English version | Русская версия

UK visas services in Moscow   Our Moscow office provides specialist visa and visa support services to assist Russian nationals in the process of obtaining certain UK visas, specifically visitor, student and settlement visas.   We advise of the correct methods and type of application, co-ordinate the collation of documents required between applicant and sponsor, translate and prepare the application to meet the British consulate requirements, lodge, collect and arrange delivery of the visa as necessary.

What is the difference between a visitor and a settlement visa?

A visitor visa is a short term multiple entry visa that is usually valid for up to six months and is used to visit friends and family; while a settlement visa is provided to persons who intend to re-locate and live in the UK, such as a husband, wife or fiancé, and may be valid from between six months to two years depending upon type.

The type of visitor visas listed below do not allow the applicant to work in the UK, while settlement visas have the option to allow this.

Visitor visas are generally cheaper costing from £190.00, while settlement visas start from £975.00.

Click here for information on visitor visas

Click here for information on settlement visas

Click here for information on student visas

Document checklists and how to order

What types of visitor visa are there?

While UK immigration authorities provide over 30 types of visitor visa, the most common ones are listed below:

How long is a visitor visa valid for, how long may I stay and how many times may I use it?

The basic visitor visa is generally valid for six months from the date of visa issue at the consulate and allows for multiple entries, this means that the recipient may enter and leave the United Kingdom as many times as they wish within this validity period.

You can ask for the visa to be post-dated for up to three months if you do not plan to travel immediately and it is important that if this is the case you clearly provide the expected date of travel and that fact is detailed in the letter provided by the sponsor. Please note that any post dating of the visa is at the discretion of the consulate.

Visitor visas may also be requested for one, two and five and ten years, though there are specific conditions associated with these including having demonstrated "good behaviour" with previous short term UK visas.

In some cases the consulate may issue the visa for a specific period and specific number of entries, for example a two week single entry visa. In any event the validity period and number of entries for all visas issued, regardless of those requested, is entirely at the consulate's discretion.

How long does it take to process a visitor visa and how much does it cost?

The time taken to process the visa depends upon which type of visitor visa you apply for and which of our offices you make your payment to.

¹ Includes cost of an official accommodation voucher.

The processing time is counted from the time that we have received all necessary documents from both sponsor and applicant and is the number of working days, excluding weekends, UK and Russian public holidays, it will normally take to review, prepare, translate (if required) and submit the application and collect the visa from the British consulate. However, the consulate may extend the time it takes to review an application up to 28 working days at its discretion and travel arrangements to the UK should not be confirmed until you have received confirmation that the UK visa has been issued.

The prices above include the consular fee and our service charge though exclude any translation or courier/postal costs that may be necessary which are detailed in the table below.

¹ For document packages up to 0.5 kilo, packages greater than 0.5 kilo will be charged at additional cost.

Payment in Moscow may be made in Russian Roubles in cash and payment via the London office in Pounds Sterling by the following methods:

• credit / debit card in person or by phone / fax
• cheque
• postal order
• cash
• bank transfer

Please note that we do not start preparing, processing or answering specific questions about visa applications until we receive full payment.

Document checklists and how to order

Who can use Student Visa?

How long does it take to process a Student visa?

What types of settlement visa are there?

While UK immigration authorities provide several types of settlement visa, the most common ones we manage are listed below:

How long is a settlement visa valid for, how long may I stay and how many times may I use it?

The Fiancée visa is valid for six months usually from the date of visa issue at the consulate and allows for multiple entries, this means that the recipient may enter and leave the United Kingdom as many times as they wish within this validity period. The applicant should marry during the validity period of the visa and if the applicant intends to stay in the UK after marriage, then the Fiancée visa should be converted to a spouse visa in the UK before the Fiancée visa expires by the Border and Immigration Agency.

The spouse visa is valid for two years usually from the date of issue at the consulate and allows for multiple entries, this means that the recipient may enter and leave the United Kingdom as many times as they wish within this validity period. Before the visa expires, if the applicant intends to stay in the UK then they should apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) from the Border and Immigration Agency and to avoid any problems relating to the residency requirements of ILR the visa should be used within 28 days of issue or the start date if it has been post-dated.

Dependants visas are issued for the same validity period and on the same conditions as the main applicant.

