Can I pay for a visa at London airport? UK transit visa

England, as the most attractive European country for tourism and business trips, stands apart in political, economic, and international relations. Relations with the European Union were recently broken, Brexit took place. The state closes its borders more tightly, the flow of illegal immigrants, the difficult political situation, the Islamists' threats to the government, and many other reasons are to blame. Relations with Russia have cracked, there are few hopes for their stabilization. A transplant in London requires knowledge of the rules established by the UK migration authorities; diplomatic mission officers have the right to examine each case individually.

Rules for short stay in the country

Despite the harsh migration system, English customs officers nevertheless distinguish between the possibilities of staying in the United Kingdom depending on the reasons, timing, and status of a person. The current 2017 year was marked by the introduction of new customs rules in relation to Russia. They did not become easier, but the circle of people entitled to transit through London became wider. The paperwork wasn’t affected by innovations, the UK remains one of the countries into which it is not easy to enter.

For citizens of Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belarus, a concession regime applies: following the requirements allows them to remain in the transit zone for a day without applying for a visa to England. The concession has not been declared, therefore, at the slightest suspicion, the British customs officer has the right not to miss the voyager to the border territory. Recent evidence suggests: such cases are not uncommon, the slightest suspicion of those who wish to travel through the country will close it for a long time.

Important! An unspoken list of airlines has been compiled where employees do not allow passengers to board without a passport mark allowing them to leave at the British airport: WizzAir, EasyJet, RyanAir. Airlines value their reputation, not wanting to have problems with the law.

Short stay without applying to the consulate

The requirements of the authorities of the United Kingdom with respect to those traveling through it without a transit visa are as follows:

  • a delay at Heathrow or Gatwick airports, lasting 24 hours, no more (only Heathrow and Gatwick are equipped with areas where air passengers are waiting to board a third country);
  • boarding a flight is planned at the same airport;
  • if the transfer is made in London, the traveler will not leave the territory of the air harbor;
  • the air passenger will not leave the customs zone, he does not plan to go to the city limits;
  • one mode of transport is used: plane or ship.

In addition, one of the following conditions must be met:

  • flight or return to Russia from the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland;
  • residence in these countries no more than six months;
  • the presence of a residence permit in America, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, EU countries.

Short stay

Staying in the UK for more than a day, without observing the above requirements, will make you wonder if a visa is required for a transfer in London? Russians who want to stay on the shores of foggy Albion for more than a day will have to contact the embassy with an impressive set of papers.

Important! Since 2017, the UK authorities have banned transit passengers from Russia and the CIS countries for a walk in the city. Previously, they had the opportunity to travel to the metropolis for an excursion.

A short-term visa is issued for a period of not more than 48 hours, not renewable. Staying over this time requires obtaining permission from diplomatic missions. Not all air harbors in England are equipped with transit zones, for example, they are absent in the large Stansted and Luton interchange hubs.

Paperwork takes from 14 days to 2 months. The increased rate of the British consulate will allow them to draw up faster, but it will not give a 100% guarantee of affixing the coveted mark. Documents are provided in English. A visa to London costs 80 euros. Efforts to obtain permission to travel through Britain will yield results if the paper is selected correctly.

Collection of documents

England is traditionally considered a country that strictly follows migration policies. The attitude of compatriots is also influenced by the foreign policy of governments. Paperwork continues, requirements are tightened, however, strict adherence to the requirements of the receiving party will save you from possible failures. Russians are required to submit a package of documents to the consulate.

