In 2019, Russians need a visa to visit London. Moreover you will not be able to enter the country on a Schengen visa, since the UK did not sign an agreement on a simplified passport and visa regime at the borders of the EU countries. Similarly, with a British visa document, it is not possible to enter other European countries. A visa to London is issued at British service centers, which are located in a number of cities in Russia.

Types of visa documents

Depending on the purpose of travel to the country, one or another type of visa document is issued. Let's consider the main ones.

Visitor visa

This visa is required if the purpose of the trip is tourism, visiting relatives or a business trip. Moreover, in each case, supporting documents will be required.

For example, for a tourist visa, documents are required on the availability of a booked room in a hotel or renting an apartment.

If a foreigner travels as a guest to friends or relatives, then an invitation letter from their side is required, which indicates the time, the purpose of the trip and the intended address of residence. Moreover, you need documents confirming the status of the inviting party: copies of a residence permit or passport.

In the case of a business visit, a foreigner must provide an invitation letter from a British company indicating the duration of the trip and information about who sponsors it.

Transit visa

A visa is required for transit travel through England. but possible transit through London without a visa... To do this, the foreigner must:

• travel exclusively by plane;
• fly out of the Kingdom within 24 hours after arriving at the airport;
• have a ticket for a flight to a third country;
• the stop in Britain must have a logical explanation. For example, a flight through London will seem more than strange if a foreigner travels from St. Petersburg to Paris.

These are the so-called general conditions. But, so that there is no need for a receipt, the traveler must also meet one of the following requirements:

1. the country of arrival is the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. Or a foreign citizen flies from these countries through Britain to a third country;
2. the traveler has a residence permit in the above countries or in;
3. the person has a type "D" visa;
4. a foreigner flies to (or from) and has a national visa of this state.

More detailed information on all types of English visas and their registration can be obtained.

Obtaining a visa

To start on the site //www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/account/register you need to create your own account, fill out, print and sign an application form. All information is entered in English. After entering all the data, a personal number will be sent to the email address specified when creating an account. In the future, you will need it to register at the visa center. Then you should prepare a package of documents:

• Passport with a validity of more than six months and at least two blank sheets;
• One photo that meets all the requirements described below. The photo is pasted into the profile;
• , which indicates the position held and the amount of monthly salary;
• Financial documentation of the availability of sufficient funds to complete the trip.

Photo requirements

One photograph is attached to the application form, which must meet the following conditions:

1. photo size is 3.5x4.5 cm;
2. the photo was taken no later than six months before the application was submitted;
3. photographs of the applicant wearing sunglasses, a hat or other accessories will not be accepted if their use is not related to religious beliefs;
4. the image is taken against a light background and occupies at least 70% of the entire image.

Financial documents

Financial solvency can be confirmed by providing the following documentation:

• Bank statement for the last six months;
• Certificate 2-NDFL or other document confirming the receipt of wages;
• Tax declarations with a mark of the Federal Tax Service Inspectorate.

Evidence of ownership of real estate does not belong to supporting documentation. However, their presence can significantly increase the chances of obtaining a visa. It should be added that when a third party pays for the trip, financial documentation about the sponsor's solvency is provided.

Submission of documents to the visa center

Prepared documents are submitted to one of the visa centers. Embassies and consulates located in the Russian Federation do not deal with visa issues... You can sign up for the submission of documents on the website tpcontact.co.uk, but first you need to create your own account. When registering, indicate Email, previously issued personal number, passport data, surname and first name. After creation account the place and date of submission of the application is selected. Here, the visa fee is paid online, and, if necessary, additional services are ordered, for example, courier delivery or urgent visa processing. After entering all the data, a letter will be generated, which must be printed and attached to the package of documents.

At the indicated time, you should visit the Visa Application Center (it is better to arrive 15 minutes earlier). You will have to go through the procedures for scanning fingerprints and taking a digital photo. If the applicant refuses to take these events, then automatically in the issuance British visa will be refused. If there are cuts or scratches, as well as swelling on the fingers or face, you must wait for them to heal: if the skin is damaged, biometric data will not be taken. The procedure itself is carried out no longer than 20 minutes.

It usually takes up to 15 days to process a visa to London. But it is advisable to take care of submitting the application in advance. It takes no more than 3-5 days to get an urgent visa. In a shorter time frame, applications from persons with visas to or from the Schengen countries are considered. When issuing a visa for a period of more than two years, the documents are studied within one month.