You can ask for the visa to be post-dated for up to three months if you do not plan to travel immediately and it is important that if this is the case you clearly provide the expected date of travel and that fact is detailed in the letter provided by the sponsor. Please note that any post dating of the visa is at the discretion of the consulate.

How long does it take to process a settlement visa and how much does it cost?

The time taken to process the visa depends upon which type of visitor visa you apply for and which of our offices you make your payment to.

The processing time is counted from the time that we have received all necessary documents from both sponsor and applicant and is the number of working days, excluding weekends, UK and Russian public holidays, it will normally take to review, prepare, translate (if required) and submit the application and collect the visa from the British consulate. However, the consulate may extend the time it takes to review an application up to 28 working days at its discretion and travel arrangements to the UK should not be confirmed until you have received confirmation that the UK visa has been issued.

The prices above include the consular fee and our service charge though exclude any translation or courier/postal costs that may be necessary which are detailed in the table below.

¹ For document packages up to 0.5 kilo, packages greater than 0.5 kilo will be charged at additional cost.

Payment in Moscow may be made in Russian Roubles in cash and payment via the London office in Pounds Sterling by the following methods:

• credit / debit card in person or by phone / fax
• cheque
• postal order
• cash
• bank transfer

Please note that we do not start preparing, processing or answering specific questions about visa applications until we receive full payment.

What documents will we need to provide?

For all visas you should always provide the following:

• The applicant's original foreign passport - please note that this should have at least two free pages and be valid for at least six months from the end date of the visa requested.

• If applying for a visitor visa then:

  • The application form VAF1 or if the applicant prefers this may be completed in Russian.

  • For guidance on how to fill in the VAF1 form there are notes in English or notes in Russian.

• If applying for a student visa then:

  • The application form VAF3 should be completed in English.

  • For guidance on how to fill in the VAF3 form there are notes in English.

• If applying for a settlement visa then:

  • The application form VAF4 or if the applicant prefers this may be completed in Russian.

  • For guidance on how to fill in the VAF4 form there are notes in English or notes in Russian.

• Two recent photographs of the applicant*

• A letter of sponsorship, we will provide a template of this on application

If the applicant needs assistance with completing the form then we will be happy to help.

The supporting documentation which is different for each type of visitor visa being applied for, please click on the links below for the document checklists in English and Russian:

Visitor

Visitor visa checklist

Visitor for marriage visa checklist

Visitor for business checklist

Tourist visa checklist

Student-Visitor visa checklist

Student

Student visa checklist

Settlement

Fiancée visa checklist

Spouse visa checklist

Attention! If you apply for a Student and Student visitor visas, British consulate requires original invitation letter and acceptance letter.

These checklists detail the minimum required documents and evidence that will be asked to support the appropriate visa application, however we or the Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) may request additional materials to assist the application if necessary.

*Please note that the British consulate has strict requirements with regards to photographs provided for visa applications detailed below which if not conformed to may cause delay or rejection of your application.

• The photographs should be in colour and taken against a plain, evenly lit, light coloured background so that the features are distinguishable against the background.

• The full face should be visible.

• The individual should not be wearing a hat, helmet or other headgear, unless such items are worn for religious reasons.

• The individual should not be wearing sunglasses, although everyday glasses can be worn.

• The photographs should be clear and of good quality, and should be printed on normal photographic paper.

• They should be un-mounted, passport style photographs where the size of the image is 45 mm x 35 mm.

Sounds good, how do I get started?

If applying and paying in the UK, simply download the application form from the link below, complete and send it to us along with any original documents required and payment to:

Real Russia Limited

3, The Ivories

Northampton Street

Islington

London

N1 2HY

You can Pay Online by clicking here or pay by post with your application. Cheques or postal orders should be made payable to "Real Russia Limited"; you may complete and send us the following credit/debit card authorisation form or for other payment options please see here.

As you will be sending your original documents, we strongly recommend that you use a secure postal service such as Royal Mail Special Delivery.

Application form for a UK visa service in Moscow - Adobe PDF Format

If applying and paying in Moscow, then you will need to visit our office in person and hand over your documents and pay the cash directly.

What happens next?

Firstly our Moscow office will contact both the applicant and the sponsor to review the requirements and initiate the collation of the documents for the visa application. Please note that we will arrange for the completion of the online application at the consulate and to facilitate this we will provide the applicant with the required forms to complete, either in English or Russian as they prefer.