  1. A passport valid six months after the trip with two blank pages and a copy of the first. Attach old passports or their copies.
  2. One photograph is required, taken in a specialized studio on photo paper, other options are rejected. Children under six are allowed to be photographed in any position: standing, sitting, smiling, until they are one year old, even sleeping in wheelchairs. A child who has reached the age of six is \u200b\u200bconsidered a full-fledged citizen, must be photographed as a father and mother. No smiles, antics, only serious officials. One photo is attached to the questionnaire.
  3. Certificate of employment on company letterhead, it indicates the date of issue: valid month paper. Mandatory mention of the company name, position of the applicant, terms of employment, average monthly earnings (at least 30 thousand rubles). They write about the provision of vacation for the duration of the trip. The document is signed by the CEO and chief accountant. A citizen who submits a certificate to the diplomatic mission does not have the right to sign it himself, being the head. For him, it is done by another authorized official.
  4. The certificate from the place of study of students with the seal of the university or college is officially certified. Prescribe the name of the university or school, a course of study. A sponsor letter written in any form is applied to the certificate, guaranteeing the solvency of the young man during the trip.
  5. A visa to England is issued upon confirmation of the financial viability of the applicant. There should be enough funds in the accounts, starting from 100 pounds per day. Provide bank statements about the availability of money, their passage for three months in the accounts of the applicant, statements are valid for 30 days.
  6. Confirmation of marital status: marriage, divorce, death of a spouse.
  7. Filling out the application form provided by the embassy website.
  8. Availability of purchased round-trip tickets.
  9. Confirmation of residence in England: hotel reservation, Airbnb, accommodation with relatives, other options.

Application form, certificates, account statements are provided in paper form, electronic document management is prohibited.

Important! At an interview at the consulate, you sometimes need to prove that the route through the Kingdom is optimal: cheap, short route or there are no direct flights to the destination country. If identical routes exist, bypassing the Kingdom, a request to cross its borders may be refused.

Registration through an agency

When planning a trip, it is important to understand if you need a visa when traveling through London. Tourists often combine flights to distant continents with the opportunity to stay on foggy Albion, turning to the diplomatic mission for transit. Travelers go sightseeing, spend the night in a hotel, and get impressions of British cities. Traveling does not seem tiring, it becomes filled with impressions.

A UK transit visa is not easy to obtain - you need certificates, financial viability, clearly filling in the questionnaire, visiting the consulate. Migration officers rarely make concessions to Russians; one mistake in the questionnaire gives them the right not to put a mark in their passport. Therefore, a long-planned trip may be at risk. It is sometimes difficult for a tourist to cope with the collection of certificates and confirmations.

It’s better for him to be done by professionals from special agencies with experience in obtaining permits for short-term entry, who know the nuances that British migration services need to take into account.

Agents will help assess the chances of getting the coveted sticker by reviewing a set of papers. They will correct the errors in them, most importantly, they will perform a long procedure for filling out a questionnaire for a tourist, there are 100 points in it, some of which are obscure to Russians. Moreover, the columns must be filled in English. Agents track the movement and exit of the passport from the diplomatic mission, receive it by proxy, without the participation of the owner.

The air and sea ports of Great Britain are the largest transport hubs in the world and are actively used for transit travel in international passenger traffic. Since 2014, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has stepped up the fight against illegal immigrants and tightened the transit visa regime.

Before traveling to a third country, you could easily enjoy excursions and shopping in London or Manchester. The law set aside this day and gave travelers from Russia a transit concession. Now, even for a simple transfer with suitcases from one terminal to another, a transit visa to the UK is required.

There are exceptions to the new system, but overall it has become more complicated. Read on and you will fully understand all the intricacies of the new rules, and at the same time you will understand whether transit without a visa is possible in your case, and how best to implement it.

2 types of transit through the UK

Under the new rules, in 2018 there are 2 types of transhipment stay in Great Britain:

Airside -  It means crossing the territory of the country through a special transit zone at the airport, when transferring from one aircraft to another.

For Russians, Ukrainians, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Georgians, Kazakhs, Uzbeks and Turkmens, the possibility of concession remained. If a number of conditions are met, residents of these countries of the former CIS can do without a transit permit using Airside. This possibility does not apply to residents of Belarus and Moldova. They draw up and pay for “Direct Airside Transit visas”, which costs from 30 euros for the right to cross the transit zone at the English airport.

Landside -  This is the transit case when you need a change of airport to change. Either you need to stay overnight in an English hotel, or just take a walk around the city for a long time waiting for the next flight. Another option of Landside is when there is simply no transit zone (and most of them) at the landing airport. In order to check in, pick up luggage or simply pass from one port terminal to another, you need to apply for a “Non-Direct Airside transit visa national” or, more simply, a UK transit visa.

Features and limitations of Airside

To begin with, transit zones exist only in 3 large airports:

  • Manchester Airport
  • Gatwick Airport (London);
  • Heathrow Airport (London).