Visa to certain regions of the country

There is no separate visa for entering certain parts of the country (Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales), as well as cities of the Kingdom, for example, London. In all cases, a UK national visa is issued.

Traveling with children

If you plan to travel with a minor child, you must provide a birth certificate (make a copy) and have the written consent of the other parent... If a child travels to the UK unaccompanied, the consent of both parents will be required. In the absence of a second parent, it is necessary to provide certificates confirming this fact.

All accompanying documents must be translated into English language... Moreover, both the applicant himself and the specialist of the Translation Bureau or another person who speaks the language can translate the documentation. No notarization is required.

Visa processing: on your own or through an agency?

If there is a question about a trip to Britain, then there are two options for its solution: contact the agency to draw up the necessary documentation or get a visa to London on your own. Considering that Great Britain is a country with a fairly tough immigration policy then the benefits of seeking help from an agency are clear. Specialists of such organizations know all the subtleties, pitfalls and nuances of visa processing, and the very process of obtaining an entry document is reduced to the shortest possible time. But such organizations will, of course, charge additional fees for their services.

On average, depending on the type of visa, the cost of paperwork in the agency will vary in the range of 3000-9000 rubles. To this amount should be added the cost of the consular fee, which will be different depending on the type of visa. For example, the cost of a visa to London for up to 6 months will be $ 132. If a visit is planned that will last two years, then the consular fee increases to $ 459. Obtaining a visa on your own, of course, is cheaper, but the likelihood

So, the first question that any immigration venture begins with is "how to get there." We have already agreed that you are a person who is not expected anywhere, you have no agreements with employers, and you generally do not know anyone there.

For EU citizens now there are no obstacles to entry, so I will not describe the procedure for buying a ticket for them. For residents of Russia and neighboring fraternal republics, this is a very big problem. Possibly go in at least two ways.

Option one: sneak into the country under the guise of a harmless tourist and work there illegally in the most cynical way. Unfortunately, the British Embassy does not always believe that a young man is applying for a visa solely because of an intolerable desire to see Stonehenge.

Thus, you need to provide proof that you are a wealthy and respectable person who does travel to England to visit the British Museum. But if in fact you are going to work, then I'm afraid it will be difficult to prove it. As far as I know, in this case, intermediary firms can help, which will prepare the entire package of false documents, income statements and recommendations from the workplace.

The second option assumes that you are a student. But even if this is not the case, an enterprising intermediary firm will procure a student card for you. Again, you cannot do without additional costs, since in order to obtain a work permit, you need a letter from the employer, in which he undertakes to provide you with work and housing for the expected period. The firm will do it all. It will probably take no less money than for the first option.

I wrote that there are at least two ways to get to Britain. There are others, of course. Someone is trying to enroll in the sect of Jehovah's Witnesses in order to get to the country on a religious topic after a while. Others find their friends on the Internet who terrorize the British embassy in order to get a visa for their new Russian fiancé. The most interesting thing is that sometimes it goes away. But more often than not.

There are also extreme options. For example, I personally know one person who, using the darkness, tried to cross the English Channel in a rubber boat, tying it to a ferry. Moreover, they found it already in England, in Dover, when the ferry turned around, and the boat was carried to the illuminated side. About the classic version, when a person is disguised in a pallet, wrapped in plastic, and transported in the back of a truck through a tunnel, I will not speak. A method well known to customs officers, moreover, due to queues, the unfortunate traveler sometimes has to be in a stuffy body, in a standing position, tied with a film, up to half a day. Fatalities have occurred.

People have come up with a lot of no less exotic ways to get to the Promised Land, but I do not recommend them to you because of their unreliability. The most original case of entering the country happened with a friend of mine. Exhausted by the impossibility of driving by all legal and illegal means (and he experienced everything, except perhaps a rubber boat), the man took the path of least resistance.

Arriving at the airport in London, he, with his Latvian passport stamped with all kinds of deportation and entry bans, simply stood in line for British citizens and mingled with the cheerful crowd of Aboriginal people who had arrived from vacation. As you know, the British are not recorded at the entrance in any way, all they need is to open their passport on the page with a photo. The customs officer does not even pick up the document.

