Do I need a visa to transit through London (UK)?

An air ticket with a long connection to London is a gift for the traveler. It is often cheaper than a direct flight. But more importantly, it gives you the opportunity to walk through the very heart of Great Britain and replenish your treasure trove of joyful memories.

If you also decide to plan your travel route through London, be careful. Sometimes Russian citizens need to apply for a UK transit visa.

We will evaluate your chances for free. Download the form in the form for creating a visa application at the bottom of the page, fill it out and send it to us to evaluate your chances

Do I need a UK visa for transit?

Transit through the UK is possible in two ways. The first is within the airport transit zone. This is your option if you do not plan to leave the transit area for any purpose, including check-in, baggage collection and drop-off. The second is with going beyond the transit zone. This is your option if you are planning to go out into the city to change airports, stay at a hotel, or explore London's attractions along the way.

In 2021, Russians leaving the transit area during a transfer at London Airport will need a visa. A UK transit visa is issued for 6 months. Its validity period after activation is 48 hours. During this time, docking should take place. With a Transit visa you can go through border control and enter the city.

When connecting in London without changing airports and without leaving the transit zone, Russians do not need an English visa in 2021. To do this, you must meet the following conditions:

• Arrival and departure by plane.
• Availability of a transit zone at the airport.
• Waiting for a transfer in the transit zone is less than 24 hours.
• Availability of an air ticket and visa to the country of destination.
• Enough money for travel.

Visa-free transit with the possibility of exiting the city is provided subject to the following conditions:

• Flight to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and a valid visa for the destination country.
• Flying from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and holding a valid US, New Zealand, Australian or Canadian visa. Less than six months must have passed since the last entry into the country.
• Availability of a residence permit in Australia, Canada (after 06/28/2002), New Zealand, USA (after 04/21/1998), a country in the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
• Possession of a category D visa issued by a country in the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
• Flight to Ireland and availability of a valid biometric visa and air ticket to this country.
• Returning from Ireland if less than 3 months have passed since entering the country and the biometric visa is still valid.

Such passengers are given more than 24 hours to make a transfer: until 23:59 the next day.

Please note that permission for visa-free transit is given by the border migration officer. He may not allow you to leave the transit area to board a flight at another airport or claim your baggage. Therefore, make sure that you do not need a transit visa. And if in doubt, contact our specialists for help. We provide consulting services on any visa issues.

When do you need a transit visa?

A transit visa is required if a person plans to stay in the city for more than a day. This visa allows you to stay in the UK for up to 48 hours .

In order to prevent unpleasant situations at border control, it is recommended to apply for a transit visa in advance. This is necessary in the following situations:

• the person has previously encountered refusals to obtain a British visa;
• the traveler was denied entry into another country;
• the passenger had problems with the law;
• a citizen of the Russian Federation faced deportation and violated the visa regime.

A transit visa is not required if the following conditions are met:

• a person stays in London for less than 24 hours ;
• the traveler does not intend to go through border control;
• the person has an open visa to the destination country or visa-free entry;
• The transport used for arriving in England is the same as for leaving the country.

In addition, a person must have a certain document with him - for example, a valid visa to the USA, Australia, New Zealand, etc., a residence permit to the specified countries, a long-term visa D to Switzerland or an EU country.

Alternative to a transit visa: tourist

In terms of the application procedure, a transit visa to Britain is very similar to a tourist visa (Standard Visitor visa). They have the same terms for processing applications and require the submission of identical sets of documents with the only difference - for transit, you need to attach an air ticket to the country of destination and a visa, if required for Russians.

The cost of a British transit visa is not much less than a tourist visa. But the Standard Visitor visa is issued for 6 months, and it is multiple-entry. And after activation, the transit card is valid for only 2 days and cannot be extended.

If you are planning to travel around the UK in the next six months, have frequent layovers in London, or want to explore this city to your heart's content on the way to another country, it is more profitable for you to apply for a short-term tourist visa such as Standard Visitor . It is also worth doing for those who have planned a transit lasting longer than two days.

Transit visa in 3 weeks? Easily!

Do you often fly through UK airports for work? Then you will definitely need a transit visa through London. This visa is valid for one month and opens a visa corridor for 6 months. With such a visa in your passport, you will not be able to travel around the UK or visit relatives. But flying through England will become easier.

The visavisa.by visa center team will help you obtain a transit visa in just 18-21 days. No refusal. Even a clean passport.

How much does a UK transit visa cost for Russians, price in 2021

The price of a British transit visa for Russians directly depends on how much the consular fee costs. It is set by the British Consulate and is paid regardless of how the application is submitted: independently or with the help of a specialized agency.

When applying at Global Contact, the cost of a transit visa to the UK is equal to the sum of the prices for the consular fee and the company’s services . The processing time depends on the place of submission of documents (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg) and the workload of the consulate. We recommend submitting documents in advance: at least 1, maximum 3 months in advance.

The price of a transit visa to London for Russians applying on their own in 2021 can be found on the official website of the visa center https://pos.tlscontact.com/. Here you can also find out about the additional paid services of the center.

Cost of a transit visa to England

Visa fees are not fixed and depend on the type and duration of the visa issued.

Today is 15 July. 2021 consular fee for a UK transit visa is:

*Visa payments are paid at the rate of your bank in rubles, in the equivalent of the amount indicated in the table.

Documents and requirements for obtaining a transit visa

In 2021, Russians must provide the same set of documentation for a visa for transit through London as for a tourist visa.