At these airports, for Russians, a visa concession is possible within the Airside if the following conditions are met:

  1. Do not leave the transit zone until departure to a third country.
  2. Depart to a third country no later than 23:59 the next day after the date of arrival in the UK. (For example, if you arrived on April 20 at 23:59 and depart on April 22 at 00:05, you need to apply for a transit visa on a common basis).
  3. You must fly to any other country (with the exception of Ireland) and have with you all the permits to enter this state by law.
  4. Your transit should be carried out by the same mode of transport (by air). This rule does not apply to ground transportation. If you need to transfer from an airplane to a sea vessel - you need to apply for a transit visa. (The case when you need to change from a steamboat to a steamboat, or just spend the time parking the cruise ship on British soil, we will consider below, separately).

Who is allowed to walk around London without a visa during transit

Landside clearance may not be required if:

  • You can present a residence permit in countries such as: Switzerland, Canada, Australia, USA, New Zealand, as well as any of the Schengen countries;
  • You are the holder of a long-stay visa of group "D" in the EU countries or Switzerland.
  • You are traveling to Ireland and you have a biometric visa to enter this country.
  • You are traveling from Ireland with a biometric visa for her, and 3 months have not passed since you entered Ireland.

Attention!  In the case of moving to Ireland through England, only biometrics is valid for visa-free transit.

  • You are traveling to (from) one of 4 countries: USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand and you have a visa or residence permit in that country.
  • You are coming from one of these 4 countries with an expired visa, but six months have not passed since the last entry into this state.

Important!  Your route to this country should be logical, without any hooks and long detours. Therefore, if you fly from Russia to Australia or New Zealand through England, customs officers will not understand you and will suspect illegal migration. To explain to them that you simply wanted to look at the British and therefore chose such a difficult route is very undesirable. Therefore, for the Russians, only the USA and Canada remain from the list.

Attention!  Visa-free transit is not issued to holders of US electronic visas or electronic residence permits. As well as holders of American visas of categories YY and ZZ with 2 possible entries:

  • “Not a visa. Foil prepared at DHS request ";
  • "Processed for I-551."

Do not flatter yourself!  Even if you have rights under the law to conditional visa-free travel in the transit zone or Landside, the customs officer has the right to refuse you. In this case, travel through the territory of the country will be prohibited, and the voyage will break.

Tip:  Experienced travelers are advised to play it safe and bring along printouts of excerpts from transit legislation (with the full electronic address of the UK government website from which the documents were copied). Be prepared to answer in detail the questions of the customs officer about your route: from the arrival station to the departure station during a transit trip around the country. If there is an Internet reservation for trains or buses, you need to present it.


Do I need a visa to transit through London at seaports

The good news is the fact that the concession for transit through England during the cruise continues to be valid after the introduction of new rules.

Cruise ship passengers can use the 24-hour British transit for free access to the English port under the conditions:

  1. The liner is in the port of Britain no more than 24 hours.
  2. The previous and next parking of the liner was (will be) not in the English port. (You can visit even 2 British ports without a visa, if between them there will be a parking lot not in the British, but, for example, in the Schengen area).

The procedure for obtaining a transit visa-free permit at the ports is simple: the immigration officer will put you a stamp in your passport indicating the time of arrival and will let you walk in any direction. The main thing for you is to return to your ship on time. Because no one will wait for you, and the official term for permission to stay on the land of Britain will expire.

We remind you that residents of Moldova and Belarus will not be able to take this opportunity and they need to apply for an English transit visa. Otherwise, they will remain in the cabin of the liner for the entire stay.

An important point!  The decision to let or not a transit tourist for a walk in the English city always remains with the immigration officer. He has the right to prohibit entry even with a transit visa!

How to check if you need a visa in your case for a transfer in London

To consolidate the material covered, let's check the points. You need to pre-apply for a visa at the British Embassy for a transfer in London if:

  1. You arrive at the airport, where there is no transit zone (Any station except Gatwick and Heathrow).
  2. You do not have a residence permit in the countries of the European Union, the USA, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.
  3. Your flight to the destination country departs later than 23:59 the day after arriving in the UK.
  4. You arrive in England by plane, and leave it with another means of transport.
  5. You do not go to the USA or Canada with a visa to this country.
  6. You do not have a “D” type long-stay visa to Schengen countries or Switzerland.
  7. You do not go to Ireland with a biometric visa for this country.
  8. You are traveling from Ireland with a biometric visa, but more than 3 months have passed since you arrived in this country.

