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UNITED KINGDOM (UK) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
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 plan to leave the UK at the end of your visit
- you have enough money to support yourself and live
in the UK without working or any help from public
funds.
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What is a
visa?
A visa is a certificate that is placed
in your passport or travel document 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 you did not tell us important facts when
you applied for your visa.
When you arrive in the
UK, an Immigration Officer may question you, so take all
relevant documents in your hand luggage.
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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
the end of this guidance
- are stateless (you do not have a nationality)
- hold a non-national travel document
- hold a passport issued by an authority that is not
recognised in the UK
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How do I
apply for a visa?
You will need to fill in a
visa application form (Non-settlement). You can
get one free of
charge from your nearest UK
Overseas Mission where there is a visa section.
You should check with your nearest UK
Overseas Mission that they can deal with your
application. If they cannot they will tell you where to
apply.
You can apply in a number of ways, for
example by post, by courier, in person and on-line. The
visa section will tell you about the ways in which you
can apply.
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What do I
need to make my application?
You will need:
- A completed
Application form - Non-settlement , which you have filled in correctly. You can include any dependants under 16
years old who are included in your passport and will
be travelling with you on the same form. Older
dependants should fill in separate forms
- Your passport (this must be valid for the whole
period of your visit)
- Two recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm), colour
photographs of yourself (N.B. some visa sections may
require three photographs). These should be:
- Taken against a light coloured (white, off-white
etc.) background
- Unmounted, clear and of good quality
- Printed on normal photographic paper
- Full face without sunglasses, hat or other head
covering unless you wear this for ethnic or
religious reasons
Please note that they may not
accept photographs which do not meet these
specifications.
- The visa fee. This cannot be refunded, and you
must normally pay it in the local currency of the
country where you are applying. You must pay for each
person included in the application, even if you are
all travelling on the same passport.
The
supporting documents you need to provide will vary
depending on the type of application you are making, but
in all cases it would be helpful if you could provide:
- 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 receiving any help from
public funds
If you are visiting family or
friends you will need:
- A letter from your sponsor explaining your
relationship with them and the purpose of your visit
If your sponsor will be supporting you during
your visit or paying for the cost of the visit you will
need:
- Payslips or bank statements or some other evidence
to show that they have enough money to support you
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What will
happen when I make my application?
The Entry
Clearance Officer will check that they have all the
information that they need to make a decision. If they
need more information they may ask you to provide more
supporting documents before they can accept your
application.
Once they have accepted your
application they may have to interview you.
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Can I
appeal if you refuse my visit visa?
If they
refuse you a visa to visit a close relative, you can
appeal against the decision.
If your visit visa
is refused, the Entry Clearance Officer will tell you if
you are able to appeal.
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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.
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Can I
transact business during my visit?
As a
visitor you can do the following:
- 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
- receive training as long as it is classroom
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 troubleshooter
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
- a sportsperson or entertainer for trials or
auditions, or personal appearances which do not
involve performances
You cannot:
- take paid or unpaid work
- produce goods or provide services in the UK
- 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 or five
years. You can visit the UK as often as you like while
your visa is still valid.
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Can I
study in the UK?
You can study in the UK as a
visitor but can only stay in the UK for a maximum of six
months. If you are coming to the UK to study, either
full time or for more than six months you should apply
for a student visa.
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Can I
receive medical treatment in the UK?
You can
apply for a visit visa to travel to the UK to receive
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 receiving 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 the medical
condition which needs treatment
- Confirmation that you have made suitable
arrangements for the consultation or treatment and how
long the treatment will take
- Evidence that you can afford to pay for the
consultation and treatment. We may also ask you to
give an undertaking that you will pay for the
consultation and treatment.
You may have to
come to an interview and provide more documents.
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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 Directorate.
You are not allowed to enter or stay in
the UK to receive treatment on the National Health
Service (NHS).
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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 to receive free
hospital treatment under the NHS. You can get
information about these arrangements from the Department
of Health website (www.doh.gov.uk), or at your nearest
UK Overseas Mission offering a visa service.
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Do I
need a visa if I am transiting the UK on my way to
another country?
If you are a visa national
you will need a visa to enter the UK in transit (see Do
I need a visa to visit the UK?).
If you are
entering the UK on your way to another country and you
will stay in the UK for less than 48 hours, you will
need to obtain a visitor in transit visa. If you want to
stay in the UK for longer than 48 hours you will need to
apply for a visit visa.
The Immigration Officer
may decide to let you travel through the UK without
holding a visitor in transit visa. This is known as the
transit without visa concession (TWOV).
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Do I
qualify for the TWOV concession?
To qualify
you must:
- arrive on a cruise ship and leave on the same ship
within 24 hours
- arrive and leave by air within 24 hours and have
no intention of staying in the UK (you may travel by
rail or road between two airports); or
- hold a confirmed booking on a flight or ship which
will leave within 24 hours of your arrival in the UK
You must also:
- have the documents you will need to be allowed to
enter the country you are travelling to; and
- have the documents you will need for any other
country that you may pass through on your journey
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Are any
nationalities excluded from the TWOV
concession?
This concession does not apply to
certain visa nationals who must have a visa to pass
through the UK on their way to another country, even if
they are not entering the UK or changing airports. This
is known as a Direct Airside Transit visa (DATV).
If you
have a Direct Airside Transit visa you will not be able
to pass through immigration control. You will not
normally be allowed to remain in the UK overnight to
wait for a connection to continue your journey.
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How do I
apply for a visitor in transit visa?
If you
want to apply for a Visitor in Transit visa, you must be
able to show that you:
- have the necessary visa for the country you are
travelling to;
- are travelling to a country outside the UK, the
Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Irish
Republic;
- can and intend to go at once to another country;
- will be allowed to entry to another country;
- meet the Immigration Rules as a visitor.
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Can I use
my visitor in transit visa more than
once?
Your Visitor in Transit visa will
usually be valid for six months. You can use it to
travel through the UK as many times as you like while it
is valid as long as your passport and visa for the
country that you are travelling to will still be valid
after the transit visa runs out. The visa will only be
valid for entry to the UK if you meet these conditions
on each journey through the UK.
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How do I
apply for a direct airside transit visa?
If
you want to apply for a Direct Airside Transit visa you
will need to show that you:
- have booked an onward ticket from the UK for
travel within 24 hours of your arrival
- will not need to change airport in the UK
- have all the correct documents you will need to be
allowed to enter the country you are travelling to;
and
- will not need to pass through the UK’s immigration
control
You can use your Direct Airside
Transit visa as many times as you like while it is
valid.
You should fill in form - Direct
Airside Transit:
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Visa
Nationals
*You do not need a visa if you
are settled in the UK or if you already have permission
to stay in the UK and are returning to the UK before
your permission to stay expires.
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