This guide is provided free of charge and is for use outside the UK only.
You should read this information guide to help you decide which documents will be useful in supporting the statements that you have made on your visa application form (VAF). It is not a list of documents that you must submit. We do not expect you to provide all of the documents listed below, it is for you to decide which documents are most relevant to your application. If you submit a document that is not in English or Welsh, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office. Each translated document must contain: confirmation from the translator that it is an accurate translation of the original document; the date of the translation; the translator's full name and signature; and the translator's contact details.
The submission of all or any of these documents does not guarantee that your application will be successful.
Information about you These documents are important because they provide information about your personal circumstances in the country in which you are applying. A current and valid travel document or passport One passport sized colour photograph Evidence of your permission to be in the country where you are applying, if you are not a national of that country Previous passports Evidence of your marital status Evidence of your current employment or studies We will not issue a visa if you do not have a valid passport or travel document to put the visa in. This must comply with the requirements in our photo guidance This could be a residence permit, ‘green card’ or valid visa showing your current immigration status. These are to show your previous travel history This could include a marriage certificate, a civil partnership certificate, a divorce certificate or a death certificate This could include: a letter from your employer on company headed paper – detailing your salary and the length of your employment, confirming that you have been given time off work, and stating whether this time off is paid or unpaid. You should consider submitting further documents which could support an employment letter, such as, pay slips or tax returns. If you have recently entered new employment you should consider providing details of your previous employment and salary history. a letter from your education provider on headed paper –confirming your enrolment and leave of absence business registration documents confirming the business owner’s name and the date when the business started trading
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Information about your finances and employment You can submit any of the following financial documents. You should consider including evidence of your total monthly income from all sources, for example employment, friends, family, personal savings or property. This will help us assess your circumstances in your own country and will provide us with evidence of how your trip is to be funded. You should consider providing this information even if someone else is paying for your trip. - If someone else is paying for your trip then they should consider providing the same information about their finances and employment. - If you are providing documents from a joint account then please explain who the other account holders are, and why you have permission to spend money from the account - If your spouse or partner is employed then the Entry Clearance Officer would also like to see evidence of their employment and financial details. Bank statements or bank books Showing what has been paid in and out of an account for up to the previous six months, and naming the account holder. If you have made deposits in your account that are not in keeping with the account history then you may wish to explain the origins and timing of these deposits. Showing the account balance, the account holder’s name and the date when the account was opened. If you provide this document you should consider providing additional documents to show the origins of the money in your account. Covering up to the previous six months. If your salary is paid directly into your bank account, you should consider providing the statements showing these payments You could include recent documents from your government tax office, confirming your income and the amount of tax that you have paid If you include these you may wish to explain why you are allowed to spend the money from a business account if you are on a private visit This could include property deeds, mortgage statements, tenancy agreements, accountant’s letters, land registration documents or crop receipts. If the property or land is registered in several names, you may wish to explain how much you own. If the money earned from the land is shared, you may wish to say how it is divided
Bank letter or balance certificate
Payslips
Tax returns (business or personal) Business bank account statements Evidence of income from property or land
Accommodation and travel details You may wish to submit the following documents to help show us your accommodation and travel arrangements in the UK and on which date you intend to leave the UK. We advise that you do not make any payments for accommodation, travel and so on until you have received your visa. Details of accommodation and return travel bookings This could be: hotel booking confirmation (usually email) travel booking confirmation (can be email or copy of tickets) travel agent confirmation of both accommodation details with a supporting letter from the occupant confirming that you are able to stay there
Information about your visit to the UK Depending on the reason for your visit, you may wish to provide some of the following documents to help to show us what you plan to do while you are in the UK. In some locations you can only apply by making an online application. You should check on our supported countries page to see if you have to or if you are able to make an online application. If you make an online application you must also print off the application form and submit it with any supporting documents you have chosen to submit.
