Visa application (e-visa)
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What is a visa in the UK?
A visa is an official document permitting you to enter a given country. Usually, a visa is stamped or glued inside your passport, but sometimes electronic visa (e-visa) is enough. Visas differ depending on the length and purpose of your visit.
If you plan to travel for tourism purposes, a travel visa is all you need. If you want to come to the UK, you must go through the UK visa application process. A Standard Visitor visa in the UK is usually valid for up to six months. If you are British and want to travel abroad, you need to check the requirements for a travel visa in the country you want to visit.
Who is eligible for a UK visa?
The UK visitor visa is granted to every applicant individually. Citizens of the European Economic Area, Switzerland and Commonwealth countries are not required to apply for a UK travel visa. If you’re from a different country, you may need to apply for a UK tourist visa (through the UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services). In such a situation, you need to have a valid passport for the whole of your stay. You can use this UK government website to check if you are eligible for a UK tourist visa.
Why do you need a visa?
Visas are common elements of travel requirements in almost all countries. Governments use them to verify who’s entering the country, why and for how long. On the other hand, a visa is beneficial for you, too. It ensures your safe and legal visit. Moreover, visas usually grant you a longer stay compared to visa-free entry programs. Lastly, some visas offer multiple-entry privileges, allowing you to leave and re-enter a country during your visa’s validity period.
Do you need a travel visa?
The answer to this question depends on your individual situation. You need to consider your country of origin (or the passport that you’re using) and your destination. For example, Canadian citizens don’t need a visa to enter the UK for travel purposes, but they need it to visit China or Venezuela.
Do people from the UK need a visa?
However, if you’re planning to visit China, Cuba, Mali, India, Kenya, Papua New Guinea and several other countries, you will need a traditional or electronic visa (e-visa). It’s always best to check whether you need a visa or not in the country you want to visit.
What else is worth knowing about visas?
Where should I go for a visa?
Typically, you should apply for a visa at a given country’s consulate or embassy. Nowadays, though, it is more and more common to go through the online visa application process (provided a given country accepts such a form of application). When it comes to other options, some countries use visa agencies and travel agencies, and tourists can apply for a visa through them.
If you are a British citizen, you can use this government website to check where’s the embassy/consulate of the country you intend to visit.
How can I apply for a visa?
Nowadays, in the majority of cases, the application process starts online. For example, if you need a UK travel visa, you can apply for it here. If the country you want to visit does not provide any online application form, you need to get in touch with the embassy/consulate and ask how you can apply.
How many countries are visa-free for the UK?
UK citizens enjoy visa-free entry to over 180 countries, including The United States, Australia, Indonesia, Iceland, Chile, Greece, Monaco, Portugal and many more countries. You can use this list to verify whether the country you want to visit requires a UK tourist visa.
Where can I go without a visa?
It all depends on your nationality/passport. In general, there are no countries that are visa-free for all. For instance, Polish citizens can travel visa-free to over 180 countries, but Indian citizens can visit less than 60 countries without a visa.
Every year, a British consulting firm, Henley & Partners, publishes The Henley Passport Index, where you can check how many visa-free countries your passport enables. Singapore is currently number one, with 194 visa-free countries.
How long does it take to get a visa?
The processing time depends on many factors, including the completeness of your application (if you don’t provide all the required documents/information, you must be prepared for a longer waiting time), current backlog of applications (usually, you need to wait longer for tourist visa during peak tourist seasons) and the type of your visa.
In most cases, you can find information on estimated waiting time on the embassy’s/consulate’s website. However, it’s always recommended to apply for a visa way in advance (at least three months) to make sure you will get it in time.
Your journey in one place with eSky.co.uk! For almost two decades, we’ve been collaborating with the world’s largest providers of travel services. With the help of our partners, we implement solutions that allow you to plan your trip from A to Z, and keep the details of your reservation and travel documents always at hand. In cooperation with sherpa°, we offer the possibility of buying visas online!