How to start planning a trip to any foreign country? Well, of course, with the question - do I need a visa? England occupies a leading position among the most attractive countries for tourists, so in this article we will talk about how to apply for a visa to England independently.
What kind of visa is needed in England?
The trip to England has its own peculiarities: this state is not included in the Schengen , therefore, a Schengen visa for its visit will not work. Before traveling to the UK, you need to take care of getting a visa at the embassy. The type of visa depends on the purpose of the visit to England: tourists will need a national visa, and traveling there for business or with a private visit can not do without the so-called "visitor visa". In any case, it will be necessary to personally appear at the embassy for issuing a visa, because in addition to the documents for a visa, you will also need to provide your biometric data.
How to apply for a visa to England on your own?
Although the Internet is full of horrors that it is very difficult to get a visa to the United Kingdom, it's better not to take it for yourself, but in reality everything is not so bad. It is only necessary to carefully consider the preparation of documents, taking into account all requirements.
List of documents for obtaining a visa to England in 2013:
- One photograph measuring 3,5x4,5 cm, made not earlier than six months before the filing of documents. The photo should be of good quality - color, clear and printed on photo paper. To be photographed it is necessary on a light gray or creamy background, without a headdress and glasses. For the registration of a visa only pictures taken in the front, with a direct look are suitable.
- Passport with a validity of at least six months. In the passport must be at least two blank pages for embedding the visa. In addition to the original, you must provide a photocopy of the first page. You will also need originals or copies of old passports, if any.
- A printed questionnaire for obtaining a visa to England, filled out independently and neatly fastened. The British Embassy accepts the questionnaires electronically. You can fill in the application form on-line at the consulate's website, after which you need to send it by clicking on a special link. The application form must be filled out in English, paying special attention to the precise indication of all personal data. After filling out and sending the questionnaire to your mailbox, a registration code will be sent to you at the entrance to the Consulate.
- Documents confirming the availability of funds sufficient for the trip.
- Certificate from the place of work or study. The certificate of employment should indicate the position, salary and time of work at the enterprise. In addition, it should be a note that the workplace and salary will be kept for you during the trip.
- Certificates of marriage and the birth of children.
- Inviting letter in case of a guest visit. The letter should indicate: the reasons for the visit, the relationship with the inviter, the evidence of your acquaintance (photos). If the visit is planned at the expense of the inviting party, the sponsorship letter is also attached to the invitation.
- Receipt for the payment of the consular fee (from $ 132, depending on the type of visa).
Visa to England - requirements
Documents in the British Visa Application Center must be handed in personally, because when they are submitted, the applicant must also be provided with
Visa to England - terms
How much visa is made to England? The terms of visa processing range from two working days with urgent registration (but this requires additional costs) up to twelve weeks (immigration visa). The average time for issuing a tourist visa is 15 working days from the moment of submission of all documents.