Who does not shine 100% transit visa to England

You better get a transit document right away if:

  1. You have already been deported or denied entry to any country at least once.
  2. You have problems with the law in any country in the world.
  3. You have been denied a visa to the UK at least once.
  4. You had a precedent of a visa violation in past visits to this country.

Where and how to apply for a transit visa through the UK

To apply for a transit British visa, you must obviously apply to the British consulate or embassy. Please note that the entire visa preparation process can take up to 2 months.

If the route of the planned trip completely randomly or thoughtfully (which is not surprising) lies through the UK, then such a trip must be very carefully prepared. Everyone knows that the British migration and transit systems have rather stringent requirements, which it is advisable to familiarize yourself with before issuing airline tickets.

The need for a transit visa depends on two main factors:

  • how transit occurs - airside or landside
  • which group of countries does the passenger belong to (according to the List of visa national countries or the so-called black and red lists of countries)

Airside transit

If your tickets for a transit flight with transfers at Manchester International Airport or to Heathrow or Gatwick, which are located in London, then you can relax and calmly pack your bags - you do not need a visa. The layout of these airports allows you to move or move from one terminal to another (within the same airport, of course) without leaving the transit zone.

That is, the passenger will not need to go through passport control, therefore, no one will ask for a visa either. But there are some nuances. For example, citizens of Ukraine (which is blacklisted) can carry out air-transit through Britain without a transit visa only by following the following conditions:

  • arrival / departure by plane (this can be a through ticket or several airline tickets of different companies, but for the entire route)
  • tickets for the next flight, the departure of which must be before 23:59 of the day of arrival (the time indicated in the tickets is taken into account, regardless of the delay / cancellation of the flight)
  • air tickets must be for international flights (with the exception of flights to Ireland)
  • the presence of all documents that are required to enter the country of destination
  • the traveler cannot leave the transit zone of the airport

Landside transit

Often, passengers specifically select airline tickets to stroll around London, or are forced to purchase airline tickets with transit through the UK due to the lack of a more convenient or cheaper way to get to their destination. During landside transit, the traveler must leave the transit zone, for example, to collect / drop off luggage, change the airport, spend the night at a hotel or transfer to an internal flight or a flight to Ireland.

Usually, in such cases, customs officers require a transit visa, but each rule has exceptions. The absence of this document during landside transit is allowed only if the passenger meets the following conditions:

  • arrivals / departures only by plane (this can be a through ticket or several airline tickets of different companies, but for the entire route)
  • availability of airline tickets for the plane, the take-off of which must be before 23:59 on the next day after arrival (the time indicated on the tickets is taken into account, regardless of the delay / cancellation of the flight)

For example, a passenger arrived on June 11 at 22:00, he must fly from Britain before 23:59 on June 12. Please note, using this rule, it is quite profitable to buy tickets for night flights. For example, a passenger arrived on July 15 at 00:15, tickets should be on the next flight with a departure before 23:59 on July 16. In fact, the traveler has two days in the UK.

  • a valid visa to New Zealand, Australia, Canada, USA 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 entering one of these countries
  • valid biometric visa to enter the Republic of Ireland (the remarks should indicate “BC” or “BC BIVS”), as well as plane tickets to Ireland
  • valid Irish biometric visa (“BC” or “BC BIVS” must be indicated in the remarks), tickets confirming that he is flying from Ireland - more than three months have passed since entering this country
  • long-stay 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 USA (issued after 04/21/1008), including a valid US visa I-551 Temporary Immigrant Visa (note that the British border control officers will not accept the agreed document with a stamp made in wet ink), permanent residence card (permanent residence card residence), expired I-551 card (must be accompanied by a valid I-797 letter that permits 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
  • the presence of all documents that are required to enter the country of destination

Note! visa-free landside transit will not be possible if the passenger has an electronic visa (e-visa) or electronic residence permit (e-residence permit), and also do not count on luck with a US visa of type “YY” or “ZZ” marked “ Not a visa. Foil prepared at DHS request "or with the stamp" Processed for I-551 ".

Also note that even the fulfillment of these conditions does not give a 100% guarantee on visa-free transit through the UK. It all depends on the decision of the immigration officer at the passport control, who has every right to refuse you. Therefore, it is in your interests to carefully prepare for communication with the officer.

