How to register at the UK Visa Application Center

British Embassy in Moscow

The key function of the British Embassy in Russia is to help develop mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries and strengthen political ties. This is a kind of connecting link between governments, which helps solve the most important issues of international importance.

• Functions of the British Embassy in Moscow
• UK immigration system
• Main functions of UK visa centers
• Address of the British Embassy in Moscow
• Opening hours of the British Embassy in the Russian Federation
• Telephone number of the British Embassy in Moscow
• Weekends and public holidays of the British Embassy in 2021
• Directions to the British Embassy in Moscow
• British Ambassador
• Official website of the British Embassy
• How to apply for an English visa
• Types of visas issued to England
• Types of English visas by length of stay
• British Consulate
• Order a visa at the British Embassy

Sign up to submit documents

Visa documentation can only be submitted through one of the British visa centers in Russia; the consular department of the British Embassy in Moscow does not work directly with citizens on visa issues. You can reserve your visit online. To do this, you need to visit the website visas-immigration.service.gov.uk. There you can fill out a visa application and choose the time of your visit.

Please note that if you have not yet submitted your fingerprints, then you must visit the UK Visa Application Center in person to submit your biometric data.

Functions of the English Embassy

In addition to the political direction, the English Embassy promotes the growth of commodity exports and financial investments in the Russian economy, and provides a wide range of services to Russian and English companies. The tasks of the British Embassy also include the development of interstate relations in the field of science and innovation, environmental and military security of the two countries.

Visa applications are processed by the UK Border Agency. It also provides all the necessary information on immigration issues to the country.

To obtain information about the procedure for obtaining visas of various categories, just study our website or just call us by phone3. You can also contact our offices for additional information and clarification.

Calculation of cost and processing time for 6-month visas

This service is relevant for 6-month visas (tourism, guest, business) . If you are interested in other categories, call us back and we will advise you further.

The date is fixed after completing the application form. You will tell us a time convenient for you. The closest date of visit to the CC for today : 07/29/2021

We receive a message that the documents have been delivered to the CC and receive them. You can pick them up from our office (Krasnopresnenskaya metro station) Visa readiness date for today : 08/19/2021

You can speed up the processing of documents by selecting an additional service and immediately see the visa readiness date:

* The price does not include translations of documents into English (usually 3-4 documents). The cost of translation of one document is 440 rubles.

Fill out the visa application

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Send a request

UK immigration system

The UK Ministry of State Affairs (analogous to our Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs) includes several divisions working in various areas. The Immigration Control Service is one of these units. Its main task is to monitor compliance with laws and regulations regarding immigration. Therefore, this Service (UKVI) deals with visa issues for foreign citizens.

The main UK Visas and Immigration website provides all the information you need about the requirements for a UK visa. Here you can also fill out a personal application form for visa documents.

At the same time, the Immigration Control Service, in order to quickly and efficiently carry out its functions, is divided into visa departments operating at British embassies in various countries (including Russia). It is to these departments that you need to provide your documents that confirm the information specified in the online application forms. In Russia, this is done through TLSContact visa centers.

Visa offices are staffed by immigration control officers who review submitted documents and decide whether to issue a visa to foreigners or not.

It is worth understanding that TLSConact visa centers are a kind of intermediary between the British Embassy and the applicant. But this is where you first need to apply for a visa.

Main functions of UK visa centers

The main functions of UK visa centers in Russia:

• Properly process the foreign applicant;
• Submit the prepared package of documents to the UK Visa Department;
• After processing the documentation, convey the final decision to the applicant - whether he received a visa permit or was denied.

From all of the above, one simple conclusion follows - no other companies or intermediary organizations can influence the process of obtaining a visa, much less the decision-making process on it. The UK visa scheme is transparent and leaves no room for any other structures from Russia or post-Soviet countries.

Preparation of documents

The first step to obtain a visa to Scotland is collecting documents. Depending on the specifics of the situation, their list may vary, but in general it looks like this:

1. International passport, photocopy of its pages with information. The document must have at least 2 more blank pages and be valid for 180 days.
2. International passports that have already expired.
3. Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation. A copy of all its information pages.
4. Printed questionnaire.
5. Marriage certificate, birth certificate of children.
6. Certificate of employment on official letterhead, copy of work record book. The document indicates the position, length of service, and salary. A note confirming the provision of leave for the duration of the trip is required.
7. A certificate from your employer about your income for six months or a bank account statement.
8. A copy of the document indicating the intended place of residence. For example, a hotel reservation.
9. Health insurance policy.
10. Students and schoolchildren should submit a document from their place of study. For non-working pensioners - a pension certificate. These groups of Russians must also submit a statement from a sponsor that guarantees payment of all their expenses. A copy of the passport and a certificate from the place of work are required from the sponsor.
11. When applying for a visitor visa to Scotland for Russians, you must submit the original invitation and a copy of the inviting person’s passport.