Thus, this friend of mine made his face a brick, showed his passport, and a few hours later he was already visiting me, with vodka, in Lincoln. The story took place ten years ago, and most likely, now such a freebie will no longer work. By the way, that comrade was deported again two weeks later, when the immigration service carried out checks at some factories. Which, however, did not prevent the hero from returning after a while, in a less exotic way, but just as illegal. What is wrong with him now, I do not know, but I am sure that his karma finds new adventures for him.

There is another option - to “surrender”, right at the airport, to the first customs officer who comes across, that is, to ask for political asylum from Britain. Once it was a real opportunity to even get a residence permit, but now it practically does not work. I will tell you a little more about "delivery" in the course of the article.

An important question is how to behave at an English airport, at customs. An uninitiated person may have the illusion that when he received a tourist visa, all his difficulties in entering the country are over. You can relax, talk to the customs officer in Russian, just as the hero of Viktor Sukhorukov behaved in the film Brother-2. In reality, unfortunately, this is not the case. If you cannot make a good impression on the customs officer and prove by your appearance that you actually came to Britain for just a week, he has a real right not to let you in.

And if there is even the slightest suggestion that you are going to work illegally, then you will go home much earlier than you expected. In my memory, they didn’t let in so many people who had a tourist visa that it’s amazing. They all usually made the same mistakes. The most typical - they did not correspond to the image that was spelled out in their papers. Here you need to be simpler, and if your documents say that you are the director of a company, do not be lazy to shave, wear a tie and give your face an intelligent expression, if such a trick can be done with him.

If the papers that have been concocted for you say that you are a promising young boxer who came to personally meet Lewis, try to look like that. But don't go overboard, that doesn't mean you have to be wearing a tracksuit and a gopnik ominous grin. In general, I noticed that the average rolls well for customs officers. appearance young Europeans: highlighted hair, fashionable sunglasses (in season) and stylish clothes. Unfortunately, very many are unable to drive away the haunted expression from their faces, and then the journey ends before it can begin. In any case, be confident, but don't talk. Answer the question as briefly as possible. In general, behave as if you do not even imagine that you, such a respectable and respectable person, may not be allowed into some England.

A couple more things. You must have a return ticket in a week, maximum two weeks later, which you must first show to the customs officer. The ticket, of course, will be lost since you are going to stay, but such is life. Second. In no case should you include in your luggage anything that could cast a shadow on your image of a deeply intelligent person traveling to wander the streets of London. I don’t understand what an idiot you have to be to have rubber boots or winter clothes in your bag if you have a tourist visa in your bag, if it happens in sunny July. You will then buy all the equipment for the job. Also - no products. Any herring, onion and the like act very badly on customs officers. The point is not that these things are prohibited from import, but simply they confirm that instead of enjoying London cafes and restaurants, a person will save by all means, trying to stretch his cash supply.

Speaking of money. When asked by the customs officer, what are you going to live for this week in the capital of Britain, show a bank card with a proud Visa badge (even if there is nothing on it) and show three hundred pounds in cash. This usually has a pacifying effect on the customs officer, and he, in last time suspiciously looking at you and your passport, puts the coveted stamp. I don't even mention the fact that you should speak and understand at least a little English. Although I know of cases when people who did not even know how to say hello passed successfully. And in general, perhaps someone is now reading a note, and is surprised at the horrors described - he never had any problems at the entrance. Of course, a lot depends on the karma and mood of the customs officer at that moment, but still - forewarned, that means armed.

That's all I can tell you about how to get to England. Tomorrow, wait for the story of the work and the difficulties associated with it.

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Any traveler should be aware that a visa issued by the British Consulate is not a guarantee of entry into the country. The final decision on whether to allow or deny entry to a particular foreigner is made by the employee border service at the time a foreigner passes through passport control.

The requirements for foreigners (we are talking about non-EU citizens) entering the United Kingdom, both with and without a visa, are absolutely identical.

Primary requirements:

• having a passport valid throughout your stay in the UK;
• availability of a valid visa, if required;
• completed migration card (landing card).

As confirmation of the purpose of the visit, you may need:

• hotel reservation;
• an invitation from relatives or friends;
• letter from educational institution(if the purpose of the visit is training, internship, participation in a scientific seminar);
• letter or employment contract from the employer;
• an invitation to participate in events of a scientific, cultural or sports nature;
• tickets to a third country (if the purpose of the visit is transit).

