All about UK visa
How do I qualify to travel to the UK as a visitor?
You must be able to show that:
- you want to visit the UK for no more than six months
- you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit, and
- you have enough money to support yourself and live in the UK without working or needing any help from public funds.
What is a visa?
A visa is a certificate that is put into your passport or travel document by an Entry Clearance Officer at a British mission overseas. The visa gives you permission to enter the UK.
If you have a valid UK visa we will not normally refuse you entry to the UK unless your circumstances have changed, or you gave false information or did not tell us important facts when you applied for your visa.
When you arrive in the UK, an Immigration Officer may ask you questions, so take all relevant documents in your hand luggage.
Do I need a visa to visit the UK?
You will need a visa if you:
- are a national of one of the countries listed at on the Visa and DATV nationals page on this website
- are stateless (you do not have a nationality)
- hold a non-national travel document (a travel document which does not give you the nationality of the country that issued it), or
- hold a passport issued by an authority that is not recognised in the UK.
Does my child need a visa to visit the UK?
Your child will need a visa if they:
- are a national of one of the countries listed at on the Visa and DATV nationals page on this website
- are stateless
- hold a non-national travel document
- hold a passport issued by an authority not recognised in the UK.
- evidence to show that suitable living arrangements have been made for their stay in the UK
- contact details of the parent or guardian in the child’s home country
The child’s visa is only valid if the child travels with at least one of the adults identified on their visa.
How long will my visa be valid for?
With a visit visa you can usually enter and leave the UK any number of times while the visa is still valid. The Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) may occasionally limit a visa so that it is valid for only one or two entries. You cannot stay for longer than six months on each visit. Visit visas can be valid for six months, one year, two years, five years or ten years. You can apply for a visa valid for any of these periods. The ECO may decide to make your visa valid for a shorter time than you have asked for, for example if you are not a regular traveller or have never visited the UK before.
How do I apply for a visa?
You can apply in a number of ways, for example, by post, by courier, in person and online. The visa section of your nearest British mission overseas will tell you about the ways in which you can apply.
Some visa sections will only accept applications made online. To find out if you can apply for your visa online plesse visit www.visa4uk. fco.gov.uk
You can apply for a visit visa or EEA family permit at any full service visa-issuing office. If you are applying from within the EEA, you will need to show that you are living legally in an EEA member state. ‘Living legally’ includes having a visit visa for the member state. For all other types of visa, you should apply in the country of which you are a national or where you legally live.
In some countries, if you are applying for a visa to stay in the UK for more than six months, you may need to be tested for active tuberculosis before we will accept your application. You can find out if you need to be tested by using the Do I need a UK visa? on this website, or by contacting your nearest British mission overseas which has a visa section.
What do I need to make my application?
You will need to make your application online or fill in the following visa application form:
Application form VAF1 - Non-Settlement (PDF, 165K)
You will also need:
- Your passport or travel document.
- A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm), colour photograph of yourself. This should be:
- taken against a light coloured background
- clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
- printed on normal photographic paper, and
- full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless you wear this for cultural or religious reasons.
- The visa fee. This cannot be refunded, and you must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where you are applying.
- Any supporting documents relevant to your application.
What supporting documents should I include with my application?
You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK as a visitor. If you do not, we may refuse your application.
As a guide, you should include:
- bank statements, payslips, or some other evidence to show that you can pay for the trip and that you have enough money to support yourself and any dependants without working or getting any help from public funds, and
- evidence that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit (for example, a letter from your employer).
If you are visiting family or friends you will need:
- a letter from your sponsor (the person you are visiting) explaining your relationship with them and the purpose of your visit, and
- a copy of the bio data page (the page containing their photograph) of their UK passport or; if they are not a UK national, evidence of their immigration status in the United Kingdom.
If your sponsor will be supporting you during your visit, or paying for the cost of the visit, you will need:
- payslips, bank statements, or some other evidence to show that they have enough money to support you.
