United Kingdom visa requirements

As of now, there is no UK visa on arrival for Indian citizens. If any Indian citizen wants to visit the United Kingdom for any reason like travelling, transiting, for study or work purposes, they need to apply for their visa type as per their purpose of visit.

Some of the UK visa types have sub-categories according to purpose and duration of stay. Applicants need to fulfil all the requirements to get these visas. Here, you will find information on UK visa requirements for Indian citizens.

UK Tourist Visa Requirements for Indian Citizens

A UK tourist visa is issued to Indian nationals for short-term purposes and is usually issued for a 6-month duration. However, under certain circumstances, the validity of a tourist visa can be extended for 2.5 or 10 years.

However, the duration of stay for each visa entry is up to 6 months. Tourist visas have been categorised under the following categories as per the purpose of the visit.

Standard Tourist Visa: This visa allows entry into the UK for tourism, visiting family and friends, and short-term medical treatment. You can stay up to 6 months on this visa. The validity of this visa can be extended for up to 10 years. However, you need to provide reason and circumstantial evidence for your extension.

Transit Visa: A UK transit visa is required if you are transiting from the UK to another country. There are two types of transit visas issued to individuals; these are direct airside transit visas (DATV) if you are not going through UK border control.

The second is a visitor with a transit visa if you are going through UK border control but leaving within 48 hours.

Marriage Visa: A marriage visa is issued to individuals who want to visit the UK to get married or register a civil partnership in the UK or for any marriage-related reason. This visa allows you to stay in the country for up to 6 months, within which you need to fulfil all your marriage-related requirements.

UK Visa Documents Requirements for Indian Citizens: Tourist Visa

Travel Documents: Confirmed flight ticket details, pre-booked and confirmed hotel details (with name and address), confirmed dates of your duration of stay.

Financial Documents: Bank statements showing your current balance, name, and address of the person if someone is paying for your visit.

Other Documents: Past 10 years travel history for individuals applying for standard tourist visa with 10 years validity

Partner’s name, date of birth, and passport number, and if you have any family members in the UK, provide their name, address, and passport number.

For individuals applying for a marriage visa, they need to provide details of their marriage or civil partnership. Along with this, you need to provide proof that you have paid money for the marriage cost and are planning to marry in the UK, for example, booking details of the marriage venue.

UK Study Visa Requirements for Indian Citizens

A UK student visa is issued to people wishing to visit the UK to do some short-term courses or pursue their higher education there. Based on duration and student age, this visa has been categorised as follows:**

Short-term Study Visa: This visa is applied to students who are pursuing a short-term course that is more than 6 months and lasts up to 11 months.

Student Visa: A UK student visa can be issued to you if you have been offered a place in a course by a licensed student sponsor or have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course.

Along with this, you should also know how to speak, write and read the English language. The duration of your stay depends on the course duration, and you are permitted to stay from 2 to 5 years in the UK under a student visa.

Child Student Visa: This visa is issued to individuals who are between the ages of 4 years and 17 years and want to study at an independent school in the UK.

This visa is only issued if you have an unconditional offer in a course at an independent school, have access to enough money to support your course expenses, and have evidence that your legal guardians have consented to go to the UK.

The visa allows you to stay in the UK for a duration of 3 years to 6 years and some additional months afterwards.

[Note:** Along with the student visa fees, there is an additional fee as a healthcare surcharge that is part of your UK visa application online and compulsory to pay for every study visa type.]

UK Visa Documents Requirements for Indian Citizens: Study Visa**

Travel Documents: Valid passport with blank pages for your visa, details of where you intend to stay, and your travel plans (wait to pay for accommodation until you get the visa).

Financial Documents: Bank statements of the past few months showing your balance to prove your ability to support yourself and your course of study.

Educational Documents: Provide proof of your course, such as a letter of acceptance from the educational institution, including details like course name, duration, and cost (accommodation included).

Other Documents: Contact details of at least one parent or guardian in the home country for students under 18 years of age.

Students under 18 years of age who are travelling alone need to provide written consent from both or one of their parents or guardians. The consent will be for your visa application, UK accommodation, and travel.

