When applying for a UK visitor visa, you need to submit several documents to prove your eligibility to be issued with the visa. The UK authorities will pass the documents you submit and aid in deciding whether to issue you a UK visitor visa.
A distinct set of documentation is needed for every UK visa. You must gather all of these documents, the specifics of which are determined by the type of visa you seek. You will then be required to hand them up on the day of your interview.
Be certain that the requirements that the required documents for the UK visa that you are applying for meet the standards that the UK Home Office has established.
Your application runs the risk of being delayed or denied if you fail to submit the required evidence or documentation that is deemed adequate.
In this article, we have details on what documents you need for a UK visitor visa and the format of the required documents.
Except for passports, all other needed documents can be photocopies, scans, or originals. If you submit a document not written in English or Welsh, the Home Office will require a certified translation. Each translated version should include the following :
If you are simultaneously applying as a family or group, only one set of each document is required.
The following documents are needed when applying for a UK visitor visa. Even if you submit the documents below, there is no assurance that your application for a visit visa will be approved.
When making reservations of any kind, especially if you need to apply for a visitor's visa, you must remember this information.
1. Passport
You are required to submit a current passport or another valid travel document together with any application you submit whenever visiting the UK.
Some people holding passports may have to prove their identity and nationality further. The passport needs to contain at least one blank page.
2. Reasons for travel and prove you are genuine
You must demonstrate that you are a genuine visitor visiting the United Kingdom to perform an authorized activity.
More so, you will depart the United Kingdom at the end of your visit, and you have sufficient finances to cover all reasonable expenditures related to your visit if you wish to visit the United Kingdom.
If you want to visit the United Kingdom, you must establish that you are a genuine visitor coming to the United Kingdom to do a permitted activity.
It is strongly suggested that you supply information on the circumstances in your home country and specifics regarding the activity you will be engaging in while you are in the United Kingdom.
The documents you must submit to prove this depends on your travel reason and per the Immigration Rules for Visitors.
3. If you’re a child (under 18)
You must show a formal document that proves you are related to at least one of your parents or guardians.
It could be a birth certificate or paperwork about your adoption. There are different ways to do this.
If your parents or guardians are not also asking for a visa, you must give a copy of the photo page from at least one of their passports. The parent or guardian should sign this copy and put their ID number on it.
If your parent or guardian has no passport, you must show another official paper with their signature.
3 . 1 When traveling without your parent or guardian
You must prove that your parent or guardian knows about your trip plans and has permitted you to travel to the United Kingdom to prove that you are old enough. If you don't, your application might not be accepted.
You need a letter signed by a parent or legal guardian that confirms your trip plans and has the following information :
4. If you have a sponsor
If you are being sponsored to travel to the UK and the sponsor is covering the travel expenses like maintenance and accommodation, you are required to provide the below documents as proof :
5. Visiting for training, research, or paid engagements
5 . 1 Academics coming to undertake research (12-month visa)
You need to demonstrate that you have high qualifications and are currently employed in your profession in an academic or higher education institution. For example, you may provide the following :
You should find out if you need a tuberculosis test
If you plan on bringing family members to the UK, you need to determine whether or not they must undergo a tuberculosis test
5 . 2 Performers at one or more permit-free festivals
A letter of invitation from the event's organizers detailing the dates of your performances and the terms of your compensation can be helpful.
5 . 3 Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test and Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) test
You must present a letter confirming your examination issued by either the General Medical Council or the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
5 . 4 Work-related training – unpaid clinical attachments and dental observer posts
You will be required to show evidence that you have been offered a dental observer position or a clinical attachment, that the position does not entail the direct treatment of patients, and that you have not previously participated in this activity in the United Kingdom.
5 . 5 Permitted Paid Engagements
You will have to submit a letter of invitation from a relevant group in the UK that says why and how long you are doing the job.
Depending on the type of job, you may be asked to show proof of your expertise or professional status in your home country.
6. Visiting for private medical treatment
6 . 1 Private Medical Treatments
You will have to submit a letter written by a doctor or consultant that includes,
If you're applying for an 11-month visa, you should find out if you need a TB test.
If you want to stay longer in the UK to receive private medical care, you must provide the following evidence :
6 . 2 Organ donors
You need to submit a letter from the head nurse of the transplant team or a GMC-registered specialist that says the following and is written no more than three months before you plan to arrive in the UK :
You must provide evidence that the beneficiary is authorized to live in the United Kingdom, such as a copy of the recipient's British passport or residency permission.
You need to give information about the intended recipient's name, nationality, and date of birth if they are applying for a visa at the same time and are not legally residing in the UK.
7. Visiting for your marriage or civil partnership
If you are not from the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you must apply for a marriage or civil partnership visitor visa to come to the UK to get married, form a civil partnership, or give notice.
After July 1, 2021, people from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland who want to get married or start a civil partnership in the UK must apply for a marriage or civil partnership tourist visa.
You must prove that you want to give notice, marry, or enter a civil partnership. It could confirm that you have a meeting with a registrar or that your reception is booked.
If you have been married or in a civil partnership in the past, you must show proof that you are no longer banned from getting married or starting a civil partnership. You should be older than 18.
8. Passing through the UK in transit
You are needed to produce evidence that :
9. Documents that will not hold water as evidence
Below are documents that, even if you add to your application or try to use as proof, are useless :
Note : You may be prompted to provide more than the above documents when applying for a UK visit visa.