List of required documents

1. A passport with at least two blank pages and an expiration date of no earlier than six months.
2. A certificate from the bank about the cash balance in the account and an account statement about the cash flow.
3. Air tickets and a visa to the country of destination, if necessary for Russians.
4. International passports for the last 10 years.
5. Two color photographs 3.5 by 4.5 cm.
6. Certificate of employment on company letterhead.
7. Hotel reservation – if you need to spend a night in London.

List of additional documents that will increase the chances of approval

1. Confirmation of financial solvency: certificate in form 2-NDFL, copies of tax returns, real estate rental agreement, sponsorship letter from a relative confirming your relationship and his income.
2. Confirmation of a close connection with your homeland, which will convince the consulate that you do not plan to stay in the UK for permanent residence: copies of certificates of marriage, birth of a child, ownership of real and movable property or business.

To obtain a visa for a transit flight through London, Russians need to have all documents translated into English. They must contain the date, as well as the name, signature and contact information of the translator. You can act in his role yourself. The main thing is that the translations are of high quality and contain data that is completely identical to the data from the originals.

List of required documents for a UK visa

Entry into the British state requires strict visa controls. For this reason, a citizen wishing to visit the United Kingdom is required to submit a large number of personal documents. There is a basic list of papers, there is an additional one - it depends on the type of visa you receive.

List of required documents for applying for a UK visa

1. Questionnaire . Registration takes place on the official website of the British Embassy: item “UK Visas & Immigration”. It needs to be printed.
2. International passport . It should contain blank pages where permission to travel to England will be pasted.
3. Old passports are also provided.
4. Copies of all contents of the above two items.
5. High-quality color photo , size 3.5 by 4.5 cm.
6. Certificate of solvency and financial position.
7. Certificate of social status: certificate of employment with position or documents on ownership of private organizations.
8. A copy of the paper confirming place of residence .
9. Travel plan , copies of all booked tickets.
10. A certificate stating that the person is not sick with tuberculosis, if the period of stay varies from six months.

The support for point 6 is bank reports, extracts from the tax service, any document confirming the availability of a permanent salary that provides financial support for the duration of the trip.

This is a complete list of documents for entry into the UK for the purpose of tourism.

How to get a UK transit visa

To independently apply for and obtain a transit visa to London, follow the following sequence:

1. Collect all necessary documents.
2. Make copies of the necessary documents.
3. Make translations of all documents.
4. Fill out the online form.
5. Pay the consular fee.
6. Make an appointment at the visa center.
7. Make scans of all documents.
8. Upload them to your personal account at the visa center.
9. On the desired day, visit the visa center.
10. Wait for the consulate's decision.

The application form is completed online in English at https://www.gov.uk/apply-to-come-to-the-uk. In the service, you can select the Russian language to receive a duplicate translation of questions and some interface indicators. You can exit it and return to filling it out later. When the application form is completed, do not forget to confirm the application.

After paying the consular fee, the service will redirect you to the official website of the visa center, where your account will be automatically created. Choose a date and time convenient for you and make an appointment.

An English visa application must be submitted to the TLSContact visa center. Its branches are in Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg . The consular department of the British Embassy decides whether to issue a visa or refuse it.

To obtain a UK transit visa, you must visit the visa center in person to submit biometric data. You must have your international passport, a printed invitation, a questionnaire, and a receipt for payment of the consular fee.

On the website of the visa center you can order a service for an additional fee - uploading documents to your personal account by visa officers. In this case, do not forget to take copies of all documents with you, as the originals of some important documents are not accepted for scanning to avoid damage.

What to do if your UK visa is refused

After submitting the documents, you must also consider the option of disapproving the permit. One of the important selection criteria is often a person’s profit. Besides this, there are other reasons:

1. Illegally completed application form.
2. One of the papers included in the general package is invalid.
3. Failure to comply with requirements when providing documents.
4. Doubts regarding the submitted personal data of the applicant.
5. Violation of rules in previous visits.

Applying for a visa at Global Contact

To reduce the risk of being denied a transit visa for a layover in London, seek the assistance of competent visa specialists.

Global Contact is accredited by the British Embassy that has been providing visa support to Russian citizens since 1993. All our employees are high-class specialists in English visas. They will accompany you at every stage and will achieve a positive decision on your visa issue, no matter how complex it may be.

Applying for a visa in 3 steps

To be guaranteed to obtain a UK transit visa, you need to take just 3 steps:

1. Order a visa support service from Global Contact.
2. Provide us with the necessary documents in person or by email.
3. Visit the visa center to submit biometric data.

We will do the rest:

• We will advise you on any visa issues.
• We will compile an individual list of required documents.
• We will check the package of documents you have collected.
• We will make all necessary copies.
• We will translate documents into English.
• Let's fill out the form in English.
• We will pay the consular fee.
• We will make an appointment for you at the visa center.
• Let's fill out the personal data processing form.
• We will upload the documents to your personal account at the visa center.
• We will deliver your passport with a completed visa.

Even if you have already received a refusal, our experts will take into account all the nuances and take additional measures that will help you get a visa with a 100% guarantee.

Let's sum it up

• If you have a connecting flight within 24 hours of arriving in London and will not be leaving the airport transit area, you do not need a UK transit visa. In other cases, except for a few exceptions, it is necessary.
• It is more profitable to apply for a British tourist visa rather than a transit visa. In terms of production speed and document requirements, they are almost identical. And the difference in the validity period is colossal - 6 months versus 2 days.
• How much a transit visa to London costs directly depends on the price of the consular fee. It is installed by the British Consulate.
• The list of documents for a transit visa is the same as for a tourist visa. But you need to add two documents: an air ticket and a visa to the destination country, if Russians need it.
• The easiest way to obtain a visa for transit through London is to use visa support. You need to take only two steps - collect the documents we have listed and visit the visa center to submit biometric data. We will do the rest.