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Do I need a visa?
- Visa and transit visa nationals
- Commonwealth countries
- Visiting the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
- Visiting the British Overseas Territories

How to apply
- Visa application guidance
  - General information (INF 1)
  - Visitors (INF 2)
  - Sponsors (INF 3)
  - Husbands, wives and partners (INF 4)
  - Student visitor: FAQs
  - Student vistor details and flowcharts
  - Students (INF 5)
  - Family members (INF 6)
  - Adopted children (INF 7)
  - Returning residents (INF 8)
  - UK Ancestry (INF 9)
  - Setting up in business (INF 10)
  - Investors (INF 11)
  - Right of abode (INF 12)
  - Work permit holders (INF 13)
  - Permit free employment (INF 14)
  - Working holidaymakers (INF 15)
  - Au pairs (INF 16)
  - Overseas domestic workers (INF 17)
  - EEA & Swiss nationals (INF 18)
  - Appeals (INF 19)
  - Transit (INF 20)
  - Points Based System Tier 1, General Migrant (INF 21)
  - Points-Based System Tier 1, General, Dependant (INF 22)
  - Points Based System Tier 1, Investor (INF 23)
  - Points Based System Tier 1 (Entrepreneur) (INF 24)
  - Points Based System Tier 1 (Post-Study Work) (INF 25)
  - Points Based System Tier 2 (Skilled Worker) (INF 26)
  - Points Based System Tier 5 (Temporary Worker) (INF 27)
  - Points Based System Tier 5 (Youth Mobility Scheme) (INF 28)
  - Tier4 General & Child Student (INF 29)
- Visa application forms
  - Supporting documents checklist
- Photograph guidance for applicants
- Visa fees
- Guide to visa processing times
- Visa application centres overseas
  - Afghanistan
  - Albania
  - Algeria
  - Andorra
  - Angola
  - Anguilla
  - Antigua and Barbuda
  - Argentina
  - Armenia
  - Australia
  - Austria
  - Azerbaijan
  - Bahamas
  - Bahrain
  - Bangladesh
  - Barbados
  - Belarus
  - Belgium
  - Belize
  - Benin
  - Bermuda
  - Bhutan
  - Bolivia
  - Bosnia and Herzegovina
  - Botswana
  - Brazil
  - British Virgin Islands
  - Brunei
  - Bulgaria
  - Burkina Faso
  - Burma
  - Burundi
  - Cambodia
  - Cameroon
  - Canada
  - Cape Verde
  - Cayman Islands
  - Central African Republic
  - Chad
  - Chile
  - China
  - China (Taiwan)
  - Colombia
  - Comoros
  - Congo (Brazzaville)
  - Congo, Democratic Republic of
  - Costa Rica
  - Croatia
  - Cuba
  - Cyprus
  - Czech Republic
  - Denmark
  - Djibouti
  - Dominica
  - Dominican Republic
  - East Timor
