UK Visitor Visa Application: £135 & How to Apply

Who Needs a UK Visitor Visa

The UK Standard Visitor Visa is required for nationals of visa-required countries — including India, Nigeria, China, Pakistan, and most of Africa and South Asia — who want to visit the United Kingdom for tourism, visiting family or friends, business meetings and conferences, private medical treatment, or a course of study of up to 6 months at an accredited institution (recreational courses are capped at 30 days).

Each stay is capped at 6 months, whatever the visa's validity. You cannot work, and you cannot access public funds. Officers may also question your intentions if previous visits show you spending more time in the UK than in your home country — the visa is not a route to living in the UK through back-to-back visits.

One point that catches travellers out: the UK is not part of the Schengen Area, so a Schengen visa does not admit you to the UK. If you are unsure whether you need a visa at all, use the "Check if you need a UK visa" tool on gov.uk.

What It Costs

The long-term visas are multiple entry, but each individual stay is still limited to 6 months. If you visit the UK regularly, a 2-year visa at £506 is cheaper than applying twice at £135 each time — and you skip the repeat paperwork.

Two things worth knowing before you pay: there is no reduced fee for children — every applicant pays the same — and the fee is non-refundable if you are refused. Also budget for the visa application centre's service charges (typically £50-80).

How Long It Takes

Gov.uk's standard for visitor visas is around 3 weeks from your biometric appointment, and most decisions arrive within that window — but allow up to 6 weeks in busy periods. Application volumes peak roughly from April to August and again in December, and high-volume countries such as India regularly see the longer end of that range. Apply at least 4-6 weeks before your travel date.

Priority (£500) and Super Priority (£1,000) buy a faster decision, not a better one — approval odds are unchanged. During peak summer months these slots often sell out in high-volume countries, so book early if you genuinely need one.

The Application Process

1. 1Complete the online form on gov.uk. Answer every question truthfully and consistently — you will receive a GWF reference number to track your application.
2. 2Pay the visa fee online by debit or credit card.
3. 3Book a biometric appointment at your nearest visa application centre (run by VFS Global or TLS Contact depending on your country).
4. 4Attend the appointment. You will provide fingerprints and a photo and submit your documents; the appointment typically takes 30-60 minutes.
5. 5Wait for the decision and track your status online. If approved, you receive an eVisa linked to your passport — check the details in your UKVI online account for errors before travelling.

The Documents That Matter Most

Bank statements. Six months of statements is the standard expectation. There is no official minimum balance, but officers typically expect funds of roughly £150 per day of your stay plus flight costs — for a 2-week trip, showing £3,000-£4,000 is a sensible target. Officers read the pattern, not just the closing balance: regular income deposits that match your stated employment strengthen you, while a large unexplained deposit shortly before applying is treated with suspicion rather than as extra strength.

Employment evidence. A letter on company letterhead stating your position, start date, salary, and approved leave dates, backed by recent payslips. Self-employed applicants should provide business registration, tax returns, and business bank statements alongside personal accounts.

Ties to home. Property documents, evidence of family who remain at home, or an ongoing business all help demonstrate you will return.

Accommodation and travel. A hotel confirmation covering your stay, or — if staying with a host — their invitation letter plus proof of their address and immigration status.

TB certificate. Not needed for a standard 6-month visit. TB test certificates only apply to applications for stays of more than 6 months (and a few routes such as fiancé(e) visas). If you later apply for a longer-stay route from a listed country (including India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, and the Philippines), the test must come from an approved clinic and is valid for 6 months.

Cover letter. Not required, but strongly recommended — it ties your documents into a coherent story. See our cover letter guide.

How Officers Assess Your Application

The Entry Clearance Officer (ECO) applies the "genuine visitor" test in paragraph V 4.2 of the Immigration Rules. You must show that you (a) will leave the UK at the end of your visit, (b) will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits or make it your main home, (c) are genuinely seeking entry for a purpose permitted under the visitor routes, (d) will not undertake any prohibited activities, and (e) have sufficient funds — including for your return or onward journey — without working or accessing public funds.

This is a holistic judgement of your whole situation — strong bank statements alone will not overcome weak ties. Profiles that tend to do well combine stable employment, funds that comfortably cover the trip, a specific and plausible purpose, and previous compliant travel. Factors that raise questions include close family already in the UK, self-employment with income that is hard to verify, and requesting the full 6 months for what is described as a short holiday.

Common Refusal Reasons

• Insufficient evidence of ties to your home country (employment, property, family)
• Inadequate financial documentation, unclear source of funds, or recent large deposits
• Inconsistencies between the application form and supporting documents
• Previous immigration violations or overstays — in the UK or elsewhere
• Vague or unconvincing travel plans
• A UK sponsor whose immigration status, income, or relationship to you cannot be verified

What to Do After a Refusal

UK refusal letters are typically several pages of detailed prose citing the specific paragraphs the ECO relied on — read every line, because it tells you exactly what to fix. The visa fee is not refunded. Your realistic option is:

• Fresh application. There is no waiting period, but reapplying with the same documents typically produces the same result. Wait until something material has changed, address every point in the refusal letter, and use your cover letter to present the new evidence calmly rather than arguing with the previous decision.
• Administrative Review is not available for visitor refusals. AR (£80, within 28 days) exists only for certain other routes — your decision letter will say if you are eligible. For visitor refusals, the only legal challenge is judicial review, which is expensive, slow, and rarely proportionate.

There is no general right of appeal for visitor visa refusals — appeals are broadly limited to human rights grounds. Finally, declare the refusal honestly on all future applications, to the UK and elsewhere: concealing it is far more damaging than the refusal itself.