For example, if a passenger purchased tickets for a plane that arrives in London in the evening, and the next flight tomorrow morning, then an additional argument confirming the need to leave the transit zone will be a document (printout) confirming the booked hotel room near the airport.

If your tickets include a route with an airport change (for example, you arrive in Luton, and flights departing from Heathrow), then it will be prudent to book tickets for a bus or train in advance and present them to an immigration officer.

And remember - if you do not want to immediately wipe out all your dreams of visa-free landside transit, you should not tell the passport control officer that you specially selected air tickets for flights with a long connection in London to see the city.

What you need at passport control:

  • international passport
  • valid visa to the country of destination (if necessary)
  • air tickets for flights with the appropriate route (for example, Kiev-London-Toronto flights look much more convincing than flights with the Kiev-London-Berlin route. UK immigration officials will clearly guess that you specially chose this route to take a walk around London The risk of staying at the airport increases dramatically)
  • fully completed immigration form (the form is taken at the front desk or on the plane of some carriers)

In what cases is it desirable to obtain a visa in advance:

  • the passenger has already been denied a UK visa
  • deportation or denial of entry to any country
  • problems with the law (in any country)
  • during a previous visit to Britain, the traveler violated the visa regime (illegally worked on a tourist or student visa, etc.

Actual information on the migration policy of the country,

specify in official sources - visa center and consulate.

Many companies offer their passengers to travel to their destination through London. Is a visa necessary in this case, and can one be completely sure of a comfortable flight in this way? The information below will help to understand this difficult question.

A few years ago, transit rules across the UK became more stringent. If before a traveler without a visa could afford to see London while traveling there, then in 2020 he has no way to leave the airport. But sometimes you can do without the complicated procedure of obtaining permission at the embassy. For Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhstanis (the full list can be found on the embassy website), the so-called “visa concession” applies.

It is applicable subject to the following conditions:

  • stay in the country for no more than 1 day (24 hours);
  • the use of one mode of transport (air or water, for land transport a visa is required);
  • an open visa to the country that is the ultimate goal, or, if a visa is not needed, a receipt for payment of the hotel.

In addition, there is the concept of air transit. They talk about him when the passenger does not undergo customs control and registration at the transfer airport. In this situation, a visa is not required.

The next important question is: “Do I need a visa for those flying through the United Kingdom to the United States, Australia, Canada, or New Zealand?” Since usually at the time of arrival at the British airport there is already permission to visit these countries, you do not need to additionally arrange anything. These rules are also valid for passengers with a Schengen visa, as well as with a residence permit in any of the above states or in the eurozone.

Who needs a transit visa to the UK?

In most cases, a voyager is waiting for a transplant in London. Whether a visa is needed depends on the airport: if in Heathrow or Gatwick it turns out to take advantage of the concession, then in all other airports in Britain there are no corresponding conditions for this. Fortunately, docking most often occurs at these points. However, do not forget to clarify this point when buying a ticket.

In all cases when the place of departure and departure does not coincide, you will need to obtain a transit visa to England to move around the city. The same should be done when waiting for a transplant to be more than 24 hours.

But the most important nuance is the following: a “visa concession” is not an exact guarantee of a successful transit through London. Whether a traveler needs a visa is finally decided by the customs officer directly during passport control. If something seems suspicious to him, he may well refuse to visit the kingdom. Officially, this is justified as non-compliance with migration rules.

So if time permits, a transit visa to the UK for Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Kazakhstanis is still better to open. According to recent reports, residents of the CIS are increasingly denied permission to visit this state.

What else do you need to know?

Some airlines have an opinion on whether a transit visa to the British Kingdom is needed. The forums write that WizzAir, EasyJet and RyanAir often do not allow people to board without permission to enter, so as not to earn themselves additional problems with customs officers. Documents in electronic form are not considered by the migration service.

How to apply for a visa?

To do this is not so difficult as to arrange, but there are also enough difficulties. Officially, it will take from 15 days to 2 months in order to get a transit visa. England is a country with a very strict migration policy and quite often refuses to visit, including travel. For an additional fee, the service of urgent clearance is available, the exact amount is better to see on the website of the consulate. Speaking about how much a visa to London costs, it is worth noting the lowest consular fee just for the transit category: it is about 80 euros.