As proof of financial solvency and intentions to leave the UK:

• return air ticket or ticket to a third country;
• availability, travelers checks or bank cards.

How to fill out a Landing Card?

Immigration cards are issued on the plane / on the ferry / on the bus, or they can be taken directly from the arrival hall in front of the passport control counters. The card is filled out in English:

1. Family name - last name
2. First name (s) - name / names (patronymic does not need to be written)
3. Sex - gender
4. Date of birth - date of birth
5. Town and country of birth - country and city of birth
6. Nationality - nationality
7. Occupation - profession
8. Contact address in the UK (in full) - contact address in the UK in full
9. Passport No - passport number
10. Place of issue - place of issue
11. Length of stay in the UK - length of stay in the UK
12. Port of last departure - the place of the last departure (airport / port / city of departure to the UK)
13. Arrival flight / train numer / ship name - flight / train number / ship name
14. Signature - signature

Particular attention should be paid to points 7, 8 and 11. In point 7, the profession must be clearly indicated. For example, "teacher", "doctor", etc. If something like "chief", "director", "administrator" is indicated, the border service officer may require additional information, so it is worth initially writing, for example, "store director".

Clause 8 - indicate the name of the hotel and its address. In the case of living with relatives / friends, as well as when booking accommodation through couchsurfing sites or arbnb, the name of the individual with whom the foreigner will live and the exact address are indicated. Important! If, when applying for a visa, you stated in the application that you will live in a hotel, the landing card must indicate the hotel, and not an individual, otherwise this will raise doubts among the border guard regarding the purpose of the visit. This, in turn, may lead to a refusal to enter the UK.

Clause 11 - the length of stay indicated on the card must coincide with the date of the return flight. The border guard does not need to know that you have plans to change your ticket and, possibly, stay for another day or two or a week, or even a month. In the card, you need to write what is at the time of entry.

Fingerprints

Fingerprints are taken at the vast majority of UK entry points. The system automatically compares them with the prints that the foreigner handed over when applying for a visa. The system also gives out basic information about this foreigner, obtained during his visa application, as well as about his previous entries into the country (if any).

Interview with a border guard

The migration card together with the passport is presented to the border guard officer. The next step will be an interview.

The mandatory questions that foreigners are asked are the following:

• Purpose of the trip?
• How long are you going to stay in the UK?
• Where will you stay during your stay?

They are likely to ask a few more questions, for example:

• Where are you flying from?
• What do you plan to do (see) during your visit?
• Are there any friends or family in the UK?
• Who do you work in Russia and when do you plan to return to work?

How to behave at passport control

The general rules are as follows:

• you need to behave correctly and calmly. Excessive emotions, gestures, and fuss during interviews arouse suspicions among the border guard officers. From the point of view of formal logic, a person who has documents in order and has no intention of breaking the law should not be nervous.
• the answers to any questions should be as short and unambiguous as possible so that the border guard cannot interpret them in his own way. There is no need to overload your answers with details and details, otherwise the border guard will certainly have a desire to ask many additional clarifying questions, which will increase the time spent on crossing the border several times.
• no need to show initiative: if the border guard officer does not ask for a return ticket and other documents, you do not need to do this. As a rule, if you are able to adequately answer the questions, the border guard will not need anything other than your passport.
• a correctly completed landing card will save the tourist from additional questions. In this case, the information in the card must match your oral answers.
• the purpose of the visit must correspond to the purpose that was indicated when applying for the visa. In other words, if initially the basis for issuing a visa was a tourist trip with a stop at a hotel, then the same should be said when crossing the border. Important! A trip to relatives and tourism (rest and stay at the hotel) are different purposes of the visit!

How to answer questions

Questions about the purpose of the visit and place of residence when visiting the UK

If, when applying for a visa, you indicated in the application the purpose of the visit "tourism", and as the address and host country - a hotel, the correct answer is: "during the trip I will live in a hotel."

What to do if a hotel in London was indicated in the questionnaire, but the plans changed, and the tourist decided to go, for example, to Liverpool, or there was a change from one hotel to another?

From the point of view of immigration rules, this is not a violation; when passing through passport control, you must indicate the address of the hotel in which the tourist will actually live. If there are several hotels, the one in which the most number of days is booked is indicated.

