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Visa

International organisations whose employees qualify for exempt entry clearances to the UK

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Following is the list of Organisation’s who’s whose employees qualify for exempt entry clearances to the UK

African Development Bank
African Development Fund
Asian Development Bank
Caribbean Development Bank
Common Fund for Commodities
Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux International Commonwealth Foundation
Commonwealth Secretariat
Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation
Council of Europe
Customs Cooperation Council
European Atomic Energy Community
European Banking Authority (EBA)
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
European Bioinformatics Institute (also known as European Molecular Biology Laboratory) European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting
European Commission
European Community
European Coal and Steel Community
European Commission of Human Rights
European Committee for Prevention of Torture
European Court of Human Rights
European Court of Justice
European Investment Bank
European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA)
European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Euro control) – Director General only European Parliament
European Patent Organisation
European Police College
European School
European Space Agency
European Telecommunications Satellite Organisation European Union
Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO)*
Hong Kong Export Trade Office
Inter-American Development Bank
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)*
International Cocoa Organisation
International Coffee Organisation
International Court of Justice (UN)
International Criminal Court
International Development Association
International Education Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO)* International Finance Corporation
International Fund for Agricultural Development
International Grains Organisation (formerly International Wheat Council) International Labour Organisation (ILO)*
International Lead and Zinc Study Group
International Monetary Fund
International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
International Mobile Satellite Organisation (INMARSAT)
International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF)
International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund 1992
International Rubber Study Group
International Seabed Authority
International Sugar Organisation
International Telecommunications Satellite Organisation (INTELSAT) International Telecommunications Union (ITU)*
International Tribunal Law of the Sea
International Tin Council
International Whaling Commission
Joint European Torus (JET)
North Atlantic Fisheries Commission
North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO)
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Organisation Joint Armament Cooperation
Organisation Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
Oslo and Paris Commissions (OSPAR)
Preparatory Commission for Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organisation United Nations (UN)
Universal Postal Union (UPU)*
Western European Union (WEU)
World Health Organisation (WHO)*
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)*
World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)*
World Trade Organisation (WTO)

* UN Specialised agencies – certain senior officials only are Exempt
For further guidance or queries about this list please consult DMIOU Team 4 Protocol Directorate FCO.

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Visa for London

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London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. So, to travel to London you will need to apply for a visa unless you are from countries that are exempt from applying for any visa and are allowed to enter the UK. Visa for London will come under the Visa for the United Kingdom, as it is the capital city. The United Kingdom enforces one of the most stringent immigration laws in the world. So you need to make sure that whichever country you are coming from to visit London (UK) you have all the documents with you and are for you to get the visa.

There are countries whose citizen doesn’t require to apply for a Visa to enter the UK. Citizens from EU and EEA countries are exempt to apply for entry to the UK for travel, studies, business and immigration purposes. They only need to make sure that they have valid passports for the whole duration of the UK visit.

Apply for UK Visa

Exempt European Union (EU) Countries

Following are the European Union countries that don’t require any visa to enter the UK:

Austria France Malta
Belgium Germany Netherlands
Bulgaria Greece Poland
Croatia Hungary Portugal
Republic of Cyprus Ireland Romania
Czech Republic Italy Slovakia
Denmark Latvia Slovenia
Estonia Lithuania Spain
Finland Luxembourg Sweden

Apply for UK Visa

The European Economic Area (EEA) Countries

The European Economic Area (EEA) includes EU countries and:

  1. Iceland,
  2. Liechtenstein and
  3. Norway.

The EEA allows them to be part of the EU’s single market.

Switzerland is neither an EU nor EEA member but is part of the single market – this means Swiss nationals have the same rights to live and work in the UK as other EEA nationals.

There will be no change to the rights and status of EU citizens living in the UK until 2021. You and your family can apply for https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families to continue living in the UK after June 2021. The scheme will open fully by March 2019.

If you are not from an EEA Country you should have a valid passport to enter the UK. It must be valid for the whole time of your stay in the UK. You may also need a visa, depending on which country you are a citizen of and which country you are coming from.

Visa Changes Post Brexit

Post-Brexit the only changes that are brought to the UK travellers are that they must carry a valid passport during their time in the UK. Brexit has ushered changes for EU citizens visiting the UK. Previously, under the freedom of movement, EU citizens enjoyed seamless travel. Now, they face altered entry requirements, including a visa waiver system for short stays. The 90-day visa-free rule within 180 days applies, affecting travel duration and flexibility. Additionally, travellers must ensure compliance with health insurance and border checks. These changes influence travel planning, expenses, and experiences. While measures have been taken to facilitate smooth travel, the post-Brexit landscape calls for a more structured and cautious approach to visiting the UK for EU citizens.

Apply for UK Visa

How to apply for a Tourist Visa to London (UK)

You can apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK:

  • For leisure, for example on holiday or to see your family and friends
  • For business, or to take part in sports or creative events
  • For another reason, for example, to receive private medical treatment

Check if you need this visa (https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa) if you’re from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) (https://www.gov.uk/eu-eea) or Switzerland.

