It is believed that obtaining an English visa is one of the most difficult problems of all that only a Russian tourist can face. Newcomers, faced with the need to obtain an English visa, often do not know how to do it correctly. One of the most common questions: "What is a GWF-number?"
Indeed, the list of documents that you need to get, as well as the list of items on the questionnaire that you need to fill out, are quite extensive. But in fairness it should be noted that they are completely consistent and logical.
In addition to the question about the GWF-number (what it is, where it can be found and how it is used), tourists and students traveling to England for the first time ask a question about the visa itself in this country. “What are its features and is it possible to get this document yourself?” - many are interested. This article provides an explanation of the GWF-number. What this abbreviation means, it will not be possible to decrypt, since this information is not provided for use. But the necessary information on obtaining an English visa is summarized.
Why is it needed?
One way or another, everyone who starts applying for a visa comes across the term GWF number. “What is obtaining a visa - they ask those leaving to clarify - why is it needed?”
A visa to the UK is required. Without it, you will not be allowed into the country. With this document, a tourist has the opportunity to visit England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. And this means that you can see not only the classic Edinburgh, London, Manchester - Brighton with its boardwalk and oysters, Dublin with its famous beer will open before you. You will be fascinated by the famous white cliffs of Eastbourne, the beautiful gloomy Scottish hills. You can visit the famous football matches of local clubs, attend the celebration of St. Patrick or Christmas in the legendary Hyde Park.
In general, anyone who is interested in what a GWF-number is and how to get a visa to the UK should know that this country represents a separate, very interesting world. Everyone who visited it is convinced: it's worth it. For newcomers who have difficulty in defining terminology and are doubtful of success (what is a GWF-number, is it possible to get a visa yourself?), The answer is one: to visit the UK, it is definitely worth spending your time on preparing entry documents, as well as studying all necessary rules and regulations.
Nuances
You should only not confuse the English and Schengen visas and understand that you will not be allowed to enter the Schengen countries with a UK visa.
The main task in preparing documents for obtaining a tourist visa is to convince the consulate in the strength of the applicant’s ties with his own homeland and his sufficient solvency. When collecting documents for a visa to England, you should be guided by just such a logic.
What is a GWF-number? Documents to receive
First of all, you need to fill out a questionnaire. Anyone who wants to get an English visa and is interested in the question of what the GWF-number is, tips on filling out the questionnaire can be found further in the article. After completing it, you must sign up for a paper submission at the visa center and begin preparing the necessary documentation package. For those who have already done a Schengen visa, this will not be anything new. "What is a GWF-number?" - many are interested. GWF-number is your registration number on the website of the visa center to which you apply. But first things first.
What is included in the package?
The package of documents for those wishing to obtain a visa consists of:
- completed, printed and signed by the applicant questionnaire;
- two photographs (like a Schengen visa, 4.5 x 3.5), one of which is attached with a paper clip to the application form;
- passports with a clean U-turn;
- old passports, if any (or their copies, in case of loss);
- marriage certificates;
- the reservation of the apartment or hotel for the entire trip (paying for the reservation is not necessary; but do not forget to take into account the estimated costs);
- documents confirming the financial situation of the tourist.
How can you confirm the financial situation?
A tourist can confirm his solvency by providing:
- Certificate of employment (you must specify the position, salary, date of commencement of work).
- Information on form No. 2-NDFL.
- Documents confirming ownership of the car / apartment / land.
- Bank statement. Moreover, it is important not only to provide a certificate stating that there are funds on the account, as when applying for a Schengen visa, but to prepare an extract on their movement in recent months. However, the information that money is being regularly credited to the account is already confirmed by the presence of a certificate No. 2-NDFL, due to which it is sometimes possible to do without providing a detailed statement.
- Letter from the sponsor (person who paid for the trip). In addition, the financial viability of the sponsor must also be confirmed (similar to the above procedure).
How to draw up documents?
All extracts, certificates and certificates are issued in English. All documents must carry information about the name, contacts of the person who made the transfer, his signature and the date of transfer. If the translation is made by the person applying for the visa, his data and signature as a translator are required. Notary certification is not required.
How to get a GWF-number?