Also, instead of a hotel, you can provide a reservation from the arbnb website (in this case, the answer should sound like this - "I booked accommodation on the arbnb website", and not "I will live with a private person").

If the purpose of the visit is to visit friends or relatives, you must state their first and last names, degree of relationship or the nature of the relationship (friends, for example) and address.

Additionally, when it comes to friends, border guards may ask how long you know, who they work for, how long and on what basis they have lived in the UK (in the case of non-British citizens).

If a tourist has a British transit visa in his passport, there can be only one answer to the question about the purpose of the visit - "transit".

As a rule, if the stay in the UK during transit does not exceed 48 hours, this is not suspicious. However, even in this case, additional questions are possible about why such a route was chosen or why there is such a time gap between flights. The correct answers in this case are as follows (in accordance with the real situation): "flights fly to the country I need once / twice a week", or "the air carrier offers only this option of flying to the final destination", or "there are several types of transport in my route (for example, a train and an airplane, a ferry and an airplane) and they can only be docked in this way. "

Incorrect answers, which can, at a minimum, alert the border guard, and often lead to refusal of entry:

• "The purpose of our visit is tourism, we will stay with relatives (friends)"
• "First we will live in a hotel, then with relatives."
• "When we applied for a visa, we thought we would be in a hotel, but then we decided to live with friends."

These answers directly indicate the discrepancy between the purpose of the visit and what is indicated on the visa. This can be regarded as an indication of knowingly false information when applying for a visa.

The logic of the border guard in this case is as follows: “If a person wants to visit relatives or friends in the UK, what is the point of requesting a visa for the purpose of visiting“ tourism ”? The conclusion suggests itself - this foreigner may have an intention to stay in the UK illegally. "

In the case of transit, the wrong answer is:"I want to see the country" or "I want to meet with relatives / solve business issues / pass exams, etc." (inconsistency between the purpose of the visit and the type of visa issued).

Questions about length of stay and number of entries

Often, border officials are suspicious of too frequent tourist trips to the UK (for example, if there is a month or less between trips and a visa is issued for tourist travel). In this case, the border guards are interested in how the tourist combines travel and work. The answer to such a question may be the following: "I am given a long vacation, but I cannot take it in full and I have to split it" or "one trip falls on holidays, the other while on vacation. "

If you have a return ticket, but intend to stay in the UK for a longer period, it is not necessary to inform the border guard about this.

Otherwise, you will have to explain why you did not change your ticket for a later date in advance and why you bought a ticket at all that does not coincide with the actual departure date.

As a rule, this option can lead to denial of entry - from the point of view of the border guard, this may look like an attempt to stay in the country.

Questions regarding the plan of stay and the profession of the tourist

Most often, questions about the plans of a foreigner during their stay in the UK are asked to those who are not entering the country for the first time or are traveling at the invitation of a private person. In this case, you need to list the main cities / attractions / events, etc. that you plan to visit.

Also, the answer may sound something like this - "I am going to visit my sister (friend, children, parents), we have not yet decided on the exact plans, most likely we will go for a walk, do shopping. If we are in the mood, we will go on an excursion / to a museum / zoo and etc. " This answer is logical just for those who go to visit relatives.

Incorrect answers:

• "I will help with the housework", "take care of children / elderly relatives", "help a friend with business." All this can be regarded as an attempt to work illegally.
• "I plan to study English". In this case, it is necessary to focus the attention of the border guard on the fact that the duration of training is less than 30 days, and training is not the main purpose of the visit.

Questions about the work of a foreigner in the country of residence are most often asked if this person often visits the UK. Border guards are interested in:

• How can a foreigner combine frequent travel with a permanent job?
• Are frequent trips actually work-related?
• Does the foreigner have enough money for so many frequent trips?

In this case, it is necessary to clearly explain where and by whom the tourist works, describe the specifics of the work schedule: the shift method, work at home, piecework, seasonal work, work involving a large number of days off (for example, a teacher or teacher).

Important! If a tourist works as a freelancer, he does not have to tell the border guard the following: "I work anytime, anywhere, and on a trip too." This answer may be misunderstood and presented as an attempt to work illegally in the UK without a proper visa.