We will refuse your application if we find that any documents are forged.
What will happen when I make my application?
The Entry Clearance Officer will try to make a decision using your application form and the supporting documents you have provided. If this is not possible, they will need to interview you.
Please check your visa when you get it. You should make sure that:
- your personal details are correct
- it correctly states the purpose for which you want to come to the UK, and
- it is valid for the date on which you want to travel. (You can ask for it to be post-dated for up to three months if you do not plan to travel immediately. )
If you think there is anything wrong with your visa, contact the visa section immediately.
Can I appeal if you refuse my visit visa?
If we refuse you a visa to visit a close relative, you can appeal against our decision.
The Entry Clearance Officer will tell you if you can appeal.
For more information about appeals, see our Appeals (INF 19) guidance.
What are public funds?
Under the Immigration Rules, if you want to travel to the UK as a visitor you must be able to support yourself and live without claiming certain state benefits. Use this link to see a list of them:
Public funds
You are not allowed to enter the UK or stay as a visitor in the UK to receive medical treatment on the National Health Service (NHS). Information on how you can enter the UK to have private medical treatment is in this guidance.
You can find more information about public funds in the Immigration Directorate Instructions (IDIs) and Immigration Rules on the Border and Immigration Agency website.
Can I carry out any business during my visit?
As a visitor, you can:
- go to meetings and trade fairs, buy goods, and negotiate and complete contracts with UK businesses
- go to conferences and seminars as a delegate
- find out about, check the details of, or examine goods, and
- get training as long as it is classroom-based instruction or limited to observation only.
In limited circumstances you can also enter the UK as a visitor if you are:
- delivering goods from abroad
- a representative of a foreign company coming to service, repair or install their products
- an adviser, consultant, trainer or other kind of specialist who is employed abroad either directly or under contract by the same company or group of companies
- a guest speaker or expert speaker at a conference or seminar, or you are running a conference or seminar for no more than five days, or
- a sportsperson or entertainer travelling for trials, auditions, or personal appearances that do not involve performances.
You cannot:
- take paid or unpaid work
- produce goods or provide services in the UK, or
- sell goods and services to members of the public.
If a UK company has invited you to visit the UK you should provide a letter from the company explaining what you will be doing and the purpose of the trip. If your company or the UK company is paying for the trip this should also be confirmed in the letter.
Whether you are visiting the UK for business or social reasons, you can only stay for a maximum of six months. If you often visit the UK, you can apply for a visa that is valid for one, two, five or ten years. You can then visit the UK as often as you like while your visa is still valid, but you can only stay for up to six months on each visit.
Can I study in the UK?
As a visitor, you can study during your stay. You can only apply to stay longer than six months if you entered the UK with a student or prospective student visa.
You can get more information from the Students (INF 5) guidance on this website.
Can I get married or register a civil partnership in the UK?
If either you or your future husband, wife or proposed civil partner are not EEA (European Economic Area) or Swiss nationals, you can visit the UK together to get married or register a civil partnership as long as you intend to leave the country within six months.
- Everyone coming to the UK to get married or to register a civil partnership (except EEA and Swiss nationals) must get a ‘visit for marriage’ or 'visit for civil partnership' entry clearance or visa. Note that we will not begin to accept applications for 'visit for civil partnership' entry clearance or visa.
- Applicants will need to show evidence that arrangements have been made for either notification of the marriage or civil partnership to take place during the period for which leave is granted.
- You can get married or register a civil partnership in any location licensed for the purpose of marriage or civil partnerships. Once you are both in the UK you will need to give official notice of your marriage or civil partnership at a designated register office. If you are a non EEA or Swiss national you should bring with you your entry clearance or Certificate of Approval. You can get more information about marriage or civil partnerships and register offices from the General Register Offices:
England and Wales - www.gro.gov. uk
Scotland – www.gro-scotland. gov.uk
Northern Ireland – www.groni.gov. uk
Can I get medical treatment in the UK?