  - Ecuador
  - Egypt
  - El Salvador
  - Equatorial Guinea
  - Eritrea
  - Estonia
  - Ethiopia
  - Falkland Islands (UK)
  - Faroes, The
  - Fiji
  - Finland
  - France
  - French Guiana
  - Gabon
  - Gambia
  - Georgia
  - Germany
  - Ghana
  - Gibraltar
  - Greece
  - Greenland
  - Grenada
  - Guatemala
  - Guinea
  - Guinea Bissau
  - Guyana
  - Haiti
  - Honduras
  - Hong Kong
  - Hungary
  - Iceland
  - India
  - Indonesia
  - Iran
  - Iraq
  - Ireland
  - Israel
  - Italy
  - Ivory Coast
  - Jamaica
  - Japan
  - Jordan
  - Kazakhstan
  - Kenya
  - Kiribati
  - Kosovo
  - Kuwait
  - Kyrgyzstan
  - Laos
  - Latvia
  - lebanon
  - Lesotho
  - Liberia
  - Libya
  - Liechtenstein
  - Lithuania
  - Luxembourg
  - Macau
  - Macedonia
  - Madagascar
  - Malawi
  - Malaysia
  - Maldives
  - Mali
  - Malta
  - Marshall Islands
  - Mauritania
  - Mauritius
  - Mexico
  - Micronesia
  - Moldova
  - Monaco
  - Mongolia
  - Montenegro
  - Montserrat
  - Morocco
  - Mozambique
  - Myanmar - see Burma
  - Namibia
  - Nauru and Tuvalu
  - Nepal
  - Netherlands
  - Netherlands Antilles
  - New Zealand
  - Nicaragua
  - Niger
  - Nigeria
  - North Korea
  - Norway
  - Oman
  - Pakistan
  - Palau
  - Palestinian Authority
  - Panama
  - Papua New Guinea
  - Paraguay
  - Peru
  - Philippines
  - Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie & Oeno Islands
  - Poland
  - Portugal
  - Qatar
  - Romania
  - Russian Federation
  - Rwanda
  - Samoa and W Samoa
  - San Marino
  - Sao Tome and Principe
  - Saudi Arabia
  - Senegal
  - Serbia
  - Seychelles
  - Sierra Leone
  - Singapore
  - Slovakia
  - Slovenia
  - Solomon Islands
  - Somalia
  - South Africa
  - South Korea
  - Spain
  - Sri Lanka
  - St Helena
  - St Kitts and Nevis
  - St Lucia
  - St Vincent and Grenadine
  - Stateless
  - Sudan
  - Surinam
  - Swaziland
  - Sweden
  - Switzerland
  - Syria
  - Taiwan
  - Tajikistan
  - Tanzania
  - Thailand
  - Togo
  - Tonga
  - Trinidad and Tobago
  - Tristan da Cunha
  - Tunisia
  - Turkey
  - Turkmenistan
  - Turks and Caicos Islands
  - Uganda
  - Ukraine
  - United Arab Emirates
  - United Kingdom
  - United States
  - Uruguay
  - Uzbekistan
  - Vanuatu
  - Vatican City
  - Venezuela
  - Vietnam
  - Yemen
  - Zambia
  - Zimbabwe
- Biometric data collection for visa applicants
- Health (TB) screening
  - TB screening FAQs
    - TB Screening general FAQs
    - TB screening applicants FAQs

