UK eVisa for Indians: Who Can Apply Online

That changes how the question 'who can apply online' should be read. Every Indian applicant applies online, whatever the visa. Very few skip the visit to a centre. This article walks through which steps are digital, which are not, and what to do in your UKVI account before you fly. Facts are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For the full list of UK visa routes and checklists, see our UK visa guide for Indian applicants.

Is the UK eVisa a separate visa you can apply for?

No. The eVisa is the format of your permission, not a visa category. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) issues it to every successful applicant, whether you applied as a Standard Visitor, a student, a Skilled Worker or a family member. It replaces the vignette sticker that used to go into the passport, and you view it in a free UKVI account.

It is also not the UK ETA. GOV.UK's visa checker tells Indian nationals coming as tourists that they will need a visa to come to the UK. The £20 electronic travel authorisation is only for nationalities that do not need a visa, so it is not an option on an Indian passport.

Which parts of a UK visa application are online for Indians?

VFS Global is an official partner of UKVI and runs the centres where biometrics are taken. The process splits like this:

VFS states that, apart from the visa fee and the healthcare surcharge, the only mandatory charge is the Home Office 'User Pays' fee at some user-funded centres. Optional services do not affect the visa decision.

Can you skip the VFS visit with the ID Check app?

Only if GOV.UK says so. The GOV.UK eVisa guidance and application process tell you at the start of the application whether you can use the UK Immigration: ID Check app instead of attending a centre. The guidance we checked publishes no list of which Indian applicants qualify, so plan for a centre visit unless the online form offers the app.

The centre visit is short and your passport is not kept. Your passport is returned at the biometric appointment, and a successful decision produces an eVisa rather than a sticker. Children under 5 have only a photo taken (no fingerprints), and under-16s must attend with an adult.

You can choose any Visa Application Centre in India; there is no state-based jurisdiction for UK visas. VFS lists 18 regular centres, including New Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai North, Mumbai South, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Chandigarh, plus premium application centres in cities such as Noida, Indore and Coimbatore.

What must you do in your UKVI account before you fly?

According to GOV.UK, before travelling you must:

1. Create your UKVI account.
2. Link your passport to it.
3. Check that your eVisa shows the right details.

The account is free. VFS sells an optional UKVI Account Creation Service for INR 1,200, which you do not need if you can follow the GOV.UK steps yourself. Do this as soon as the decision arrives, not at the airport.

How much does a UK visa cost when you apply online?

UKVI fees are published in GBP only; GOV.UK gives no official INR equivalents. The main figures from the Home Office fees table of 8 October 2026:

• Standard Visitor visa (up to 6 months): £135. It rose from £127 on 8 April 2026.
• Long-term Standard Visitor visas: £506 (2 years), £903 (5 years), £1,128 (10 years), each allowing 6 months per visit.
• Student visa: £558, plus the healthcare surcharge of £776 a year.
• Skilled Worker visa: £819 (up to 3 years) or £1,618 (more than 3 years) per person.
• India Young Professionals Scheme visa: £340.

Processing is about 3 weeks for visit, study and most work visas and 12 weeks for family visas. Visit visas can be applied for no earlier than 3 months before travel.

Do you need a visa just to change planes in the UK?

Normally yes. Indian nationals changing flights without passing UK border control usually need a Direct Airside Transit visa (£41.50), and those passing through border control need a Visitor in Transit visa (£74.50) unless they already hold a Standard or Marriage Visitor visa. You may not need a transit visa if you hold, for example, a valid visa for Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, or a valid US green card. GOV.UK adds that e-visas or e-residence permits are not accepted for this exemption, and a Border Force officer decides whether you qualify.

Mistakes Indians make with the UK eVisa

• Searching for a 'UK eVisa application' as if it were a quick online visa. It is the result of a normal visa application.
• Leaving the UKVI account set-up until the day of travel.
• Paying for optional VFS services in the belief that they help the decision. VFS says they do not; the faster-decision options are UKVI's Priority and Super Priority services.
• Filing one application for the whole family. Each traveller, including children, needs a separate online application and fee.
• Relying on an electronic US or Canadian permission to transit without a UK visa.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram helps applicants assemble visa files with flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters; packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for all four. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write to us via the contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Will my passport still get a UK visa sticker?

No. Successful applicants are issued an eVisa, accessed through a UKVI account, and the passport is returned at the biometric appointment. You prove your status digitally by linking the passport to your UKVI account.

How long does a UK visitor visa take from India?

UKVI's standard processing time for Standard Visitor, Marriage Visitor and transit visas is 3 weeks. The optional Priority Visa service (£500) usually gives a decision within 5 working days, and Super Priority (£1,000) usually by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointment.

What share of Indian visitor visa applications does the UK grant?

Home Office data for the year ending June 2026 (provisional) show 82% of visitor visa decisions for Indian nationals were grants: 514,398 granted and 111,749 refused out of 626,147. The rate excludes withdrawn and lapsed cases and covers all Indian nationals applying outside the UK.

Do I have to self-upload documents or can VFS scan them?

Either. Self-upload on the online system is free (INR 0). VFS also offers optional paid help, such as Document Upload Assistance at INR 2,400 at the New Delhi centre.