UK Visitor Visas

To apply for a UK visitor visa you will need to complete an online application. After you fill in the form, the visitor will need to have their fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre. Check where their nearest visa application centre is before you apply because it might be in a different country.

Documents you’ll need to include

You’ll need to include documents that support their application when you send it off. The online form will give you guidance on what to include, but here are some things to keep in mind.

If your documents aren’t in English or Welsh, you’ll need to provide certified English translations of your documents with the originals. Each translation has to include:

• confirmation from the translator that it’s an accurate translation of the original
• the date of the translation
• the translator’s full name and signature
• the translator’s contact details

Prove they’ll be returning to their country after their visit

You could show proof your visitor has a job or studies to go back to in their home country. You can also show they have family who depends on them in their home country.

Prove there’s enough money for the trip

You’ll have to provide evidence to show that the visitor’s trip can be afforded, whether it’s being paid for by them or by you.

If the visitor is paying for themselves, they’ll have to include documents proving that they can afford it, for example, bank statements or payslips.

If you’re paying for their visit (eg for their flights and accommodation), you’ll need to prove that you can afford the visitor’s trip as well as your own costs – for example your rent, mortgage and general expenses.

Include:

• an estimate of how much the trip will cost – this needs to be as accurate as possible
• proof of your income and where you work, for example, payslips or an employment contract
• proof that you have enough money to pay for the visitor’s stay, for example, recent bank statements
• proof that you’re in the UK legally, for example, a copy of your passport or visa

Prove you have a genuine relationship

You’ll have to show how you’re connected to the person visiting you.

If the person visiting you is a friend, boyfriend or girlfriend, you might need to give stronger proof they’ll be returning to their country after their visit. You can get a visitor visa invitation letter from the person inviting you to visit.

Challenging a Visitor’s Visa Refusal

You can challenge the refusal of your UK visitor visa application by way of Pre-action Protocol (PAP) and Judicial Review (JR) if your visitor visa has been refused wrongly and unlawfully. The refusal rate is very high in UK visitor visa applications.