A trip to Britain is not out of reach. Whether you are travelling as a tourist, visiting family, attending an international event or making a short business trip, our team checks your circumstances against the visitor rules, prepares the documents properly and files the application, so what reaches the Home Office is complete, consistent and straightforward to decide.
None
None
About 3 working weeks
GBP 135
The UK student visa is for people who want to study at a British university or college. To apply, you need an offer from a licensed UK education provider.
If you have specialist skills and a British employer has offered you a job, you can move to the UK on a work visa. The role has to be an eligible occupation and the employer has to hold a sponsor licence.
A statement of funds in English
Your sponsor’s financial documents, if you have a sponsor
A letter of financial support, if you have a sponsor
1We assess your case and pick the right route
2You sign a formal agreement and we open the file
3We prepare and translate the documents and book the appointment
4Visa issued, with arrival and settling-in support
Standard visitor applications are normally decided within about three weeks of your appointment, though application volumes, the country you apply from and how complete your file is all move that figure. If you are in a hurry, the paid Priority Visa service aims to decide within five working days.
No. The Electronic Travel Authorization is only for nationals who can enter Britain without a visa. If you need a visitor visa, an ETA does not apply to you.If you are visa-free and need an ETA instead, our own service UK ETA Gateway files it for you.
Yes. An invitation is not compulsory, though it strengthens the file. What raises the risk of refusal is an incomplete document set, or no convincing reason to go home again.
Have your UK case reviewed now, at no cost. One careful check before you file is what keeps a weak application, and a second set of fees, off the table.
Britain is a mix of history, art, grand architecture, green countryside and long views. Big Ben, the Thames, Madame Tussauds, Buckingham Palace and a thousand other places make the trip worth taking.
Plenty of people assume a British visitor visa is out of reach, or that visiting family and getting to festivals, exhibitions and cultural events has to cost a fortune. We are here to take you through the UK tourist visa properly, so read this guide to the end.
UK visitor visas differ by the purpose of the trip, the length of stay, the number of entries and whether you hold an invitation. Sightseeing, conferences and short events usually mean the six-month visitor visa. Where you have an invitation to visit close family such as parents or children, multiple-entry visitor visas of 2, 5 or 10 years are also issued.
Standard Visitor Visa
The Standard Visitor Visa is the common one: tourism, visiting family and friends, short business events, private medical treatment and short courses. It is valid for 6 months, and multiple-entry versions valid for 2, 5 or 10 years can also be applied for.
This route is for people coming to the UK for treatment in a British hospital. You submit your medical records, confirmation from the hospital and evidence that you can pay for the treatment.
This visitor route covers conferences, business meetings, short training and consultancy projects. It does not allow you to work or take employment with a British company.
Academics, researchers and specialists can travel to the UK on this visa for research or temporary teaching. It is valid for up to 12 months.
If you are getting married or registering a civil partnership in Britain, this is the visa you need. It covers the ceremony only, and it does not allow a long stay or a switch into another visa.
This route is for athletes, artists, writers, musicians and media professionals coming to perform, adjudicate, speak or take part in other professional engagements. It is valid for a maximum of one month.
This is for people who need a short stop in Britain on the way to another country. Depending on the circumstances there are two kinds: the Direct Airside Transit Visa and the Visitor in Transit Visa.
If you expect to travel to Britain several times over the next few years and your documents and finances support it, a multiple-entry visitor visa is worth applying for. For a first trip, or a short stay, the six-month visitor visa is the better option.
To be granted a UK visitor visa, you have to meet the following:
Knowing these categories helps you pick the right visa for your circumstances, your documents and the purpose of your trip, and put in a stronger UK tourist visa application.
