The decision of your visa application is based on the individual merit of each visa application. It includes the documents you submitted to support your application, genuineness of the applicant, the intension of your UK visit, and so on.
Documents required for a UK visa is depended on the type of visa you apply and the individual circumstances of a particular applicant. You have to submit your visa application together with the supporting documents relevant to that particular application. You need to submit the documents at the UK visa application center and give biometrics on the day of your visa application submission date.
You have to comply with home office documents required for each specific type of visa application.
All documents submitted must be originals and not photocopies. If your documents are not in English or Welsh, it must be accompanied by a full translation that can be independently verified by the Home Office.
Each translated document must contain:
- The confirmation statement from the translator that it is an accurate English or Welsh translation of the original document
- The translation must be dated
- Must include translator’s full name and signature and contact details
Documents you must provide
- Valid passport or travel document (national passport or other documents that allows the holder to travel internationally).
- Previous travel documents/passports, which show previous travel.
- Financial documents showing that you have sufficient funds available. These must clearly show that you have access to the funds, such as:
- bank statements
- building society book
- proof of earnings such as a letter from employer confirming employment details (start date of employment, salary, role, company contact details)
- where a third party (who is either in the UK or who will be legally in the UK at the time of your visit) is providing financial support to you e.g. a business, a friend or a relative, documents to show they have sufficient resources to support you in addition to themselves and any dependant family should be provided
- Confirmation of legal residence, if you are not a national of the country in which you are applying or your right to reside there is not included in your passport
- details of employment or studies where you have stated in your application that you are either employed or in full-time studies. This could include:
- a letter from your employer on company headed paper, detailing your role, salary, and length of employment
- a letter from your education provider, on headed paper, confirming your enrolment and leave of absence
- If self-employed: business registration documents confirming the business owner’s name and the date the business started trading
- Business activities – where you are coming to the UK in order to undertake activities relating to your occupation/employment outside the UK you should submit documents showing what you will be doing in the UK, including any letters from inviting organizations. For example:
- Any business activities, e.g. letter from your employer outlining the reason for your visit, who you will be meeting and details of any payment/expenses
- For performances and entertainment visitors, whether you work in this area as a professional or amateur, and what and where you will be performing
- under 18s – You must submit the following;
- A Birth Certificate or a legal document (such as adoption papers) showing the relationship between you and your parent or guardian
- If traveling unaccompanied or with someone other than your parent or guardian you should provide:
- A signed letter from your parent(s) confirming details of anyone accompanying you, and details of care and accommodation arranged in the UK
- A copy of your parent(s) or legal guardian’s biographical page of their passport, which includes their signature and passport number if your parent(s) do not have a passport then you must provide another official document which bears their signature
Additional documents
Additional types of documents that you must submit if you are visiting for one of the following reasons.
Academics visit to undertake research (12-month visa)
- A letter from your current employer on official headed paper, detailing the period of your sabbatical, exchange or outlining the research to be undertaken
- Letter from UK host organization confirming the arrangements for your research or exchange
If you are from a country listed in Paragraph 39 of part 1 of the Immigration Rules, you must provide a valid medical certificate issued by a medical practitioner listed in Appendix T of the Immigration Rules.
Family accompanying academics coming to undertake research (12-month visa)
If you are from a country listed in Paragraph 39 of part 1 of the Immigration Rules, you must provide a valid medical certificate issued by a medical practitioner listed in Appendix T of the Immigration Rules.
Private Medical Treatment (6 and 11-month visa)
You must provide a letter from your doctor or consultant in the UK, which includes:
- details of the condition requiring treatment or consultation
- estimated cost and duration of treatment
- details of where treatment or consultation will take place
If you are applying for an 11-month visa and are from a country listed in Paragraph 39 of part 1 of the Immigration Rules, you must provide a valid medical certificate issued by a medical practitioner listed in Appendix T of the Immigration Rules.