Apply online
- Online applications - Technical enquiries & feedback
- Online application - frequently asked questions
  - Online application forms
    - I do not understand one of the questions. What can I do?
    - The date I entered is not being accepted. What is the correct format?
    - Can I save my application mid-way through the application process?
    - I am reviewing my application online and some answers do not display. What should I do?
    - I have printed out my application and I have noticed that some answers that I have written do not display. What should I do?
    - I was unable to or forgot to print my application when I got to the end of the application process
    - I forgo to make a note at the end of my application of the supporting documents I should send with my application
    - I have not received my Visa4UK - Completed Application confirmation email. Can you resend it to me?
    - I made a mistake on one of my answers. Can I change it?
  - Online applications security
    - Is submitting an online application safe?
    - I forgot my GWF number and / or password. What can I do?
    - I am unable to retrieve my application. What can I do?
- Supported countries

Frequently Asked Questions
- Biometric data collection
  - Who needs to provide biometric data?
  - Why do I have to provide biometric data?
  - Will I have to give my biometric data each time I apply for a visa?
  - Will there be an extra charge for providing my finger scans and photograph?
  - How long does it take to give my biometric data?
  - Will I be able to provide my fingerscans if any of my fingers are missing, injured or decorated?
  - Are there restrictions on what I can wear for the digital photograph?
  - What will happen if I refuse to have my finger scan or my photograph taken?
  - Will my children have to submit their biometrics?
  - What will happen if my religious beliefs do not allow me to have my finger scan or my photograph taken?
  - Where do I go to have my biometric data taken?
  - Is the equipment used to take my finger scans safe?
  - Who has access to my biometric data?
  - How long will you keep my biometric data?
  - Will you share my biometric data with anybody else?
- Applying for a visa
  - Can I come to live permanently in the UK?
  - Can my friend or family member in the UK apply for my visa for me?
  - Can somebody else fill in my application form for me?
  - Do I need a visa for the UK?
  - How long does it take to get a UK visa?
  - How much does a UK visa cost?
  - What are visa application centres?
  - What documents do I need to provide to make my application?
  - What if I don't understand English?
  - What is 'biometric' information?
  - Where can I apply for a visa for the UK?
  - Where can I get application forms?
  - Why may I need to attend an interview?
- Access to online application system
  - How can I tell if the country I am in accepts online applications?
  - Can I apply online for a visa for a destination other than the United Kingdom?
  - Will I be able to access the online application system using my computer?
  - What do I need to begin an online application?
  - Can I fill in my visa application in a language other than English?
  - My query is not answered by any of the FAQs. What can I do?
- Online application forms
  - I do not understand one of the questions. What can I do?
  - The date I entered is not being accepted. What is the correct format?
  - Can I save my application mid-way through the application process?
  - I am reviewing my application online and some answers do not display. What should I do?
  - I have printed out my application and I have noticed that some answers that I have written do not display. What should I do?
  - I was unable to or forgot to print my application when I got to the end of the application process
  - I forgo to make a note at the end of my application of the supporting documents I should send with my application
  - I have not received my Visa4UK - Completed Application confirmation email. Can you resend it to me?
  - I made a mistake on one of my answers. Can I change it?
- Online applications security
  - Is submitting an online application safe?
  - I forgot my GWF number and / or password. What can I do?
  - I am unable to retrieve my application. What can I do?
- After I get my visa
  - Can I use the visa to enter the UK more than one time?
  - Do I need to bring any documents with me to the UK?
  - Does the visa guarantee my entry to the UK?
  - How long can I stay?
  - I am already in the United Kingdom. Who should I contact for advice about immigration matters?
  - If my travel plans are delayed, can the expiry date of my visa be changed?
  - Is it possible to transfer a visa from an expired passport
  - What do I do if my passport and visa are lost or stolen?
  - What if my reason for going to the UK changes?
  - What is the latest date that I can arrive in the UK with my visa?
- Visa and immigration problems
  - If I am refused, can I appeal against the decision?
  - What if I am refused a UK visa?
  - What if I have been refused a visa for another country before?
  - What if I have been refused entry to another country?

Already in the United Kingdom?

About us
- Overseas network changes
- User Panel
  - UK Border Agency Visa Services User Panel Member Organisations
  - User Panel meeting minutes - archive
- News
- Statistics
  - Visa statistics - archive
- Enquiries
  - Your feedback
  - Complaints

