UK Tourist Visa For Indians: Eligibility, Requirements, Visa Fees, And Processing Times.

The United Kingdom is famous for the British Museum in London. There are a lot of things you can do while you are traveling In the United Kingdom such as soaking culture in at the Edinburg Fringe Festival, getting to know the cities of North England, and exploring the British countryside. You might already know all of this as you are interested in getting a UK tourist visa from India. Let us get right into details.

Firstly, you need to know if you need to apply for a UK Visa or not. Depending on nationality, some tourists don't need to apply to visit the United Kingdom. However, as an Indian passport holder, you need to apply for the UK tourist visa for Indians, also known as the standard visitor visa. Moreover, you must apply online before you travel to the United Kingdom and attend an appointment at a visa application centre in India. The earliest you can apply for your UK tourist visa for Indians is three months before you travel.

The type of visa that you can get depends on the purpose of visit to the United Kingdom. Here are the types of visas you can get to visit the United Kingdom.

• Study in the United Kingdom such as a short-term visitor visa, a student visa, and a child student visa.
• Transit visa.
• Work in the United Kingdom such as a work visa, start-up visa, or innovator visa.
• If you want to join a family in the united kingdom, such a family visa.

As an Indian citizen, you can visit the United Kingdom with a standard visitor. With the standard visitor, the purpose of a visit to the United Kingdom must be the following:

• Tourism.
• To see your family or friends.
• To volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity.
• Take a recreational course for up to 30 days.
• To pass through the United Kingdom to another country (in transit).
• For other business visa such as conferences, seminars, meetings, or interviews.
• Take part in the school exchange program.

Things You Cannot Do On A UK Tourist Visa

• Do pay or unpaid for a United Kingdom company or as a self-employed person
• Get benefits( claim public funds)
• Live in the United Kingdom for a long time or have successive visits or frequent visits
• Register a civil partnership or marry or give notice of marriage or civil partnership

Checking the eligibility for UK tourist visas from Indians can be a tiresome process. For a more streamlined process, I highly recommend using Atlys. Once you’ve checked your eligibility, you can proceed with your UK tourist visa application. You must have your Indian passport or travel document to enter the United Kingdom. It should be valid for at least your whole trip United Kingdom, you must be able to present the following:

• You will not live in the United Kingdom for an extended period through successive visits or make the United Kingdom your main home.
• You are able to pay for your return or onward journey.
• You can support yourself and your family during the trip.
• You will leave the United Kingdom at the end of the trip.

As an Indian citizen, you must apply for a standard visitor visa before traveling to the United Kingdom. You may be asked questions about your eligibility and the activities you plan to do at the United Kingdom border.

There are a few requirements that you must submit as you are applying, we have the visa documents and information required from you as you're filling in the online visa application process.

Visa Documents Required For The UK Visa From India

• A valid passport: As a passport holder, your passport must be valid for more than 6 months, and it has two blank pages available for the UK visa.
• Bank statements: Your bank statement must be three months to prove that you have enough money to support yourself in the United Kingdom.
• Passport-sized photographs: Your passport photographs must be 35 mm X 45 mm.
• Covering letter: Your cover letter must show your visit's purpose and duration of stay.
• Travel insurance: It is highly advised that you buy travel insurance to cover yourself and your dependents in the United Kingdom.

Information Required For The Visa Application Process

You must have a valid passport or travel documents to stay in the United Kingdom. The passport needs to have blank pages for your standard visitor visa. In addition, you will need to provide the following details and information in your online visa application form. Keep in mind that without the correct additional documents, you won’t be able to successfully apply for your Canada tourist visa from India.

To facilitate the document collection process, I highly recommend using Atlys to apply for your UK Tourist visa application as Atlys simplifies the document collection process. Be mindful that a small mistake on your visa application could lead to a delayed processing time; or a denied visa. Therefore, always double-check that the information you provide aligns with that on your passport.

• Where you will be staying during your visit.
• The dates you’re planning to travel to the United Kingdom.
• How much you’re think your trip will cost.
• Your current home address and how long you have lived there.
• How much do you earn in a year (If you have an income).
• The details of any criminal, civil, or immigration offense you may have committed.
• Depending on your situation, they might also need to provide.
• The details of your travel history (if applicable).
• Your employer's details.
• Your partner's name, date of birth, and passport number.
• The name and address of the person paying for your trip.

You must provide your certified translation of any document not in English or Welsh.

How To Prove Your Identity

As part of your UK tourist visa online application process, you must book an appointment at a visa application centre. You must attend your visa appointment, and the appointment will take place in India at the following UK visa application centres, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, etc. To check the availability of visa services at your preferred visa application centre, you can book your appointment with VFS. At the appointment, you will provide the following:

• Prove your identity with your passport or travel document
• Biometric information, you must provide your fingerprints and photographs.
• Provide the required documents that show that you are eligible for a standard Visitor Visa.

Kindly note that the application centre may keep your passport and documents while processing your UK tourist visa for an Indian application.

Standard visa services Most visa application centers offer free appointments, while you’ll need to pay 55 euros for a standard appointment in some locations. You can choose to travel to a different visa application centre with free appointments, but you will cover your own travel cost.

Now that you are starting your online application process, you can save your application form and complete it later. If you are also applying for family members, they must have their application and pay their fee. They also need to attend their appointment at the visa application centre. You can apply on behalf of your partner and child. You can sign back into your application if you’ve saved it; you must check your emails and follow the link to return to your application. You will be automatically logged out if you are inactive for 25 minutes.

As an Indian national applying for the standard visitor visa, the standard visitor visa fee is 100 Euros; in Indian rupees is 8 019,40 (INR) at the standard exchange rate. The maximum stay length for this UK tourist visa is 6 months. The visa fees are the same for each dependent who applies to travel to the United Kingdom with you. There might be application fees (if applicable).

Pay For Healthcare

If you’re applying for a visit visa, there's no need to pay for Health care. Only those applying for a visa for more than 6 months while they are outside of the United Kingdom will still need to pay, even if they have private medical treatment insurance.

So, if you are wondering how long it will take before you know if your application is successful. Well, once you’ve applied online, proved your identity, and provided your documents, you usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

As an Indian national, you need to change something on your UK tourist visa for your Indian application after submitting it. You can contact UKVI as you apply outside of the United Kingdom. Note that the contact centre staff cannot advise you about your circumstances.

You can also ask to cancel your application, and you will only get your fee refunded if the application has not been processed yet.

If Your Application Is Successful

You’ll be given either:

• A vignette sticker goes on your passport if you gave your biometric information at a visa application centre. The vignette or the online visa status will show the visa you are granted, the dates your visa is valid (the start date and the end date), and The conditions of your UK tourist visa for Indians.
• Access to view your visa status information online if you have used a smartphone app to prove your Identity.

The visa conditions say what you can do in the UK and what you cannot do.

Getting Your Vignette If the visa application centre kept your passport, they will either:

• Send it to you with the vignette if you have paid for the service you applied for.
• Ask you to collect the passport and the vignette.

If you keep your passport, you must take it to the visa application centre to collect your vignette.

If Your Application Is Refused

If your application is refused, you will receive a letter or an email explaining why your application was refused. For example, the visa application centre would return your passport if they kept it. In addition, your refusal letter will explain if you have the right to either an administrative review or a decision appeal.

All done!

Finally, you know what is a UK tourist for India, how to check your eligibility, requirements, how to apply, the vis fees in Indian rupees, and the processing times. Go ahead and start your visa application process and enjoy the United Kingdom.