Full list of Schengen countries. Differences between UK visas and Schengen visas

When planning a trip to Foggy Albion for the first time, the traveler will have to not only carefully think over his route in order to see all its best sights, but also scrupulously prepare documents. Indeed, to travel to the UK, a visa is required, and beginners need to figure out which one they need - British or Schengen. Each type has its own design features, advantages and disadvantages.

Difference between Schengen and British visa

First you need to clarify the question of how the Schengen and British visas differ from each other. The answer is not so simple for the layman. Since the UK is a member of the European Union and a signatory to the Schengen Agreement, it can be assumed that they are allowed into its territory on a Schengen visa. However, this country is outside the Schengen zone. Therefore, to visit it you need to get separately British visa.

It is logical to assume that it will not be possible to visit the states of the Schengen zone with only a British visa. So it is, so if you want to ride not only on the most interesting places Foggy Albion, but also in other European countries, then you need to take care of obtaining a Schengen visa.

Features of obtaining a visa to Schengen

Today, there will be practically no problems with obtaining this document: you just need to collect and properly execute the papers. What documentation you need to prepare before contacting the visa center:

Usually a Schengen visa can be obtained relatively quickly - the application is considered for 5-10 days.

The specifics of the British visa system

To get, you first have to understand several types of its difficult classification. More precisely, at first glance it will seem complicated, but having dealt with it, you can find that it is quite logical.

For a British visa, the list of papers is more extensive than for a Schengen one. 2014 was also marked by the expansion of the list of documents for all types of visas, except for student, work and urgent.

It's also worth tune in long term consideration of the application: meticulous Britons can think about what decision to make for up to three months. The minimum term for consideration of papers is 15 days. But it all depends on how busy the consulate is. For example, during the holiday season, you will probably have to wait longer.

But the most important thing is not only to prepare the documentation correctly, but also to accurately indicate the purpose of visiting the country. The British very clearly distinguish between the rights and obligations of foreigners who come to visit them for different purposes. For example, if a guest has a visitor's visa in his hands, and he intends to undergo treatment, then the host will consider this a severe violation.

Differences between UK and Schengen visas

So, what is the difference between a UK visa and a Schengen visa? For a beginner in this matter, a complex document classification system and a voluminous package of papers will catch your eye. But in practice, getting the desired visa is no more difficult if you decide clearly on the purpose of the trip and prepare the documents correctly.

Even when applying for a British visa, you need to be patient and plan your trip with a margin of time, bearing in mind that the process of reviewing papers can take a long time. This must be remembered if the trip is scheduled for a specific period. Then you need to hand over the papers to the consulate at least three weeks in advance.

It's no secret that the UK is one of the most visited countries in the world. Why does it attract tourists? Of course, royal sights - Buckingham Palace, Big Ben and other luxurious and majestic buildings. Is Schengen valid in England or not? No, you need a UK visa to visit London.

It is worth noting that you can apply for a visa to London on your own, without using the help travel agencies or intermediaries. The whole procedure can be divided into several steps, performed sequentially:

  • Competent registration of the questionnaire to the UK.
  • Collection of necessary documentation.
  • Submission of documents by one of the acceptable methods.
  • Getting permission.

Unfortunately, everything is not as simple as it might seem at first glance, since a large number of nuances must be taken into account.

UK visa documents

So, to obtain a visa to London (not Schengen), the following list of documents is required:

  1. International passport. There are several requirements for it - it must be valid for six months from the date of the application, in addition, it must contain two free pages.
  2. Copy of the first page of the foreign passport.
  3. Old passports. They are necessary in order to show the travel history to the Consulate staff.
  4. Correctly completed application form. It is filled in electronic form, after which it is printed and signed.
  5. Color photo.
  6. Documents confirming marital status. To obtain a visa to London (not a Schengen one), a certificate of marriage, residence in a civil union is submitted.
  7. Certificate issued at the place of work or educational activities. The certificate of employment must indicate the position held, the amount of wages, an indication of the provision of leave (for the entire duration of the trip). If the applicant has recently settled in a new position, then a certificate from the former employer is provided.
  8. Papers confirming financial viability. A visa to London is issued only if there is an extract from a bank account, a certificate from the tax office, a certificate of wages for the last six months. If there is real estate at the disposal, then photocopies of certificates of ownership are surrendered.
  9. Documentary information about the place of residence in England and round-trip tickets. These include a printed hotel reservation, a letter from a relative, or a travel voucher.
  10. Receipt confirming the payment of the consular fee.