Applying for an extension of stay as a visitor for private medical treatment you must provide the following documents:
- A letter from a registered medical practitioner at a private practice or NHS hospital, who holds an NHS consultant post or who appears in the Specialist Register of the General Medical Council, detailing the medical condition requiring further treatment documents to show that you have met the costs of any treatment already receive
Organ donors
In addition, organ donors must provide a letter confirming:
- You genuinely intend on donating an organ to a named individual who you have a genetic or personal relationship with, and that you are either a confirmed match to the identified recipient or are undergoing further tests to establish this
- Details of when and where the planned transplant or tests will take place
The letter must be from one of the following:
- The lead nurse or co-ordinator of an NHS Trust’s living donor kidney transplant team
- A registered medical practitioner who holds an NHS consultant post, or who appears in the specialist register of the General Medical Council
Organ donors also need a document showing that the intended recipient is legally resident in the UK, such as a copy of their British passport or residence permit. If they are applying for a visa at the same time, you must provide their details (name, nationality, date of birth).
Prospective Entrepreneur
Letter of support from:
- One or more registered venture capitalist firms regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
- One or more UK entrepreneurial seed funding competitions, listed here as endorsed
- One or more UK government departments
Failure to provide these documents will prevent subsequent switching into Tier 1 (Entrepreneur).
Work-related training
- Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board or Objective Structured Clinical Examination Tests – a letter from the General Medical Council & Nursing and Midwifery Council confirming arrangements for the test
- Unpaid clinical attachments or dental observer posts –confirmation of your offer to take up this post and that you have not previously undertaken this activity in the UK
Performers at one or more permit-free festivals
Letter of invitation from the organizers of each event, setting out dates required, and details of any payments you will receive for taking part.
Approved Destination Scheme (ADS)
You should consult the specific guidance for ADS visitors.
Permitted Paid Engagements
Invitation letter from a relevant UK-based organization, such as:
- A Higher Education institution
- An organization in the creative arts or entertainment industries
- A sports organization
- A research organization
- An aviation training organization regulated by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority
You must also provide evidence of professional status in your home country, depending on the engagement you are doing.
Lecturers/examiners:
- Publications in a particular field of expertise
- Evidence of previous lectures given in that field
- A letter from your employer confirming where you work and your area of expertise
Entertainers/artists/sports people:
- Publicity material for performances, screenings concerts, talks, readings, and exhibitions
- Evidence of awards
- Media coverage and reviews
- Proof of recent performances
Air pilot examiners:
- A document to show membership of your country of residence’s national aviation authority, e.g. the Federal Aviation Authority in the USA
Lawyers:
- A practicing certificate or certificate of good standing or equivalent document
The visitor (Marriage/Civil Partnership)
If you have been married or in a civil partnership before, you must provide documents to show that you are free to marry or form a civil partnership.
Evidence that arrangements have been/are being made to marry or form a civil partnership or give notice of your intention to this during your visit, such as a letter from a registry office.
Transit Visitor
Evidence that your onward journey from the UK has been booked/confirmed, and that it is either within 24 hours of arrival in the UK for Direct Airside Transit or 48 hours of arrival in the UK for Visitor in Transit such as:
- Travel booking confirmation (can be email or copy of tickets)
- Travel agent confirmation
Evidence that you have assured entry into the onward country that you are traveling to, such as:
- Residence permit
- ‘Green card’
- Valid visa
If you are not a national or resident of the country of destination, you may wish to provide evidence of the reason for travel, such as:
- Holiday booking confirmation
Documents you should not send unless specifically requested
- If you are applying as a family/group you do not need to provide multiple copies of the same documents
- Bank statements or letters issued more than 1 year before the date of application
- Credit card statements
- Driving license
- Photographs (passport photographs required in section 1)
- Notarial certificates
- Business cards
- Hotel bookings
- Flight bookings
- Photocopies of bank cards
- Certificates relating to leisure activities
- Evidence of car ownership
- Travel insurance
- Sponsor’s utility bills
- Sponsor’s council tax bills
- Educational certificates (unless specifically listed in section 3)