When we are satisfied that the application is complete and correct we will contact and co-ordinate with the applicant to attend the Application Centre in Moscow (with ground assistance if required) for collection of their biometric data, submission of the electronic application and signature of the final and completed application form. If required we can assist with travel, accommodation and transfer arrangements, please ask our team about this.

Once we have submitted the completed application and have confirmed the bio-metric data has been captured the Visa Application Centre of the British consulate will provide us with a unique tracking reference number for your application. We will send this reference to you so that you may follow your visa request's progress through the system at the following link https://www.vfsglobal.org/applicantstatus.aspx

When the consulate have processed the application and passed the result back to the VAC we will contact you directly with one of three possible results:

1. A visa has been issued as requested which can either be collected from our office along with the original documents or we can courier this on within Moscow or Russia as required.

2. An invitation for an interview for the applicant at the consulate which can either be collected from our office along with your application pack or we can courier these on within Moscow or Russia as required.

3. Refusal to issue the visa and the issue of a document called "Refusal of Entry Clearance" which will detail the reasons for the visa not being issued. Again, these can either be collected from our office along with the original documents or we can courier this on within Moscow or Russia as required.

Please note that an interview may not happen as soon as you wish due to high demand and therefore we would co-ordinate this process with the applicant and put their name on an interview waiting list either on the basis of "next available slot" or at a time and date convenient to the applicant. Note, it is not necessary for the sponsor to attend the interview though they may do so if they wish.

Do you guarantee that the visa will be issued?

Unfortunately not, no-one can guarantee the issue of a visa, this is purely at the discretion of the consulate based on the application and documents provided. We act as your agent to ensure that all of your documentation is collated, prepared and submitted correctly as the consulate require without additional irrelevant information which can confuse the decision making process. We will manage your application lodging at the consulate, answering any questions that they may have they direct to us and collecting the consulate result when it is ready.

If the visa is refused or I change my mind can I get my money back?

In the event that we have already submitted your application to the British Consulate if you cancel your order, or in the event that your visa application is refused, we are unfortunately unable to provide a refund. If we have not submitted your application to the consulate we will be able to refund your consulate fee less any costs for return of documents if appropriate.

What is the purpose of collecting the biometric data and do I have to do it?

Information with regards to the biometric data collection for UK visas can be found on the UK visas website at the following link.

All persons applying for a UK visa at the consulate in Russia must attend the Visa Application Centre to have their biometric data collected expcept the following:

• Children under 5 years of age

• Applicants for Channel Islands and Isle of Man

• Applicants for Commonwealth countries and Overseas Territories

• Applicants for Right of Abode

• Applicants who are exempt from immigration control

We appreciate that this may cause difficulties for many applicants, and if required we can assist with travel, accommodation and transfer arrangements, please ask our team about this.

Should my new spouse change the name in their passport after marriage?

No, this is not necessary, the British consulate will issue the visa in the name that is in the passport and when your spouse's current passport expires you may transfer the visa to the new one.

Is it true that the British consulate discriminate against single female applicants?

No, despite what you may have heard the consulate do not discriminate against single female applicants though many such applications fail due to inaccurate or incomplete documentation and information. Also, it is important to show good reason for a person to come to the UK and for visitor and Fiancée visas we require that the sponsor and applicant can prove that they have known each other for at least six months and met at least once in person during this period.

I want to use your services in St. Petersburg or Yekaterinburg - can you help?

Currently we do not offer a full service in St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg though we can assist with remote application preparation, please contact ukvisas@realrussia.co.uk for more information.

My applicant does not live in Moscow, how can I get their documents to you?

We can arrange for your applicant's documents to be collected and returned by DHL in Russia and paid for in the UK if required.

My applicant has been called in for an interview, can you help with travel arrangements?

Yes, if required we can arrange train, plane transport to Moscow, transfers and accommodation which again can be paid for in the UK - please email our travel team on travel@realrussia.co.uk and they will be happy to help.

Can a visitor visa be extended if the applicant wishes to stay longer?

No, it is not possible generally to extend a UK visitors visa unless there are extreme circumstances such as an illness requiring hospital treatment.

I still have further questions about the process?

While we have tried to make this information as complete as possible to allow you to choose Real Russia to manage your visa application on your behalf, if you have any questions or require further information, please don't hesitate to contact us, email general questions to ukvisas@realrussia.co.uk and we will be happy to help or look through our forum for questions and answers from others.