How to apply for an English visa?

To apply for any type of British visa, you need to contact one of the United Kingdom visa centers in Russia. The visit must be booked online on the embassy website. Here you can fill out a personal form and choose the right time to visit the consulate.

Attention!!! Even if you have already applied for a visa and your fingerprints are in the embassy database, you still need to come to the visa center in person each time to apply for an English visa to leave your biometrics again.

The package of documents must be translated into English and certified by translators or authorized specialists. It is not necessary to notarize copies. You can submit a package of personal documents to a special translation agency or translate them yourself, and then confirm the translation in the same agency.

Step-by-step UK visa process

• fill out an online form;
• pay the consular fee online;
• download the checklist (for submission);
• print out the completed form (for your archive);
• register on the Visa Application Center website;
• pay for possible additional services (urgent visa, Premium Lounge, passport delivery, etc.);
• print your appointment confirmation;
• print confirmation of payment for additional services;
• collect other documents according to the list (for example: tourist visa and business visa);
• come to the Visa Application Center on the appointed day and time, submit documents, give fingerprints, take a photograph;
• wait for your passport to come out. The processing time for a visa request depends on the type and validity period of the visa you choose;
• receive a passport in person / receive a passport with the help of any adult third party based on a power of attorney form / wait for the passport delivery paid in advance.

Weekends and public holidays of the British Embassy in Russia in 2021

The Embassy, ​​like UK visa centers in Russia, is open only on weekdays from Monday to Friday; the embassy is closed on weekends and holidays. Please note that the Embassy is also closed on public holidays in the UK.

UK Visa Application Center opening hours - office hours

• delivery: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:30 ;
• receipt: Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 16:00 (enter the CC before 16:00);
• public holidays; non-working days;
• Submission of documents is carried out strictly by prior appointment online;
• It is prohibited to talk on a mobile phone inside the Visa Application Centre. When logging in, put your device into silent mode. Read more about security requirements here.

Reception time when paying an additional fee (only for Moscow and St. Petersburg):

• Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 08:30 ; from 13:30 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 19:00 ;

The UK Visa Application Center has a new service: Flexi Appointment. This service allows you to submit documents earlier or later than the appointed recording time, without rescheduling the time. Paid by card when applying to the Visa Center. Submission of documents takes place in the common room.

This service does not provide any guarantee in issuing a visa or priority in processing a visa request. You only pay to get to the Visa Application Center earlier or later than the appointed time.

Types of British visas

The Immigration Service offers several types of UK visas, valid for certain purposes of visiting the country. However, each applicant must understand that he needs to meet the requirements established by each individual visa category. If you select the wrong category, your visa will be denied without a refund.

UK visas are divided into categories:

• Tourist. Issued to tourists who come to the Kingdom to visit attractions and sporting events. It allows you to relax and travel around the country for 6 to 12 months, but tourists cannot earn income, work, study or get married. If the rules are violated, the foreigner will be deported from the country.
• It is issued in the presence of an official invitation from a private person, a British citizen, who is ready to host a foreigner for a long time. In this case, the receiving party acts as a guarantor of the guest’s return to their homeland upon expiration of the Visit visa. This way you can visit your family, friends and acquaintances.
• Transit. This visa allows for a short stay in Great Britain. It is issued when a person makes a connecting flight at British airports and plans to leave the neutral zone of the airport for some time, for example, for tourism purposes.
• The basis for obtaining a student visa is a document from a British university, which indicates passing entrance exams and enrollment in a course. There is a regular visa, which is issued for a short time - to attend language courses. As well as the Tier4 category, which is issued for several years for students at English universities.
• It is issued at the invitation of an employer from the UK and allows a foreigner to live and work in the Kingdom for 12 months or longer. This category of visa requires a fairly wide range of documents from those wishing to work in the UK.
• Family Join Family. If a foreigner has relatives who are British citizens, he can obtain visa documents for a sufficiently long period. There is a category of visa for marriage relations, which is valid for six months - during these 6 months the wedding must take place, after which documents for a husband/wife visa must be submitted.