Every document on the checklist has to be translated and certified before you hand it in on the day of your appointment. Anything missing, and anything falsified, means a refusal, and a refusal stays on your travel record.
| Document | Details |
|---|---|
| Passport | Valid for at least six months beyond the end of the trip |
| Biometric photo | Recent, with a white background |
| Online visa application form | Completed and submitted online at gov.uk |
| Proof of funds | Last 6 months of bank statements in the applicant’s name, stamped by the bank Bank certificate of funds in English If funded by a sponsor: the sponsor’s financial documents and a formal sponsorship letter |
| Employment documents for employees | Official employment letter stating position, start date and salary Payslips for the last 3 months |
| Employment documents for business owners | Business licence or company registration Tax return (if available) |
| Education documents | Enrolment certificate from the university or school Student card or current-term registration printout |
| Documents proving ties to Iran | Full travel itinerary Provisional round-trip flight booking Accommodation booking (hotel, Airbnb rental agreement, or host’s address) |
| Invitation letter for a family visit | Formal invitation from a UK citizen or resident Copy of the inviter’s passport or residence card Proof of the relationship to the inviter |
| Appointment confirmation | Bring it with you on the day you submit your documents |
| Valid insurance | For the duration of the trip |
All documents have to be translated into English by a certified translator and carry an official stamp. Having an experienced immigration adviser review the file before it goes in is what keeps avoidable errors out of it.
If you meet the conditions above, start by sending your documents for translation. While that is under way, complete the online visitor visa application carefully and in full. Next, pay the visa fee online and keep the receipt with your file. Once the fee is paid, book your appointment through the UK section of VFS Global, then attend on the day to hand in your documents and give your biometrics. Arrive half an hour early: if you are late, the appointment is cancelled and you have to book the whole thing again.
UK visitor applications are lodged at a VFS visa application centre rather than at the embassy itself, so there is no embassy appointment to book. Start by creating an account on the UKVI site, complete the online visitor visa form , and once the fee is paid, go through to the appointment booking page. When you submit on gov.uk a GWF number is generated automatically, and you are then passed to the VFS Global site to book the appointment.
If the handover from the government site to VFS does not go through, open this link and create a separate account there as well.
On the VFS Global home page, select your country of residence and the visa type (UK – Visit Visa), then enter the GWF number issued to you on gov.uk when you sign in. That number is what the application is tracked against. On the next page, choose the visa application centre you want and click a date and time to book it. Once the confirmation email arrives at the address on the account, the appointment is fixed and there is nothing further to do.
For an extra fee you can add services such as faster processing, VIP handling and premium courier return of your passport. You can track the outcome of the application from the same account. If you would rather not deal with the booking and the paperwork yourself, contact Aval Visa and we will handle every stage and every payment for you.
| Visa type | Validity | Application fee in GBP |
|---|---|---|
| Short-term visitor visa | Six months | GBP 135 |
| Long-term visitor visa | Two years | See the current gov.uk fee table |
| Long-term visitor visa | Five years | See the current gov.uk fee table |
| Long-term visitor visa | Ten years | See the current gov.uk fee table |
On top of these fees, budget for the running costs: document translation, professional advice, flights, hotels and the rest.
A UK visitor visa is not usually extendable, except in exceptional circumstances such as a medical emergency or humanitarian grounds. If you want to spend longer in Britain, apply for a long-term visitor visa from the outset. Those visas allow multiple entries, but each stay is capped at 6 months. To stay longer than that, or to move onto a work visa or a UK student visa, you have to make a fresh application under the route that fits your circumstances.
A few practical points make a visitor trip to Britain easier and keep you out of trouble at the border:
If you are planning a trip to Britain, go into it with a proper plan and a complete set of documents. Our team at Aval Visa advises on the full range of visas, from visitor and work routes through to the UK student visa , and stays with you the whole way, from assembling the documents to booking the appointment.
Call us today, or use the free consultation form on the site and one of our advisers will get back to you.
Standard visitor applications are normally decided within about three weeks of your appointment, though application volumes, the country you apply from and how complete your file is all move that figure. If you are in a hurry, the paid Priority Visa service aims to decide within five working days.
No. The Electronic Travel Authorisation is only for nationals who can enter Britain without a visa. If you need a visitor visa, an ETA does not apply to you.
Yes. An invitation is not compulsory, though it strengthens the file. What raises the risk of refusal is an incomplete document set, or no convincing reason to go home again.