How to behave if you are asked to undergo additional verification

A decision on additional screening of a foreigner wishing to enter the UK is made if the border guard has doubts about the person. One of the reasons for such a check may be the inability of the tourist, due to the complete lack of knowledge of the language, to answer the questions of the border guard officer.

An additional check is carried out in a separate room and is an extended interview with a foreigner. During it, documents confirming the purpose of the visit (hotel reservation, return tickets, etc.) are examined, the availability of funds necessary for staying in the country is checked (cash, traveler's checks, bank cards - the balance is not checked, an account statement is not required) ... Inspection of personal belongings and luggage can also be carried out.

During all procedures, it is necessary to remain calm, behave correctly, in no case shout, threaten or attack the border guards.

Based on the results of such an interview, the final verdict is made - whether to let the foreigner into the country or not. If no violations of the rules of entry are found, a positive decision is made.

What a foreigner who has been summoned for an additional check can demand:

• invite an interpreter - this must be done by all those who do not know English at all, either speak the language at the school level, or are very worried;
• contact the embassy - this should be done when the check lasts a long time, or any charges of violating UK law are brought against the foreigner;
• contact relatives, friends, business partners, organization, about the invitation of which the foreigner is traveling;
• call a doctor in case of a sharp deterioration in health during the interview.

Why you may be denied entry to the UK

The most common reasons for refusal to enter:

• mismatch between the real purpose of the visit and the purpose specified in the visa. (For example, a foreigner with a visitor visa is actually going to work);
• during previous trips, the foreigner violated the laws of the country and a decision was made on a temporary or permanent ban on entry to the UK;
• the visa has expired or has been canceled;
• a foreigner is suspected of having links with criminal or terrorist organizations.

If entry is denied, the foreigner receives an official confirmation, which indicates the reason for the refusal, as well as information about the possibility of appealing this decision, and the timing of the deportation of the foreigner from the UK. As a rule, a foreigner must leave the UK on the next flight to the country of which he is a citizen.

In addition, the passport control system, including the interview process, additional checks and deportation, is shown in documentary"UK Border Force".

If you still have questions, ask them on the Travel.ru Forum. We will help you understand all the nuances.

Katriona Kopylova

To the UK without a visa? Is that possible? Need to go to the UK 🇬🇧 but don't want to waste time getting your visa? Can you get to the UK without a visa? There are 2 ways to legally enter a country without a visa‼ ️ Yes, you can get to a country that issues visas with great difficulties from the “back door” 🙂 Learn how:

To the UK without a visa - Cruise

✔️ The first way- go on a cruise on the route of which there is a British city you are interested in! Normal visa rules do not apply to cruise ships, they are subject to rules from a special maritime convention. Thus, you can get to the UK without a visa! The cruise must not start or end in the UK and the cruise ship (and you) must not be in port for more than 24 hours.

To the UK without a Visa - Transit Visa

✔️ Second way- get a transit visa. This is a great way to get to the UK without a visa. The fact is that UK legislation allows tourists to stay in the country without a visa for up to 48 hours during a flight connection at any airport. But for this, the following conditions must be met:
1. You are flying🛫 via the UK in transit to / from the USA, Australia, Canada, New Zealand.
2. You have a valid visa for the country where / from where you are traveling.
3. Your next flight will depart before 23.59 the next day.
🌐

If all the conditions are met, then after a short conversation with the visa officer, your passport will contain a stamp with transit visa and you can enjoy walking around the country! It turns out that you can get to the United Kingdom without a visa! Please note that transit is only possible through the airports, so any other transport (train, ferry) is not suitable for visa-free travel to the UK.

When buying an air ticket, pay attention to

An interesting and varied vacation for you!

I really love long connections between flights, when you can see another city along the way. Visa-free transit in London is a great opportunity to visit the city without a visa, i.e. free of charge without all the visa bureaucracy. But as of December 1, 2014, the UK is significantly tightening the rules for Visa Transit (TWOV).

This news is especially relevant for EasyJet passengers, as this low-cost airline allows passengers who do not have a British visa but have a ticket for a flight from London within the next 24 hours from any of its airports. The rule applies to all traditional airlines and is reflected in the timatics. But WizzAir does not allow passengers to board without a visa, without providing conditions for TWOV.

A lot of people look at cheap tickets from London to the Caribbean, Canary Islands and Madeira, etc., they are often found in many directions in mailing lists and forums. And a pint of ale on the way to a London pub - why not ?! Now, in most cases, it makes no sense.