Attention!!! It is extremely important to choose the right visa type and category, since a discrepancy between the purposes and type of trip will cause a visa refusal

Visas by duration

• Short term. They are usually issued for a period of up to six months, but there are exceptions. For example, a visa of this format can be issued for five years, but you can stay in the Kingdom for a maximum of 180 days (during one trip).
• Long lasting. Issued for a period of 6 months or more. There are also several point categories of such visas - TIER 1, 2, 4 and 5. They are formed based on the number of passing points and confirmation of the level of knowledge of English. You can calculate the number of your own points using a special online calculator on the embassy website. And then you will have to document all the data.

Important: First-time applicants are not recommended to apply for a visa for 5, and even more so for 10 years. This is not written about on the official website, and you will not find any warnings. But practice shows that it is advisable to apply for a short-term visa the first time, and only then proceed “increasingly”.

If there is an emergency, it is possible to apply for an emergency visa. This service will cost more than the standard procedure, since an additional fee will be added to the payment for urgency. To apply for an urgent visa, you do not have to go to Moscow, since all TLSContact centers accept documents with expedited processing.

Attention! Those wishing to obtain a long-term visa for more than 6 months for some point-based types of visas must undergo a tuberculosis test (Tier2, Tier4, etc.), but only in special medical institutions. The list of clinics is approved by the UK Ministry, it is listed in our Tier4 sections. You also need to make a mandatory immigrant medical payment (there are no these requirements for short-term visas).

The standard solution would be to apply for a General Visitor visa. This visa is almost universal - it suits the applicant regardless of his age. Issued for six months and has several restrictions. You cannot use it:

• Work
• Study
• To register marriage

With this visa you will be able to come to the UK for tourism purposes, for business meetings, visiting family and friends, etc.

Cost of a British visa and processing times for documents

The cost of a visa depends directly on its category and type. In addition, the period for reviewing the documentation depends on this. Below is the cost of a Visitor visa:

1. Visa for 6 months - $124 (documents are processed within 15 working days).
2. Visa for 2 years - $467 (documents are processed up to 28 working days).
3. Visa for 5 years - $849 (documents are processed up to 28 working days).
4. Visa for 10 years - $1066 (documents are processed up to 28 working days).

Prices shown are current as of February 2021. You can find out more about UK visa fees for Russians here. The consular fee is paid when filling out the visa application form, by card or from a WebMoney wallet at the rate of the Central Bank of Russia on the day of payment. It is impossible to return it!

The applicant himself decides for how long to apply for a visa; moreover, there are no warnings in this regard on the official website of the British Embassy. However, it is worth knowing that “untested” applicants will not be issued a visa for five or ten years the first time. We recommend that you apply for a visa for the first time, valid for 6 months. Well, then, progressively.

British Consulate

The British Consulate in Russia, unlike the British Embassy, ​​which is primarily designed to resolve any diplomatic issues, deals with the resolution of civil issues of compatriots on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Any country can have only one consulate and several embassies. The Ambassador is appointed by the Prime Minister of Great Britain. The Ambassador reports to the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom. Consuls are appointed by the British Parliament.

Functions of the British Consulate

1. Assistance and protection of the interests of British citizens and companies in Russia.
2. Dissemination of official news and the official position of England on domestic political issues.
3. Assistance in the development of bilateral relations in the fields of culture, trade, science and economics.
4. Issuance of British visas and passports. Making decisions on civil issues and notarial actions.
5. Assistance in criminal, legal and judicial matters to fellow citizens.

British Consulate in Moscow

Consular functions in Moscow regarding the consideration of applications for British visas are entrusted to UKVI - the UK Visa and Immigration Service. The English Consulate consists of a number of other departments to ensure the fulfillment of the functions assigned to it in the Russian Federation.

UK Consulate website

The British Consulate in Moscow does not have a separate website. The consular services section is built into the UK government website. Unfortunately for Russians, the main interface of the site is English and does not yet have a Russian version.

UK Consulate official website: Gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration

British Ambassador

The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Great Britain to Russia since 2021 is Deborah Bronnert, Companion of the Order of Saints Michael and George. She took up this position, succeeding Sir Laurie Bristow, Knight Commander of the Order of Saints Michael and George.

The Ambassador is the representative of Her Majesty the Queen and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain in Russia. Ambassador Deborah Bronnert is responsible for the political, cultural, economic activities of the Embassy and Consulate General, as well as the provision of visa services.

Contacts of visa centers and embassies

Table: addresses of visa centers and diplomatic missions