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General Visitor/ Tourist Completed visa application form A planned itinerary, if you have one If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1A. This could include: bookings or tickets for any excursions, trips and outings email conversations about any excursions, trips and outings travel agent bookings If you are visiting a friend you may wish to include a letter of invitation from them as well as their financial documents, as outlined in the finances and employment section above. You should also consider supplying evidence of their immigration status in the UK, this could be copies of: bio-data pages from their passports valid visa or immigration stamp from their passport Home Office letter confirming permission to stay in the UK Family Visitor The family members you are visiting must be permanently settled or have asylum/humanitarian protection status in the UK. They must also be related to you in one of the following ways: Spouse, civil partner, father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister; Grandfather, grandmother, grandson or granddaughter; Spouse or civil partner’s father, mother, brother or sister; Son or daughter’s spouse or civil partner; Stepfather, stepmother, stepson, stepdaughter, stepbrother or stepsister; or - Unmarried partner where the couple have been in a relationship akin to marriage or civil partnership for at least the two years before the day the application is made and the relationship is genuine and subsisting
Supporting letter(s) from your friend or sponsor in the UK
If you are not related to the person you are visiting in one of the specified ways listed above or if they are not permanently settled or have asylum/humanitarian protection in the UK, then you should apply as a general visitor and complete VAF1A. Completed visa application form A planned itinerary, if you have one If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1B This could include: bookings or tickets for any excursions, trips and outings email conversations about any excursions, trips and outings travel agent bookings If you are visiting a family member you may wish to include a letter of invitation from them as well as their financial documents, as outlined in the finances and employment section above. You must also supply evidence of their immigration status in the UK demonstrating that they are permanently settled or have asylum/humanitarian status in the UK this could be copies of: bio-data pages from their passports valid visa or immigration stamp from their passport Home Office letter or Residence Permit confirming permission to stay in the UK
Evidence and supporting letter from your family member in the UK that you intend to visit
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Business Visitor Completed visa application form Evidence of who invited you to the UK Evidence of any previous dealings with the UK company that you are visiting If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1C A letter of invitation from the business on their official headed paper confirming who you will be visiting, staying with or supported by during your visit. This could include any evidence of business meetings email conversations company activities/ invoices
Permitted Paid Engagements This is a special visitor category which enables a few very specific paid engagements or activities to be undertaken. The maximum duration for this visa is 1 month. Completed visa application form If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1C The Immigration Rules require that you must have a formal invitation from the institution, organization or authority for whom you will be paid by.
Evidence of the engagements/activities you will undertake Demonstrate that you are qualified to perform the paid engagements or that the engagements relate to your area of expertise, qualifications or occupation.
This could be: official or educational qualification certificates a letter from your employer confirming your current employment and expertise in the relevant field.
Prospective Entrepreneur
This is a special visitor category created to enable individuals to come to secure funding in order to set up or run a business in the UK with a view to meeting the financial criteria under Tier 1 Entrepreneur route within 6 months. This category has specific documentary requirements.
Completed visa application form Evidence required under the Immigration Rules
If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1C The Immigration Rules require that you must provide:: a letter from one or more registered venture capitalist firms regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority supporting the application; and / or a letter from one or more UK Government Departments** supporting the application; and / or a letter from one or more UK entrepreneurial seed funding competitions which is listed as endorsed on the UK Trade & Investment website.
A definition for Venture Capitalists can be found on the Business Link website. Venture Capitalists must be regulated as venture capitalists by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). See the FCA website.
** Please see Direct.gov website for information on UK Government Departments.
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Requirements for letters of support
Each letter must: be an original document and not a copy; be on the institution’s official headed paper; have been issued and signed by an authorised official of that institution; and have been produced within the three months immediately before the date of your visa application. The letter has specific content requirements. To ensure that you meet these requirements you should read the information set out in the main Gov.uk web pages and paragraph 56 (O) of the Immigration Rules.
Student Visitor Completed visa application form Evidence that you have been unconditionally accepted or enrolled on a course of study in the UK If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1D This would normally be a letter of acceptance from the UK educational institution on their official headed paper providing the following details name of the course duration of the course cost of the course (including accommodation if appropriate) This could include a certificate of award academic reference or transcript This could include test result certificate (for example IELTS,PTE Academic etc) certificate of award (for degrees taught in English) This could include a variety of any of the financial documents outlined above in the finances section. You should also consider supplying evidence of their immigration status in the UK, this could be copies of: bio-data pages from their passports valid visa or immigration stamp from their passport Home Office letter confirming permission to stay in the UK Residents from certain countries applying for a visa to come to the UK for longer than 6 months need to get a certificate confirming that they are free from infectious Tuberculosis (TB) before applying for a visa. A list of these countries along with information on TB testing can be found on the Gov.UK pages.
