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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
- Non-visa nationals

How to apply - A step by step guide
- Visa application guidance
  - General information (INF 1)
  - Visitors (INF 2)
  - Sponsors (INF 3)
  - Husbands, wives and partners (INF 4)
  - Students (INF 5)
  - Family members (INF 6)
  - Adopted children (INF 7)
  - Returning residents (INF 8)
  - UK Ancestry (INF 9)
  - Right of abode (INF 12)
  - Work permit holders (INF 13)
  - Permit free employment (INF 14)
  - Overseas domestic workers (INF 17)
  - EEA and Swiss nationals (INF 18)
  - Appeals (INF 19)
  - Transit (INF 20)
  - Points Based System Tier 1, General Migrant (INF 21)
  - 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)
  - Immigration advice
- Visa application forms
  - Supporting documents checklist
- Photograph guidance for applicants
- Visa application fees
  - Visa application fees - Visit
  - Visa application fees - Study
  - Visa application fees - Work
  - Visa application fees - Settlement
  - Visa application fees - Transit
  - Visa application fees - Others
  - Visa application fees - Exempt
- 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
  - Occupied Palestinian Territories
  - Oman
  - Pakistan
  - Palau
  - 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, Ljubljana
  - 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 information
  - Biometric information for visa applicants
  - Fingerprint checks at the border
- Health (TB) screening
  - Guide to health (TB) screening
  - TB screening FAQs
    - TB Screening general FAQs
    - TB screening applicants FAQs

Apply online
- Technical enquiries & troubleshooting
  - Online applications - Technical enquiries & feedback
  - Complete, save, print and submit online forms
  - Passwords and GWF reference
  - Biometric data collection and appointments
  - Payments and refunds
- 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?
- Guide to applying online
- Supported countries

Frequently Asked Questions
- Applying for a visa
  - Can I have more than one visa?
  - 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?
  - Long-term visit visas - what do I need to consider?
  - What are visa application centres?
  - What if I don't understand English?
  - What is 'biometric' information?
  - Where can I apply for a visa for the UK?
  - 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?
  - 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
  - How we will deal with your complaint

Customer services
- Customer Service Standards
- Performance against processing times target -archive
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Our service style

Policy and Law

Entry Clearance Guidance
- Recent updates
- Entry Clearance Basics (ECB)
  - ECB01 - Immigration legislation and powers
  - ECB02 - Human rights and Race Discrimination considerations
  - ECB03 - What is entry clearance?
  - ECB04 - Who needs an entry clearance?
  - ECB05 Where to apply - the policy
  - ECB06 - Entry clearance fees
  - ECB07 - Returnability
  - ECB08 - What are acceptable travel documents for entry clearance?
  - ECB09 - Types and validity of entry clearance
  - Which vignette to use
  - ECB10 - Making a decision on an application
  - ECB11 - Significance of information from a sponsor
  - ECB12 - Undertakings
  - ECB13 - Visa endorsements and conditions
  - ECB14 - ID cards and leave to remain
  - ECB15 - Arriving in/Departing from the UK
  - ECB16 - Police registration
  - ECB17 - Transferring or replacing visas in new passports and unused visas
  - ECB18 ECO revocation of an entry clearance
  - ECB19 - Correcting an incorrect endorsement
  - ECB20 - Unresolved applications
  - ECB21 Risk and Liaison Overseas Network
- 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)
  - VAT01 Visitors: General
  - VAT02 Visitors: Visiting family
  - VAT03 Special Visitor: Child visitors
  - VAT04 Special Visitor: Child visitors sponsored by charities
  - VAT05 Special Visitor: Parents with children under 12 at school in UK
  - VAT06 Special Visitor: Marriage/Civil partnership visit (not settlement)
  - VAT07 Special Visitor: Private medical treatment
  - VAT08 Special Visitor: Visitor in transit
  - VAT09 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
- Links to points-based guidance (WRK1)
- Entry for non - PBS employment (WRK2)
  - WRK2.1 Overseas domestic workers in private households
  - WRK2.2 Representatives of overseas businesses with no representation in the UK
  - WRK2.3 United Kingdom ancestry
  - WRK2.4 Off-shore workers
  - WRK2.5 NATO civilian employees working in the UK
- Work Permit Holder Dependants (WRK3)
- EC Association Agreements - Turkey (WRK4)
- Refusals (RFL)
  - RFL01 Refusing an applicant
  - RFL02 Refusing family visitors
  - RFL03 General Grounds for Refusal
  - RFL04 Deception in an application – paragraph 320 (7A)
  - RFL05 Immigration Offender - paragraph 320 (7B) and 320 (7C)
  - RFL06 EEA Family permits
  - RFL07 Frustrating the intentions of the Immigration Rules – paragraph 320 (11)
  - RFL08 Secretary of State directed refusal on grounds exclusion conducive to the public good – paragraph 320 (6)
  - RFL09 When can I refuse on non-conducive grounds - paragraph 320 (19)?
  - RFL10 When can I refuse on the grounds of criminal convictions – paragraph 320 (18)?
  - RFL11 Biometric hits and refusals?
  - RFL12 IDENT1 hits and refusals?
  - RFL13 Writing and serving a Refusal Notice
  - RFL14 Release of case notes to solicitors, applicants, sponsors etc
  - RFL15 Representations by applicants or sponsors post refusal
  - RFL16 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
  - Appeals (APL7) - ECM Appeal Review
- Entry Clearance Guidance Documents
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
  - Annex 1
  - Annex 2
  - Annex 3
  - Annex 4
- Chapter 24
  - Annex 3
- 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

Independent Chief Inspector
- 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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Accessibility

Do I need a UK visa?

Latest News

Interested in studying for an international qualification? A British Council survey (19/08/2010)

List of approved providers published for English language testing for partners (17/08/2010)

Secure English language testing comes into effect for Tier 4 (General) visa applicants (12/08/2010)

Three found guilty over sham marriage scam (30/07/2010)

UK Border Agency publishes its response to the Independent Chief Inspector’s report - An Inspection of the UK Visa Section (27/07/2010)

The official British Government website for visa services