Your application will not be accepted and you will not get a refund if you have the right of abode in the UK (https://www.gov.uk/right-of-abode) (for example you’re a British citizen). You need to apply for a certificate of entitlement (https://www.gov.uk/right-of-abode) instead, which will prove you have the right to abode in the UK.

The Standard Visitor visa has replaced the:

  • Family Visitor visa
  • General Visitor visa
  • Child Visitor visa
  • Business Visitor visas, including visas for academics, doctors and dentists
  • Sports Visitor visa
  • Entertainer Visitor visa
  • Prospective Entrepreneur visa
  • Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa
  • Approved Destination Status (ADS) visa

If you visit the UK on business

If you wish to visit the UK on business, you can apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK for business-related activities, for example:

  • You’re coming to the UK for a conference, meeting or training
  • You want to take part in a specific sports-related event
  • You’re an artist, entertainer or musician coming to the UK to perform
  • Are an academic and are doing research or accompanying students on a study abroad programme
  • You’re a doctor or dentist and are coming to the UK to take a clinical attachment or observer post
  • Do you want to take the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or sit the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
  • You want to get funding to start, take over, join or run a business in the UK

Check the Visitor Rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor-rules) to find the full list of business-related activities you can do with a Standard Visitor visa.

What you can and cannot do on UK Business Visa

You can:

You cannot:

Read the guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visit-guidance) for more information about what you can and cannot do with a Standard Visitor visa.

How long it will take to get the UK visa?

The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. For example, you can apply from 16 March if you plan to travel on 15 June. You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks. Check the guide processing times (https://www.gov.uk/visa-processing-times) to find out how long getting a visa might take in the country you’re applying from.

How long you can stay in the UK?

You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months.

You might be able to stay for longer if:

  • You’re coming to the UK for private medical treatment – up to 11 months (£ 186 fee)
  • You’re an academic on sabbatical and coming to the UK for research – you, your spouse or your civil partner may be able to stay for up to 12 months (£ 186 fees)

If you’re staying in the UK as an academic or to receive private medical treatment for longer than 6 months, you must apply for a biometric residence permit (https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits). You might be able to get a visit visa for up to 30 days if you’re a visitor under the Approved Destination Status (ADS) Agreement (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visit-guidance).

If you need to visit the UK regularly

If you need to visit the UK regularly over a longer period, you can apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa that lasts 2, 5 or 10 years. You can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.

If you’re under 18 years old when you apply (https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/if-youre-under-18), your long-term Standard Visitor visa will only be valid for up to 6 months after you turn 18.

Following are the Visa Fees

A Standard Visitor visa costs £ 93.

The fee for a long-term Standard Visitor visa depends on its length:

  • 2 years – £ 350
  • 5 years – £ 636
  • 10 years – £ 798

List of International organisations whose employees qualify for exempt entry clearances to the UK. CLICK HERE

You can also apply for the UK Visa from our partner iVisa by clicking below:

Apply for UK Visa

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Moscow to London Tour Packages

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Moscow is the capital city of Russia. The distance between Moscow and London is about 1,810 miles by road and 1,555 miles by air. There are essentially two best ways of travel you can choose from to travel from Moscow to London.

Moscow to London Flight

The most preferred one for travel from Moscow to London is by air flight. There are good services from all three Moscow airports which are Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Vnukovo respectively. The most frequent flights from Moscow to London are operated from Domodedovo Airport to Heathrow Airport and Sheremetyevo to Gatwick airport. You can choose the best route at your convenience whether you want to go to Gatwick, Stansted or the much busy Heathrow. The cheapest Moscow to London flights we came across was for as low as 300 Euros (Note: this is a one-stopover price) time taken by a one-stop flight ranges from 6 hours and 30 mins to 9 hours 30 mins, depending on the schedule of the flight and service provider. On a lucky day, you might as well get a Moscow-London flight airfare for as low as 210 Euros. Cheapest Moscow to London direct flight will cost you about € 330 Euros return. The best service provider for air flights from Moscow to London are Aeroflot, S7, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Bmi, Rossiya, Transaero, Air Berlin, and Air Baltic are the major ones.

Moscow to London Train

Moscow to London by train can be a very tiring journey. If you plan to visit other European countries as well, travelling by train to London might be a good option then. If you are in a rush and want to go nonstop to London from Moscow, you can buy the tickets from Deutsche Bahn. There will be a minimum of whopping 7 changes to be done to reach London from Moscow. Though it is not half-hearted travel, people who have the luxury of time and love taking long journeys will certainly enjoy the voyage to London by train.

