Please email Hugo Lambert with the following information if you require an invitation letter to apply for a visa. The data will promptly be deleted after the issuance of the invitation letter for visa purposes.
If you are from one of the countries on the Visa National list, you are considered a ‘visa national’. You must apply for and be granted your Visitor visa before you travel to the UK.
If you are not from one of the countries on the Visa National list, you are considered a ‘non-visa national’ and this means you can enter the UK as a visitor without applying for a visa in advance of travelling (see section below).
The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. You start by submitting your application form online (except in North Korea) and paying an application fee of £127. There are additional fees for fast track services.
Once your application form has been submitted, you will usually need to attend an appointment at a UK Visa Application Centre to submit your original documents and enrol your biometric information. It will then take about three weeks for your visa application to be processed, depending on where you are applying. For current processing times please see the Home Office website.
This option is only available to ‘non-visa nationals’ whose nationalities are not listed on the visa nationals list. This includes EU/EEA and Swiss nationals who do not have a status under the EU Settlement Scheme.
If your nationality is on the visa nationals list, you must apply for and be granted your Visitor visa before you travel to the UK.
As a ‘non-visa national’ you still need immigration permission to be in the UK and will be entering as a visitor when you pass through border control. You may be asked questions at the border about your eligibility and the activities you plan to do. You do not need to make any sort of visa application in advance. However, you may require an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) – see below.
Before you travel:
Depending on your nationality and when you plan to travel, you may need to apply for an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
At the border (airport, ferry, train):
If your nationality qualifies to enter via an eGate, you can join that queue and will not see an Immigration Officer to present your documents. You will automatically be classed as entering the UK as a Visitor. Some travellers who go through the eGate may be asked to see a UK Border Force Officer for spot checks so you should make sure you have all of the below documents ready anyway.
If your nationality does not allow you to enter via the eGate or these are not available, you will need to join the queue to see a UK Border Force Officer. On reaching the UK Border Force Officer, you will need to present the documents listed below. Your passport will be stamped with a date stamp.
Here’s a summary of the documents required; please see Standard Visitor visa: Documents you’ll need and Visiting the UK: guide to supporting documents for further details.
If any documents are not in English they must be accompanied by an official translation, and there are specific requirements this translation must meet. Please see here for details.