How To Get A Tourist Visa For London
Are you staying in the UK for a short time and need help getting a tourist visa for London?
A tourist visa for London, UK is relatively simple to get and allows you to stay in the country for up to six months (depending on which country you’re from). This article explains how to get a tourist visa for London.
London is a very popular tourist destination. Many visitors and expats in the UK want to travel to London, but they don’t know how to go about getting a visa. One of the easier ways to travel visa-free to London is via the US visa waiver programme.
How To Get A Tourist Visa For London
If you’re like many others, you’re looking for an answer to a question: How do I get a UK tourist visa ? Visits to the visa section of your UK embassy’s website are rising sharply in popularity. We’ll try to explain some things so you know exactly what you’re dealing with when it comes to visas for the UK.
So you’ve decided to visit the capital city of the UK, and would like to stay for a period of three months. Before applying for a UK visa, you should make sure you meet all the requirements. Some of these include:
Apply for a Standard Visitor visa
If you need a Standard Visitor visa, you must apply online before you travel to the UK and attend an appointment at a visa application centre.
The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
You must meet the eligibility requirements and only do permitted activities.
Depending on your nationality, you may not need a visa to visit the UK. You can check if you need a visa before you apply.
Visa fees
You can apply for a Standard Visitor visa, or if you visit the UK regularly you can choose to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa instead.
| Fee | Maximum length of stay | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Visitor visa | £100 | 6 months |
| Standard Visitor visa for medical reasons | £200 | 11 months |
| Standard Visitor visa for academics | £200 | 12 months |
| 2 year long-term Standard Visitor visa | £376 | 6 months per visit |
| 5 year long-term Standard Visitor visa | £670 | 6 months per visit |
| 10 year long-term Standard Visitor visa | £837 | 6 months per visit |
Apply online
Once you’ve started your application you can save your form and complete it later.
If you’re applying with family members, each person must have their own application and pay the fee. They need to attend their own appointment at a visa application centre.
You can apply on behalf of your partner and child, if they cannot apply for themselves.
Your application will not be accepted and you will not get a refund if you have the right of abode in the UK (for example you’re a British citizen). You need to apply for a certificate of entitlement instead.
Continue your application
You can sign back into your application if you’ve saved it.
Check your email and follow the link to return to your application.
Long-term Standard Visitor visas
You can choose to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa if you visit the UK regularly. This visa lasts 2, 5 or 10 years. You can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.
If you’re under 18 years old when you apply, your long-term Standard Visitor visa will only be valid for up to 6 months after you turn 18. You cannot get a refund on the fee.
You may be given a shorter visa than requested if UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) believe you cannot meet the eligibility requirements for the duration of the visa you applied for.
You will not get a refund of the application fee if you get a shorter visa or if your application is refused.
Your visa may be cancelled if your travel history shows you are repeatedly living in the UK for extended periods.
Documents and information you’ll need to apply
You must have a passport or travel document that is valid for the whole of your stay in the UK. There must be a blank page in your passport for your Standard Visitor visa.
You’ll need to provide the following information in your online application:
- the dates you’re planning to travel to the UK
- where you’ll be staying during your visit
- how much you think your trip will cost
- your current home address and how long you’ve lived there
- your parents’ names and dates of birth (if known)
- how much you earn in a year (if you have an income)
- details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences you may have committed