Attention! To obtain a visa to England (non-Schengen), you must attach a medical policy. This document is not mandatory, but will assist in obtaining a permit.

What kind of visa to London can I get?

There are several types of visas to London:

  • Tourist- issued for citizens visiting the state for the purpose of recreation or a trip to relatives or friends. It provides the opportunity to stay in England for six months, but with its use it is forbidden to get a job, marry or undergo medical treatment.
  • Guestbook- this permission to visit England practically does not differ from the previous visa, but in order to obtain it, you must additionally attach an invitation from a relative from London, certificates of his financial independence.
  • Children's– if children are going on a trip, it is important to properly issue a visa for them. If they go on a trip unaccompanied by their parents or only with one of them, then a permit to cross the border must be applied. The document is valid for six months, and during this period, children can receive training or treatment.
  • Student- issued if the applicant wants to study at universities in England. To do this, it is necessary to attach to the package of documents a certificate of acceptance for training, a certificate indicating possession English language, documentary evidence of the presence Money for living.
  • Visa for marriage– using this permit, you can stay in the state for up to six months, without the need to present additional documents.
  • transit- if England is visited by transit (a citizen will stay on the territory for no more than 2 days), then it is necessary to arrange transit. It can be air or ground. Air - in the airport area before the transfer, ground - travel through the territory of the state to another point. To apply for such a visa, tickets to another country must be attached to the package of documents listed above, and the need for transit must be indicated in the application.

There is no guarantee that a visa will be issued. If a refusal was made, then it is necessary to carefully study the reason for such a decision. They can be different - an incorrectly collected package of documents, an incorrectly completed application form or a bad visa history.

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Related links: Apply for a visa to England in 3 days, Visa to England 2017, Get a visa to the UK yourself.

Holders of a Schengen visa quite often ask themselves the question: does it give them the opportunity to visit one of largest countries Europe - Great Britain? Recall that with such a visa you can enter the countries of the Schengen agreement, concluded on March 26, 1995 between fifteen states. The participating countries have agreed to create common boundaries and cancel the personal search of those entering their territory. Since then, movement between them has been carried out on a single visa. However, you can not enter - she never signed this agreement. To visit England, you will have to apply for a separate British visa.

On the Internet, you can find tips from "experienced" how to cheat the installed system and come to London on a Schengen visa. They cite an exception to the rule that transit passenger, arriving in the capital of England and leaving further to another state within 24 hours, can be admitted to the country without a British visa. This is a very dangerous practice. First, the reservation applies exclusively to air travel. Secondly, this exception does not always work, and instead of short tour you run the risk of getting very unpleasant consequences that can cross out all your future plans to visit the EU countries.

However, from December 1, 2014, a new law came into force, according to which a transit traveler flying through the UK has the right to leave the airport only if he is heading to the USA, Canada, New Zealand or Australia and has valid visa corresponding country. If you are going to travel to one of the countries of the Schengen agreement, and you are making a transfer in London, then with an open Schengen visa you can only stay in transit zone airport and no longer than 24 hours. Thus, the Schengen visa is no longer a pass to the UK, even for a short period and even for the purpose of changing airports.

If you arrive to London on a Schengen visa, you will not be allowed into the city and may even be deported from the country to reverse direction. Before that, you will have to go through unpleasant procedures of search and interrogation, your name will be blacklisted in the EU database, and your passport will receive a stamp that you have been expelled. This is enough to forget forever about further trips to most European countries. Our company suggests that you eliminate such a risk and do not try to get to the UK on a Schengen visa. Also with us you can apply for a British visa of any category in the most reasonable time!

We have been providing visa services in the market of St. Petersburg and Moscow for many years, so our employees have not only knowledge, but also extensive experience. We have affordable prices and real terms for issuing visas to countries with a difficult visa regime including the UK. We work in such a way that it is most convenient for you - you will come to our office only twice, to submit the collected documents and to receive the finished package in Visa Center. In case of refusal, we fully refund the cost of our services. But since the documents for a visa go through a multi-stage check, errors in them are excluded, which means that the probability of refusal tends to zero.

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