In This Article, We Are Going To Discuss About Details to know before planning a trip to the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom, the world’s 10th largest tourist destination with over 38 million people visiting every year gives immense pleasure to the visitors to experience the great culture, nature, warmth, and welcoming of the people there.
The UK has 30 UNESCO world heritage sites and the most visited destinations here are London, Edinburgh, Oxford, York, Cambridge, and Canterbury whereas the famous cities people visit here in are London, Edinburgh, and Manchester and Palace of Westminster, London Eye, and Edinburgh Castle are the notable tourist attractions.
Indian Visitors planning to visit the UK require to hold the valid UK Visitor Visa to enter into the UK and have a wonderful holiday. Visitor Visa is also known as a Standard Visitor visa is applied through the UK Visas and Immigration website – UKVI.
Click here – Small engine problems and basic arrangements
Visitor Visa application in India is processed offline except for the form filling and submission of the documents which is done online. The submission of the online documents is done at the VFS center. The applicant needs to submit the passport to get the visa stamped.
Steps to be followed:
- Filling Online Form
- Online submission of the form
- Make the payment
- Schedule the appointment
- Arrange required documents as per the UKVI checklist
- Visit the VFS center to submit the documents & biometrics
- Visa processing – 13 – 15 days
- Collection of the Passport
Visa process
Before applying for the visa it is necessary to check whether the applicant meets the criteria set by the Immigration department that includes the social and economical ties in the origin country, sufficient funds, the purpose of the travel, and exit the UK before the visa expires.
The processing of the UK visa is divided into two parts, the first step will be the is online form filling and payments and next will be documents submission, and biometrics are done at the VFS center. Documents are scanned at the center and uploaded with the form and passport is collected from the applicant for stamping the visa.
Visitor Visa form is filled online on the UKVI website including the details of the applicant’s passport, family, education, employment, the purpose of travel, expenses to borne by, and inviter if any is applicable.
After filling up the form make sure to get it checked, and verified thoroughly as it is to be submitted online. After submitting the form online the payment for the consulate and the VFS is to be made with the help of credit or debit card.
Once the form is submitted online, payment is done, the next step will be to schedule an appointment at the nearby VFS center for the available dates and time slots.
While visiting the center, make sure to carry all the documents on A4 size paper as all the documents are scanned and later the applicant is guided for biometrics.
Visa is processed in 13 -15 days some applications may take a longer time than usual as it varies applicant to applicant if the consulate finds the documents irrelevant or they are not convinced with the purpose of the travel of the applicant
Click here – Top 4 Benefits of an Automatic Soap Dispenser
Passport is to be collected from the VFS center once the mail is received once the decision is made. Visit the VFS after 24 hours on receiving the mail or can get it couriered to your residence or office as per the convenience.
VFS centers are located in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Jalandhar, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad are some of the centers which accept the applications.
UK Visitor Visa Requirements
Original Passport
Visa Form
Document Checklist
Cover letter addressing to The British High Commission
Income Tax Returns
Employment Papers
Leave Letter
Travel itinerary
Any other financial documents
Inviter’s documents if applicable
Sponsor’s documents if applicable
All these documents are required to be submitted and some may differ according to the application.
Visa Fees
UK Visa applications can be done 90 days before the intended travel date and the processing times vary as per the application made. Visa is processed in 3 categories of normal services, priority service, and super-priority services.
| Tourist / Visit Visa | 6 Months | 2 Years | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| Consulate Charges | INR 9,250 | INR 35,500 | INR 63,000 | INR 79,000 |
| VFS Charges | INR 1,000 | INR 1,000 | INR 1,000 | INR 1,000 |
| Service Charge | INR 2,000 | INR 2,000 | INR 2,000 | INR 2,000 |
| Priority Service 5 Days | INR 20,500 | INR 20,500 | INR 20,50 | INR 20,500 |
| Super Priority Service 2 Days | INR 88,500 | INR 88,500 | INR 88,500 | INR 88,500 |
Visitors traveling to the UK from India have to apply for the Visitor visa that is processed in 13-15 days in the normal category with the charges of INR 10,250/-.
