in a couple of hours you can see the legendary sights of London, better understand the history of the city and feel its special atmosphere. Usually in such cases, a transit visa is required, but you may not need it if you comply with the following:
- you have tickets for a flight that departs on the day of your arrival or before midnight the next day;
- arrival and departure by plane only;
- an open visa to the country that is the final goal, or, if a visa is not needed, a receipt for the payment of the hotel.
BUT, in addition to this you have necessarily there must be one of the following documents:
- a valid visa to New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the United States 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 entry into 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 airline 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 June 28, 2002);
- Residence permit in the United States (issued after April 21, 2008), including a valid visa US I-551 Temporary Immigrant Visa (note that British border control officers 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 that authorizes renewal), US Immigration Form 155A / 155B (which is 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.
There is just a caveat - a visa concession does not yet guarantee trouble-free transit. If you suddenly seem suspicious to a customs officer, he may deny you a visit to the UK, justifying it as inconsistent with migration rules. And in general, your fate at this moment entirely depends on his decision.
Therefore, prepare for customs control: it will not be superfluous to print out your hotel reservation if you are staying overnight, and during the interview itself, you should not be frank about the fact that you deliberately chose a long transfer in order to see the city. You will not be denied a stay at the airport, but you may not be allowed to go to the city.
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At passport control you will need:
International passport;
Air tickets for flights with the corresponding route. For example, air tickets for the Kiev-London-Toronto flight look much more convincing than air tickets with the Kiev-London-Berlin route. Immigration officials in the UK will clearly guess that you deliberately chose this route in order to walk around London;
A valid visa to the country of destination (if necessary);
Fully completed immigration form (the form is taken at the counter in front of control or on the plane of some air carriers).
What are we doing?
First you need to print your boarding passes for all connecting flights on your route.
- On departure, during check-in for the flight, you need to affix a stamp from an airline employee stating that the airline has no questions about your documents. To do this, you need to tell him that you are flying in transit, show your boarding pass for the flight from London and your passport with a valid visa of the country of arrival.
- Go through passport control and fly to London.
- Fill out the landing card on board.
- Upon arrival in London at passport control, present your passport, landing card and boarding pass for a flight from London.
- When boarding the next flight, you will be checked for a visa to visit the country you are going to.
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It should be remembered that you only have 24 hours for everything about everything. For a stay longer than 24 hours, a transit visa is already required - it allows you to stay in the UK for up to 48 hours.