You can apply for a visit visa to travel to the UK for private medical treatment. You must be able to show that you:
- have made suitable arrangements for the necessary consultation or treatment
- have enough money to pay for the treatment
- have enough money to support yourself and live without working or getting any help from public funds while you are in the UK, and
- intend to leave the UK at the end of your treatment.
We may also ask you to provide the following.
- A doctor’s letter giving details of your medical condition and the treatment you need.
- Confirmation that you have made suitable arrangements for the consultation or treatment and how long the treatment will last.
- Evidence that you can afford to pay for the consultation and treatment. We may also ask you to give an undertaking (in other words, a formal agreement) that you will pay for the consultation and treatment.
Can I stay more than six months for medical treatment?
If you need to stay longer than six months to complete your medical treatment you can apply to the Immigration and Nationality Department. Their contact details are under 'More advice and information' at the end of this guidance. IND will charge a non-refundable fee for any extension application.
You are not allowed to enter or stay in the UK to receive treatment on the National Health Service (NHS). You must make sure that you have enough medical insurance for the whole of your stay.
Does the UK have any health-care arrangements with my country?
The UK has health-care arrangements with a number of foreign governments so that their nationals can be referred to the UK for free hospital treatment under the NHS. You can get information about these arrangements from the Department of Health website (www.doh.gov. uk), or from your nearest British mission overseas where there is a visa section.
Department of Health - Overseas visitors
UKvisas
For more advice and information about visas contact:
UKvisas
London SW1A 2AH
General enquiries: 0845 010 5555
Please note that this number may not work from outside the UK. If you are calling from outside the UK, please contact your nearest British mission where there is a visa section:
UK diplomatic missions overseas
Application forms: (+44) (0)20 7008 8308
Textphone: +44 (0)20 7008 8457
Email: www.ukvisas. gov.uk/enquiries
Border and Immigration Agency(BIA)
For more advice and information about extending your stay once you are in the UK contact:
Croydon Public Caller Unit
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon CR9 2BY
General enquiries: (+44) (0)870 606 7766
Application forms: (+44) (0)870 241 0645
Email: indpublicenquiries@ ind.homeoffice. gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.bia.homeoffice. gov.uk
Immigration and Advisory Service (IAS)
The Immigration Advisory Service is the UK's largest charity providing advice and repersentation in asylum, immigration and nationality law. It has offices across the UK and abroad. It provides a free service to those who are eligible and may be able to help those who are not. The IAS is a non-profit service.
The Immigration Advisory Service
3rd Floor, County House
190 Great Dover Street
London SE1 4YB
Telephone: (+44) (0)20 7967 1200
Duty office (open 24 hours a day): (+44) (0)20 8814 1559
Fax: (+44) (0)20 7403 5875
Email: advice@iasuk. org
Website: www.iasuk.org
Revenue and Customs
For advice on bringing personal belongings and goods into the UK contact:
Dorset House
Stamford Street
London SE1 9PY
Telephone: (+44) (0)845 010 9000
Website: www.hmrc.gov. uk
Drugs warning
Anyone found smuggling drugs into the UK will face serious penalties. Drug traffickers may try to bribe travellers. If you are travelling to the UK, avoid any involvement with drugs.
Forged or destroyed documents
Travellers to the UK may commit an offence if they do not produce valid travel documents or passports to the UK immigration authorities for themselves and their children. People found guilty of this offence face up to two years in prison or a fine (or both).
Health insurance
Before you travel, please check that you have suitable health insurance to cover you if you have an accident or you become ill while you are in the UK. Medical treatment in the UK can be expensive and visitors are not covered by the National Health Service (NHS).
Alternative formats
In the UK we also have versions of our guidance notes in Braille, on audio tape and in large print. If you would like any guidance notes in one of these formats, please contact:
UKvisas
London SW1A 2AH
Phone: (+44) (0)20 7008 8308
Email: www.ukvisas. gov.uk/enquiries
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