From travel.ru:

The new transit scheme applies to citizens of all countries who require a UK visa. If earlier anyone who flies to any third country and has tickets confirming the next flight could apply for a visa-free transit, now it is necessary to obtain a transit or tourist visa in advance. There are only a few exceptions.

1. Without a visa, in the case of 24-hour transit, it is allowed to leave the transit zone if a foreigner flies to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States with a valid visa of that country. If a foreigner flies from these countries, then no more than 6 months should pass from the moment of the last entry into that territory (that is, if a person went to study in the United States a year ago and did not leave the States for a year, then upon returning home through Britain he will not be able to use visa-free transit).

2. The right to visa-free transit will give a residence permit in the countries listed above, as well as in the states of the European Economic Area and Switzerland. At the same time, it is stipulated that the Canadian residence permit must be issued after 06/28/2002, and the USA - after 04/21/1998.

3. Holders of a valid visa category D (long-term visa allowing staying more than 90 days - including work, study, family reunification) issued by one of the countries of the European Economic Area or Switzerland will be able to count on a 24-hour visa-free transit.

4. The transit traveler will also be released from the airport if he is flying to Ireland with a valid Irish biometric visa. For a return flight, no more than 3 months have elapsed since the last entry and stay in Ireland with a valid biometric visa. For Russians, this item is not relevant: in our country, when applying for an Irish visa, biometrics are not surrendered; thus, the presence of a visa of this country does not give the right to visa-free transit.

In addition, the travel of a foreigner applying for a visa-free transit must meet several more criteria. All travel segments are operated by plane only, with a confirmed ticket for the next flight and the departure time no later than 23:59 the next day after arrival in the UK. The transit route must be justified: for example, there are no direct flights from the country of permanent residence to the country of destination, or flights through Britain are much cheaper or take less time (that is, a flight from Moscow to Paris via London is unlikely to look logical from the point of view of a border guard. such a route looked logical before, but the decision was made by the border guard on the spot. Now it is simply out of the question).

Original:

“Transit Without Visa Scheme
50A. A visa national must meet the requirements in paragraphs 50B and 50C when seeking leave to enter the UK in order to be granted leave to enter under the transit without visa scheme.

50B. The requirements to be met by a visa national seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom under the transit without visa scheme are that he:
(i) has arrived and will depart by air; and
(ii) is genuinely in transit to another country, meaning the purpose of his visit is to travel via the UK en route to another destination country, and he is taking a reasonable transit route; and
(iii) does not intend to access public funds, undertake employment or study in the UK; and
(iv) intends and is able to leave the UK before 23:59 hours on the day after the day when he arrived; and
(v) has a confirmed booking on a flight departing the UK before 23:59 hours on the day after the day when he arrived; and
(vi) is assured entry to his country of destination and any other countries he is transiting through on his way there.

50C. The visa national must also:
(i) be traveling to (or on part of a reasonable journey to) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and have a valid visa for that country; or
(ii) be traveling from (or on part of a reasonable journey from) Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA and it is less than 6 months since he last entered that country with a valid entry visa; or
(iii) hold a valid residence permit issued by either:
(a) Australia;
(b) Canada, issued after 28 June 2002;
(c) New Zealand;
(d) USA, issued after 21 April 1998 including: a valid USA I-551 Temporary Immigrant visa (a wet-ink stamp version will NOT be accepted by UK border control); a permanent residence card; an expired I-551 Permanent Residence card provided it is accompanied by a valid I-797 letter authorizing extension; a standalone US Immigration Form 155A / 155B; or
(e) an EEA state or Switzerland; or
(iv) hold a valid uniform format category D visa for entry to a state in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland; or
(v) be traveling on to the republic of Ireland and have a valid Irish biometric visa; or
(vi) be traveling from the Republic of Ireland and it is less than 3 months since the applicant was last given permission to land or be in the Republic by the Irish authorities with a valid Irish biometric visa.

Leave to enter under the transit without visa scheme
50D. A person seeking leave to enter the United Kingdom on arrival under the transit without visa scheme may be admitted for a period ending no later than
23:59 hours on the day after the day on which he arrived, with a prohibition on employment, study and recourse to public funds, provided the Immigration Officer is satisfied that the requirements of paragraphs 50B and 50C are met. "