But even this amount is unlikely to be spent in vain. Therefore, you should carefully prepare the documents:

  • passport with enough blank pages ;;
  • photo 3.5x4.5 cm;
  • bank account statement;
  • document on marital status;
  • certificate of employment;
  • photocopies of tickets to the final point of travel and back are required;
  • paid medical insurance;
  • in addition, a special application form will have to be filled out on the embassy website.

Please note that all documents are filled in English. Thus, a transplant in London is a rather risky event. Whether a visa is required for this or not, such a trip will still be fraught with a lot of risks and uncertainties.

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl + Enter.

- one of those points on the world map, which instills vague doubts and anxiety in the hearts of travelers. Due to the strict migration policy, the British approach the visa issue with all caution. As a result, there is an ambiguous situation with a transit visa when transferring from flight to flight.

The good news is that you may not need a visa (but don’t particularly count on it), the bad news is that there are many “pitfalls” of customs clearance. We will tell you everything you need to know about a successful connecting flight in the capital of Misty Albion.

How to check if I need a visa if I am in transit?

The first question that appears for transit travelers is whether a visa is needed. For a full guarantee, we recommend checking the information on transit flights on the official website of the British Migration Service.

Another way to check is to look into TIMATIC. This is a single information system of the International Air Transportation Association (IATA). Here, with all scrupulousness and accuracy, all the rules for those traveling by plane are collected. So, 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 beautiful 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 zone. This type of transit is called airside.

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The second type of transplant is landside transit. With landside transit, the traveler leaves the airport, and, consequently, the transit zone. At this time you can visit: in a couple of hours you can see the legendary sights of London, it is better to 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;
  • arrivals and departures only by plane;
  • an open visa to the country, which is the ultimate goal, or, if a visa is not needed, a receipt for payment of the hotel.

BUT, in addition to this you have necessarily  must be one of the following documents:

  • a valid visa to New Zealand, Australia, Canada, the USA 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 entering one of these countries;
  • a valid biometric visa to enter the Republic of Ireland (the remarks should indicate “BC” or “BC BIVS”), as well as plane tickets to Ireland;
  • valid Irish biometric visa (“BC” or “BC BIVS” must be indicated in the remarks), tickets confirming that he is flying from Ireland - while more than three months have passed since entering 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 USA (issued after April 21, 2008), including a valid US I-551 Temporary Immigrant Visa (note that the British border control officers will not accept the agreed document with a stamp made in wet ink), permanent residence card (permanent residence card residence), expired I-551 card (must be accompanied by a valid I-797 letter that permits its 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;
  • the presence of all documents that are required to enter the country of destination.

There is just a nuance - a visa concession does not guarantee a hassle-free transit. If you suddenly seem suspicious to the customs officer, he may refuse to visit the UK, justifying this as a non-compliance with the migration rules. And in general, your fate at this moment depends entirely on his decision.

Therefore, prepare for customs control: it will not be superfluous to print out the hotel reservation if you are staying overnight, and during the interview itself you should not be frank that you specially chose a long transfer in order to see the city. You will not be denied a stay at the airport, but they may not be allowed to leave the city.

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At passport control you will need:

International passport;

Flights to flights with the appropriate route. For example, tickets for the Kiev-London-Toronto flight look much more convincing than flights with the Kiev-London-Berlin route. UK immigration officials will clearly guess that you specifically chose this route to take a walk around London;

Valid visa to the country of destination (if necessary);

Fully completed immigration form (the form is taken at the front desk or on the plane of some carriers).

What are we doing?

First you need to print boarding passes for all connecting flights on your route.

  1. On departure during check-in for the flight, you must affix a stamp to the airline employee stating that the airline has no questions about your documents. To do this, you need to tell him that you are in transit, show a boarding pass for a flight from London and a passport with a valid visa of the country of arrival.
  2. Pass passport control and fly to London.
  3. On board the aircraft, fill out the landing card.
  4. Upon arrival in London at the passport control, present a passport, landing card and boarding pass for a flight from London.
  5. When boarding the next flight, you will be checked for a visa to visit the country to which you are traveling.

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It should be remembered that for everything about everything you have only 24 hours. For a stay of more than 24 hours, a transit visa is already required - it allows you to stay in the UK for up to 48 hours.