The United Kingdom Visa: Application Centres, Procedures and Appointment Booking

Planning to travel to the UK? You will first need a valid visa before you can start. Whether you are travelling for work, want to pursue higher education, travel, or visit your family, you will need a visa. And the type of visa that you need will depend on a few factors such as the country that you are travelling from, the reason for visiting the UK, the length of your stay and your skills and personal circumstances.

Different visa types

Depending on your length of stay and purpose of visit, there are different visa types that you can choose from. The following are some of the most widely applied visa types for the UK.

1. Study visa

This visa type is applicable when you want to study in the UK on a temporary basis.

2. Work visa

Also known as a work permit, allow you permission to work in the UK.

3. Business visa

You can visit the UK for a duration of 6 months for business-related activities.

4. Tourist visa

You can visit the UK for a duration of 6 months for leisure or other purposes.

Visa application centre

To apply for a UK visa, you can take the help of outsourcing and technology partners such as VFS Global. The following are all the locations where you will find a visa application centre for the UK.

The visa application centres are available at a few other locations as well, but you will need to check their working days and timings.

Visa application procedure

Here is a simple guide to help you through the process of applying for a UK visa.

1. Choose the right visa type

The first step involves you doing a bit of research before deciding on the right type of visa for your travel needs. You can check the UK government website to choose the right visa type.

2. Visa application form

The next step requires you to visit the UK government website and apply for your visa. You will need to fill out the online form with all relevant details.

3. Paying the application fees

On completing the application form, you will need to pay the necessary fees for the visa. After you pay the necessary fees, you will receive a reference number, which usually starts with GWF. Ensure that you keep a note of this number since it will be used for any future reference.

4. Booking appointment

When you complete the above steps, you will be redirected to book an appointment for your biometric data collection at a Visa Application Centre. You can choose any additional services, for which you will need to pay service charges.

5. Upload supporting documents

You can start uploading all the supporting documents that you have for your visa application on the portal. If you do not have access to a scanner, you can upload the documents to the Visa Application Centre, which usually charges a small fee.

6. Visit the application centre

You must then visit the Visa Application Centre to complete the remaining processes. You must be physically present for this step and cannot send anyone else.

Once the above steps are done, you just need to wait and track your application status. When a decision has been made about your visa application form, you will receive an email communication. You can then pick your passport up from the visa application centre or it will be delivered to your registered address if you have elected for that option.

Booking appointment for visa

To book an appointment at a visa application centre, you must first complete the online application form and pay the visa fees. On the payment of the visa fee, you will receive a reference number. Using the reference number and your registered email address, you can log in to the VFS portal to schedule your appointment.

You can access the same portal to reschedule or cancel your appointment due to any emergency or can opt for additional services on offer.

Now that you are aware of the visa application process, you can proceed with planning for your UK trip and take the necessary steps.