If a student is travelling with an adult (above 18), then they need to identify the said adult and provide their details like name, address, and relation with them.

UK Work Visa Requirements for Indian Citizens

The UK government issues about 12 types of work visas to Indian citizens based on their skills, ancestry, and knowledge. Some of these visas are issued under government schemes, and others are for individuals wanting to work in the UK. These visa types are:**

Skilled worker visa, senior or specialist worker visa,

Graduate trainee visa, scale-up worker visa,

UK ancestry visa,

Charity worker visa (temporary work),

Government-authorised exchange visa (temporary work),

Service supplier visa, international agreement visa (temporary work),

Secondment worker visa, high potential individual (HPI) visa,

India young professionals scheme visa.

You need to select which work visa is correct for you and apply for it. The visa validity period of these work visas is from 6 months to up to 5 years (extendable). Moreover, you can even apply for permanent residency after working under certain conditions.

UK Visa Documents Requirements for Indian Citizens: Work Visa**

Travel Documents: Valid passport and other travel documents proving your identity and nationality.

Financial Documents: Bank statements proving you have enough personal savings to support yourself in the UK. For people on sponsorship, their sponsorship certificate must indicate your sponsor will support your finances.

Employment Documents: Individuals need to provide the name of their employer and their sponsor licence number. Moreover, the job title, occupation code, and annual salary details are also required.

Other Documents: Applicants need to provide criminal record certificates for specific jobs such as social worker, medical professional, professor, etc.

Proof of relationship with your spouse or children if they have applied with you.

ATAS and UK PhD certificate documents for individuals who are working in the research field and have completed their qualification from outside the UK.

[Note: For more detailed and latest information regarding the UK visa requirements for Indians, visit the official websites of the British High Commission New Delhi and the UK Government.]

<td>DATV Transit Visa </td>
<td>35</td>
<td>₹3,133</td>

<td>Visitor in Transit Visa </td>
<td>64</td>
<td>₹5,729</td>

<td>Marriage Visa </td>
<td>115</td>
<td>₹11,000</td>

<td>Student Visa</td>
<td>490</td>
<td>₹43,865</td>

<td>Child Student Visa </td>
<td>490</td>
<td>₹43,865</td>

Visa Type	Visa- Sub-Category	Approx. Visa Fees (in € )	Approx. Visa Fees (in ₹ )
Tourist Visa	Standard Tourist Visa	€115 to €963	₹11,000 to 86,000
Study Visa	Short-term Study Visa	200	₹17,904
Work Visa	as per the work visa type	€719 to €1420	₹65,000 to 1,27120

Local laws can require to you have medical insurance. Hence, immigration officials highly recommend getting a travel insurance policy with medical coverage to cover your stay. It can help protect you from unforeseeable circumstances and medical emergencies.

Tata AIG’s overseas travel insurance provides flight travel insurance in case of a delayed or missed flight, along with lost baggage cover, trip cancellation cover and a personal liability cover.

Moreover, if you are a senior citizen or travelling with your parents who are senior citizens, you must check out our travel insurance for senior citizens. It comes with coverage for COVID-19, accidents and illness during your trip and offers medical evacuation during emergencies.

Now you know what UK visa requirements you need to fulfil in order to enter the country. Fulfilling these requirements improves your chances of getting your visa application accepted without any hassle. So make sure to keep your documents ready and apply for a visa at least 3 to 4 months before your trip to the UK.

Is a UK visa easy to get?

The UK visa application online process is quite simple and can be done yourself. However, under certain circumstances like invalid documents, application mistakes or other reasons can delay your visa process.

Therefore, it is always advised to verify details from concerned authorities before applying for a visa.

Can I edit my UK visa application after payment?

You need to connect with a UK visa and immigration in case you want to edit something in your application. You can also cancel your visa application. However, your refund will only be given if your application has yet to be processed.

Note: The information provided here is subject to changes as per government foreign policies and immigration rules. It is advised to verify the details from official sources before proceeding with your visa application.

Information last updated Feb 24. While this information is sourced reliably, visa requirements can change. For the most current visa details, visit the official Consulate/Embassy website.