Application forms should be completed on the website of the British Consulate. First of all, you need to register on it. This is the moment when the applicant learns what GWF-number is.
For registration, it is recommended to use the e-mail, which is really regularly checked by the owner, since it is the consulate who will send notifications that the documents are ready. It is necessary to prepare a bank card in advance: after the application is completed, you will need to pay the visa fee. This is done online, which is why you need a map. You can use the card of any bank, you just need to make sure that it is valid and it has the required amount.
What is getting a GWF-number? This is the result of registration on the website of the visa center, the number of your application form that you just filled out. Be sure to keep your GWF number, because it will come in handy later. After the application is completed and the fee is paid, the registration form will appear on the website (i.e., an appointment at the visa center). Registration (your entry under a special number - this is the GWF number) is a prerequisite for a visit to the visa center. On the site (section Added Value Services) you can make an order and pay for additional services on a visa, for example, using a courier to return documents.
Why visit the visa center?
When applying for an English visa, a visit to the visa center is required. The collected documents are required to be given to the center employees in person. In the process of transferring papers, a visa issuer must submit biometric data (retina image and fingerprints). This procedure is completely painless, standard and very quick. Data is taken from all departing, everything takes about a couple of minutes. As noted by visa holders, the procedure in reality looks much simpler than in films about criminals and the police.
You should choose the time for submitting documents in accordance with your free time, it will not be possible to shift the visit to the visa center to relatives or acquaintances.
In confirmation of the selected date, an e-mail will be sent indicating the exact time of the visit. The address of the visa center and a list of required documents will also be posted here. Each designer can also find this information on the consulate's website by going to his account.
How to fill out a form?
Filling out an application form for an English visa, according to experienced travelers, is also not an easy task.
Firstly, the document is written entirely in English. It should also be completed in English. Recently, prompts have appeared in the questionnaire: questions are now being translated into several languages, including Russian. Experienced tourists do not recommend giving in to the desire to rely solely on clues when filling out the questionnaire: among them a lot of questions were noticed that were translated quite incorrectly. To better understand the meaning of the questions and answer options, they recommend using an online translator.
Secondly, the questionnaire contains rather strange questions clarifying who your parents work and whether you are a terrorist. Such questions should be answered seriously and honestly, because they show how fundamentally they relate to the safety of citizens in the United Kingdom.
Thirdly, the questionnaire contains a section that covers the financial part of the trip. It should disclose the planned expenses for accommodation, etc., and also report on monthly income and expenses. This arithmetic should be checked several times: the costs must necessarily correspond to the income of the visa holder, in addition, funds for living at home must certainly remain. It is necessary that the data in this section necessarily coincide with the certificate from the bank. The questionnaire must certainly convince the consulate of the financial viability of the designer.
On the procedure for issuing visas and terms
With the collected package of documents in English and Russian at the appointed time, you should come to the visa center. There is no need to invent difficulties for yourself: you should come without delay, just at the time chosen during recording.
The staff of the center documents will be accepted and verified. Making minor edits is allowed to do by hand, in place. Then fingerprints will be taken and a photo of the designer’s retina will be taken, after which he will go home to wait for the visa. A document is produced on average about a month and a half, it depends on the season, as well as in which center the documents were received. But the law stipulates that the consulate should spend about 12 weeks on a visa.
On the cost of additional services: current information
The cost of delivery of documents after consideration in the English Visa Application Center has changed since the end of 2015:
- for residents of Moscow and the Moscow region (within a radius of 50 km from the capital) - Ј15 GBP;
- for other regions - Ј30 GBP.
Applicants need to pay attention to the fact that this payment is non-refundable as a direct visa fee regardless of the outcome of the consideration of the submitted documents by the center staff.
To obtain a visa, the applicant has options: they can be issued home delivery of documents after they are considered (delivery is usually carried out within one to three business days), or pick up the finished documents at the visa center. It is also possible to order SMS notifications. Upon completion of the consideration of documents and their receipt at the visa center, the designer receives an SMS message informing that the documents can already be picked up. If delivery is arranged, the applicant will be notified in SMS about sending documents by urgent mail. In addition, the status of consideration of documents for a visa to the UK can be consulted on special sites on the Internet.