Customer services
- Customer Service Standards
- Frequently Asked Questions

Policy & Law

Entry Clearance Guidance
- Recent updates
- Right of Abode (ROA)
- Exempt (EXM)
- Maintenance & Accommodation (MAA)
- Medical Issues (MED)
- Common Travel Area (CTA)
- European Nationals & Schemes (EUN)
  - EUN1 - EEA Nationals
  - EUN02 - EEA Family Permits
  - EUN3 - The Swiss Family Permit
  - EUN 4 - Non-EEA and Swiss Nationals working in the EU (Van der Elst and Swiss Posted Workers)
  - EUN5 - Non-EEA relatives of EEA minor children ('Chen' cases)
  - EUN6 - The EU Common Visa List (CVL)
  - EUN7 - Travel facilities for non-EEA national school pupils resident in Member State
- Visit & Transit (VAT)
  - VAT1 Visitors: General
  - VAT2 Visitors: Visiting family; friends; as a tourist
  - VAT3 Special Visitor: Child visitors
  - VAT3A Special Visitor: Student exchanges
  - VAT4 Special Visitor: Child visitors sponsored by charities
  - VAT5 Special Visitor: Parents with children under 12 at school in UK
  - VAT6 Special Visitor: Marriage/Civil partnership visit (not settlement)
  - VAT7 Special Visitor: Private medical treatment
  - VAT8 Special Visitor: Visitor in transit
  - VAT9 Special Visitor: Student visitor
  - VAT10 Special Visitor: Prospective student
  - VAT11 Business Visitors
  - VAT12 Business Visitor: Academic Visitor
  - VAT13 Business Visitor: Visiting Professors
  - VAT14 Business Visitors: Religious Workers
  - VAT15 Business Visitor: Doctors coming for PLAB test
  - VAT16 Business Visitor: Doctors undertaking clinical attachments
  - VAT17 Sports Visitor
  - VAT18 Entertainer Visitor
  - VAT19 Visitors under the Approved Destinations Status MoU with China
  - VAT20 Foreign armed forces (not NATO/Commonwealth)
  - VAT21 Archaeological excavations
  - VAT22 Appellants seeking admission
  - VAT23 Parents with access rights to children in the UK
  - VAT24 Child minders for relatives
  - VAT25 Visitors seeking visas or settlement visas for other countries
  - VAT26 Persons coming for job interviews
  - VAT27 Court reporters
  - VAT28 Witnesses attending trials in the UK
- Crew Members (CRM)
- Crew Members (CRM) - Seafarers
- Crew Members (CRM) - Aircrew
- Study (STY)
  - STY1 - Dependants of students and prospective students
  - STY2 Prime Minister Initiative
  - STY3 The British Council
  - STY4 The Academic Technology Approval Scheme (ATAS)
  - STY5 List of main sponsored programmes for overseas students
  - STY6 Refusal wordings for dependants of students and prospective students
- Referrals / Deferrals (RDF)
- ECAA referrals guide
- Refusals (RFL)
  - RFL1 Refusing an applicant
  - RFL2 Refusing family visitors
  - RFL3 Refusal on general grounds
  - RFL4 Writing and serving a Refusal Notice
  - RFL5 Release of case notes to solicitors, applicants, sponsors etc
  - RFL6 Representations by applicants or sponsors post refusal
  - RFL7 Monitoring refusals – the Independent Monitor
- Appeals (APL)
  - Appeals (APL) - Appeal procedures
  - Appeals (APL) - Appeal procedures for posts
  - Appeals (APL) - Categories which have the full right of appeal
  - Appeals (APL) - Limited or residual rights of appeal
  - Appeals (APL) - Asylum grounds
  - Appeals (APL6) - Judicial review
- Entry Clearance Guidance Documents
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
  - Annex 1
  - Annex 2
  - Annex 3
  - Annex 4
- Chapter 18 - Entry for non-PBS employment routes
- Chapter 24
  - Annex 3
- Chapter 29
- Annex 2
  - Wording for refusals: Sections 1-5
  - Wording for refusals: Sections 6 - 10
  - Chapter 26 Annex 2 Part 3
  - Chapter 26 Annex 2 Sections 16-20
  - Chapter 26
  - Chapter 26 Annex Part 6
  - Chapter 2 Annex 2 Part 7
  - Chapter 26 Annex 2 Part 8
  - Chapter 26 Annex 2 Part 9
  - Chapter 26 Annex 2 Part 10
  - Chapter 26 Annex 2 Part 11
  - 012Chapter26Annex26.2Index
- Useful links to points-based guidance

The Independent Monitor
- Independent Monitor - Frequently Asked Questions
- Parliamentary Reports
- Independent Monitor - Overseas Visit Reports
- Independent Monitor's overseas visits 2006
- Independent Monitor's overseas visits 2007
- Independent Monitor's overseas visits 2008
- Independent Monitor's overseas visits 2009
- Independent Monitor Themed Reports
- Independent Monitor - Reports Archive

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Freedom of Information (FOI) and Data Protection Act (DPA)

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Do I need a UK visa?

Related links

Latest News

Beware of bogus websites! (30/10/2009)

Online Application System not available 30 October 2009 (28/10/2009)

Tehran: visa service re-opens for applications (21/10/2009)

Home Secretary commits to providing an efficient Pakistan visa service (08/10/2009)

Foreign national ID roll out speeds up (24/09/2009)

The official British Government website for visa services