Moscow to London Train Journey

The journey starts from Belorussky railway station in Moscow, where you will get Schnellzug express train to Warsaw Zachodnia station with an hour stopover you have to catch the Berlin-Warsaw Express which will take about 3 hours to reach Berlin Ostbahnhof station. At Ostbahnhof station there will be a 1 hour and 30 min break/transfer time, you can in the meantime, grab some food and relax and stretch a bit. Being travelling on such a long journey you must exercise a bit to have healthy blood circulation. You have to then take the Intercity – Express from Ostbahnhof to Aachen HBF Germany. After you reach Aachen Hbf you have to quickly do a transfer to reach Liège-Guillemins station in Belgium by Regional express train. Once you reach Liège-Guillemins station you will have a good time stopover of about 5 hours. You will then have to take the intercity train to reach Brussels Midi station. After you reach Brussels Midi you will have about 40 mins to catch the Eurostar train to reach London St. Pancras international train station. You have reached London and from London St. Pancras you can take local buses, taxis or underground trains to reach your final destination in London, This entire journey from Moscow to London takes about a whopping 43 hours at minimum. And the costs of a train journey are about the same as an air journey to London which is € 300 Euros or even more considering you will be having food etc during the journey.

The best advice we can give you if you were to plan your travel from Moscow to London, we suggest that you travel by air. That is the best way of travelling with less time of journey and stress.

Visa for London from Moscow

You can apply for a standard visitor visa for 6 months or you can apply for a long-term visa. You must apply online before you travel to the UK. Following is the breakdown of the visa fee as per the Gov.UK website.

Visa Type

Fee in Russian

Ruble ₽

Fee is GBP £

The maximum length of stay
Standard Visitor visa ₽ 9,991 £ 95 6 months
Standard Visitor visa for medical reasons ₽ 19,982 £ 190 11 months
Standard Visitor visa for academics ₽ 19,982 £ 190 12 months
2-year long-term Standard Visitor visa ₽ 37,966 £ 361 6 months per visit
5-year long-term Standard Visitor visa ₽ 68,886 £ 655 6 months per visit
10-year long-term Standard Visitor visa ₽ 86,450 £ 822 6 months per visit

Note: the visa fee may vary depending on the currency exchange value fluctuations and UK government discretion. You can book your visa application from VFS Global website or from the Gov.UK website. Following are the documents that you must bring with you on the appointment day:

  1. Print out the email confirming the details of your appointment Received after booking your appointment
  2. Valid passport or travel documents.
  3. Printout of the complete visa application form
  4. All supporting documents (Refer to guidelines for your visa type for the documents you must provide depending on your Consular District in Moscow)

“Book your UK Visa appointment here”

Following is the VFS Global address: Kashirskoe shosse, 3 bld 2/4, Business Center “Sirius Park”, 2nd floor Moscow, 115230, Russia Following is the British Embassy Moscow address: Smolenskaya Naberezhnaya 10 Moscow,121099, Russia

You can also apply for the UK Visa from our partner iVisa by clicking below: 

Apply for UK Visa

Top London hotels to stay for tourists from Moscow

Once you are done with the visa formalities and flight booking, you will need to sort out the hotel booking. London has the most beautiful and highest number of 5-star hotels in the world with 75 hotels in total. Surpassing Dubai which has 61 5-star hotels. The top 10 London hotels as per travel and leisure in 2022 are as follows:

S.No Hotel Name Score  
1 Shangri-La the Shard, London 97.86 Check Availability
2 The Goring, Belgravia 96.55 Check Availability
3 The Connaught, Westminster 95.79 Check Availability
4 The Lanesborough, Oetker Collection 95.50 Check Availability
5 Kimpton Fitzroy London 95.24 Check Availability
6 Claridge’s, Mayfair 94.60 Check Availability
7 The Savoy, Strand 93.63 Check Availability
8 Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park 92.95 Check Availability
9 Four Seasons Hotel London, Park Lane 92.50 Check Availability
10 Rosewood London 92.39 Check Availability

In case you are looking for other specific London hotels you can search and book below basis availability:

Top 3 London tours for tourists travelling from Moscow to London:

We have listed the top 3 London tours below which are popular among the Russian tourist: 

1. London Eye Ticket with Fast-Track Option

Fast track option for a perfect Lastminute London Eye experience! With fast-track entry for your standard flight in a shared pod, you get to skip the majority of the queue.

 
London Eye Pod from outside
London Eye Pod from outside

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2. Big Bus Hop On Hop Off London Tour

See the sights of London aboard an open-top, double-decker Big Bus as you admire 360-degree views of top attractions and listen to the captivating commentary.

big bus London hop on hop off tour of London
Big Bus London hop on hop off tour of London

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3. Warner Bros. Studio: The Making of Harry Potter with Luxury Round-Trip Transport from London

Step into the mystical world of Harry Potter™ with a behind-the-scenes visit to Warner Bros. Studio London. With luxury round-trip transport from London Victoria to the north London studios included, this 7-hour experience enables you to discover the magic of the Harry Potter films without any hassle.

warner bros studio the making of harry potter with luxury round trip in London
warner bros studio the making of harry potter with Luxury round trip in London

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In case you are unable to find the right tour package for yourself you can browse our tours section to see more existing London tour packages.

SEE ALL LONDON TOURS

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Berlin to London Tour Package

Berlin to London Tour Packages

Experience London’s charm with Berlin to London tour packages. Tailored for Berlin tourists. Marvel at Big Ben, stroll through Hyde