Evidence of any previous study or qualifications gained Evidence of any English language ability or qualifications Evidence of your financial sponsor’s occupation, income and any savings or assets they have, as well as any funds they have set aside specifically to pay for your studies
Tuberculosis (TB) testing (where applicable) for student visitors studying English language courses only longer than 6 months
Academic Visitor Completed visa application form Evidence that you have been invited to the UK by the academic institution you will attend Evidence that you have been working as an academic in an institution of higher education or in the field of your academic expertise immediately prior to your visa application. If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1E This could include your formal letter of invitation confirming what you will be doing at the academic institution and the terms on which you have been invited.
This could include evidence of business meetings email conversations company activities employment contract
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Details of any grants or bursaries relevant to your application
This could include documents from the donor on their official headed paper providing details of the bursary or grant that you have been awarded
Marriage Visitor Completed visa application form Evidence to show that arrangements have been made for the marriage or civil partnership to take place during your visit or if not, that you have given the appropriate notification Evidence to show that you are free to marry or enter into a civil partnership If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1F This could include: evidence that you have given notification of marriage to the registry office in the UK where your partner lives details of the marriage or civil partnership and evidence of money paid towards costs related to it This could include a: decree nisi decree absolute death certificate of a previous partner
Private Medical Visitor Completed visa application form Evidence that the hospital or clinic has agreed to treat you If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1G This could include: appointment letter from the hospital detailing the cost and duration of treatment letter from your consultant This could include a variety of any of the financial documents outlined above in the finances section
Evidence to show how the treatment is being paid for
Medical visitor (Organ donor)- in addition to General visitor Documents Where you are applying to act as an organ donor, or to be assessed as an organ donor, to someone resident in the UK who is receiving treatment on the NHS Completed visa application form Evidence that you are a donor match If your country does not support online applications you must complete and submit a VAF1A This must include: a letter from your consultant confirming: that preliminary tests confirm that you are a match with the patient; the likely duration of the process including scheduled date for operation, anticipated period of hospitalisation of donor and any recuperation time prior to being able to travel.
Visitor in Transit and Direct Airside Transit Completed visa application form If your country does not support online applications and you are a Visitor in Transit you must complete and submit a VAF1H you are applying for a Direct Airside Transit visa you must complete and submit a VAF6
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Evidence that the earliest onward passage from the UK has been booked/confirmed, and that it is either within 24 hours of arrival in the UK for Direct Airside Transit or 48 hours of arrival in the UK for Visitor in Transit Evidence that you are assured entry into the onward country that you are travelling to
This could be: travel booking confirmation (can be email or copy of tickets) travel agent confirmation
This could be: a residence permit ‘green card’ valid visa
Sports Visitor and Entertainer Visitor Completed visa application form If your country does not support online applications and you are a Sports visitor you must complete and submit a VAF1J you are an Entertainer visitor you must complete and submit a VAF1K This would normally be an invitation letter from the organisers of the event on their official headed paper. This could be provided by an official sporting or entertainment organisation, confirming who you will be visiting, staying with or supported by during your visit.
Evidence of your invitation to attend the event Supporting letters from any sponsor’s
Information about children The Home Office has an obligation under Section 55 of the Borders, Citizenship and Immigration Act 2009 to safeguard the welfare of children. This means that if you apply as a child visitor we will want to know who your parents are, who you are travelling with and that there are adequate care arrangements for you in the UK. If you are an adult (other than the parent or legal guardian) travelling with a child, you may be asked to present the parents’ or legal guardian’s written consent. If you are the child’s parent, you may be asked to provide evidence of the other parent’s consent if they are not travelling with you. The Entry Clearance Officer may wish to see: the child’s birth certificate a signed and dated letter from the child’s parent or guardian an official letter from an authority confirming guardianship
