How to check visa status in the UK

After you have applied for a UK visa, you need to keep track of its status in time to pick up the documents. At the visa application centers in Russia there are warning applicants about visa availability, but sometimes it is easier to keep track of their passport on their own.

New visa centers

Until the spring of 2014 the documents for UK visa processed visa application centers of VFS, but currently this company does Teleperformance. In this regard, the process of checking visa availability has changed. Also slightly changed the list of documents for a visa - be careful. Teleperformance visa centers operate in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and Rostov-on-don.

After you fill out the form on the website of the visa center at the address www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk you will need to go to the website of Teleperformance at the following address www.tpcontact.co.uk and register on it too. This is important, as tracking the status of visas to the UK via the Internet are now made through this website.

Once your application is completed, the passport is passed to the visa center, and then changes the status of the application online. Currently to check the visa status in two ways: online or by calling the helpdesk.

Check visa status online

Check status of UK visa online only those applicants who know the number of the GWF. Unfortunately, as of summer 2014, this room receive only the applicants have submitted the documents in Moscow.

Open site www.tpcontact.co.uk then log in to it using the number GWF. To the left you will see a link Passport returned on dd/mm/yyyy link. This is the list of all passports returned to the visa application centre. Open it. Press Ctrl + F, enter your GWF number to search for your passport automatically. If the requisition number is listed, you can come and pick up the documents.

You can also write an e-mail to the visa center: [e-mail]. In the letter specify your surname, name and patronymic, passport number and GWF.

Check visa status in the UK by phone

Applicants who submitted documents not in Moscow, don't get the numbers GWF. To check the status of your application they can, by calling call-center of the visa application centre or UK immigration (UKVI) one of the following numbers:

8 800 707 2948
00 44 1243 218 151

This call is paid, one minute will cost 1.37 pound. Working time reference service: 11:00 – 19:00 Moscow time. Referral service may not work during holidays and weekends.

Inconvenience in connection with the change of the visa center

Applying for a UK visa, you inform the officer at the visa centre your email address on which you will be notified of visa availability. You can also order SMS notification this is a paid service. However, due to the fact that the work of the new centre have not yet reached a stable level, the alerting services there are failures, writing about readiness of passport does not come, although visas can be made. While the situation is not stabiliziruemost, it is recommended to apply for visa not later than 2 months prior to travel.