# UK Tourist Visa for Indians: Requirements and Process

> How Indians get a UK Standard Visitor visa in 2026: what it costs, which documents GOV.UK actually values, how the GOV.UK and VFS steps fit together, and what changes for children.

_Published: 2026-10-19 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1347_

## TL;DR

Indian tourists need a UK Standard Visitor visa before travel; the ETA does not apply to Indians. You apply and pay £135 on GOV.UK, give biometrics at any VFS centre in India, and usually get a decision in 3 weeks, issued as an eVisa you view in a UKVI account.

## Key takeaways

- Indians need a Standard Visitor visa for tourism; the £20 UK ETA is only for visa-free nationalities.
- The 6-month Standard Visitor visa costs £135; long-term versions cost £506 (2 years), £903 (5 years) and £1,128 (10 years).
- GOV.UK values bank statements showing the origin of funds and employer letters; it lists hotel and flight bookings as less useful evidence.
- Biometrics can be given at any VFS centre in India, and the passport is returned at the appointment.
- Home Office data: 82% of Indian nationals' visitor visa decisions were grants in the year ending June 2026.

**According to GOV.UK, Indians visiting the UK as tourists need a Standard Visitor visa before travel. You apply and pay £135 online, then give fingerprints and a photo at a VFS Global centre in India. A decision usually takes 3 weeks; the visa allows stays of up to 6 months and is issued as an eVisa.**

## Article

This how-to covers the requirements and each step of the process, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026: GOV.UK, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), VFS Global India and Home Office statistics. For work, study and family routes, see our UK visa guide for Indian citizens.

### Do Indians need a visa to visit the UK as tourists?
Yes. GOV.UK's visa checker tells Indian nationals coming for tourism or to visit family and friends that they need a visa. The UK electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which costs £20, is only for nationalities that do not need a visa, so it is not an option for an Indian passport.

The Standard Visitor visa is one visa for several purposes: tourism, visiting family and friends, and permitted business activities. You do not need a separate "tourist visa" category. If you will marry or register a civil partnership in the UK, the Marriage Visitor visa (also £135) applies instead.

### How much does the UK tourist visa cost for Indians?
UKVI charges in pounds only and publishes no official rupee amount. The fees below come from the Home Office fees table dated 8 October 2026.

OptionFeeWhat you getStandard Visitor visa£135Stay up to 6 months2-year long-term Standard Visitor visa£506Up to 6 months per visit5-year long-term Standard Visitor visa£903Up to 6 months per visit10-year long-term Standard Visitor visa£1,128Up to 6 months per visitPriority Visa service (optional)£500 extraDecision usually within 5 working daysSuper Priority Visa service (optional)£1,000 extraDecision usually by the end of the next working dayThe Standard Visitor fee rose from £127 to £135 on 8 April 2026. A standard VFS appointment at a free-to-use centre costs nothing, and you can self-upload documents free of charge. VFS states that, apart from the visa fee, the only mandatory extra is the Home Office "User Pays" fee of £76.50 at some user-funded centres. Everything else VFS offers, such as Document Upload Assistance (INR 2,400 in New Delhi) or a Premium Lounge (INR 6,050), is optional and, in VFS's own words, does not affect the visa decision.

### Which documents prove you are a genuine visitor?
The online form asks for your travel dates, where you will stay, the trip cost, your home address, your parents' names and dates of birth, and your annual income. Depending on your circumstances it may also ask for 10 years of travel history, your employer's details, and details of anyone paying for the trip. GOV.UK's guide to supporting documents, updated 8 October 2026, then points to evidence like this:

- Passport valid for the whole of your stay in the UK.
- Funds: bank statements or building society books that clearly show you can access enough money and where it came from.
- Employment: a letter from your employer on company headed paper with your role, salary, start date and length of employment, plus company contact details.
- Self-employed: business registration documents or recent invoices that confirm on-going self-employment.
- Sponsor: if someone else pays, evidence of what they provide, their funds and their relationship to you.
- Translations: certified translations of any document not in English or Welsh.
GOV.UK also lists evidence it finds less useful: bank statements or letters issued more than 1 year before you apply, credit card statements, hotel bookings, flight bookings (unless transiting) and travel insurance. Put your effort into proof of income, savings and ties to India rather than bookings. A tuberculosis test certificate is needed only if you visit for more than 6 months.

### How do you apply, from GOV.UK to eVisa?
- Check and apply on GOV.UK. Complete the Standard Visitor application online and pay £135. You receive a GWF reference number.
- Book a VFS appointment. Appointments are mandatory. You may pick any Visa Application Centre in India; there is no state-based jurisdiction.
- Upload documents. Self-upload online for free, or have them scanned at the centre for a fee.
- Give biometrics. Fingerprints and a photograph are taken at the centre, and your passport is returned to you at the same appointment.
- Wait for the decision. The standard is 3 weeks. VFS does not give status updates; GOV.UK's online service tells you when to expect a decision, and UKVI sends it by letter or email.
- Set up your eVisa. Successful applicants get an eVisa instead of a sticker. Before travelling, create your UKVI account, link your passport and check your eVisa.
You can apply no earlier than 3 months before travel. GOV.UK also says you are told at the start of the application if you can use the UK Immigration: ID Check app instead of attending a centre.

### Which VFS centre in India can you use?
Any of them. VFS runs standard centres in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai North, Mumbai South, Mysuru, New Delhi, Pune and Thiruvananthapuram. VFS also lists Premium Application Centres in cities such as Amritsar, Bhopal, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Indore and Noida. Because the £76.50 User Pays fee is charged at some user-funded centres, check the fee shown before you confirm a booking. Priority and Super Priority were offered at the New Delhi centre in October 2026; availability depends on the visa type and centre.

### What changes when children or the whole family travel?
Each traveller, including children, needs a separate online application and fee. For visitors under 18:

- A child travelling alone needs written consent and full contact details from a parent or guardian, plus proof of where the child will live, including the host's name, date of birth, address and relationship.
- A child travelling with an adult names that adult (up to 2) in the application, and each adult applies separately.
- Children under 5 only have a photo taken at the appointment, with no fingerprints. Under-16s must attend with an adult.

### What do the latest numbers say, and what should you avoid?
Home Office statistics for the year ending June 2026 (provisional) show that 82% of visitor visa decisions for Indian nationals were grants: 514,398 granted and 111,749 refused out of 626,147 decisions. The figure covers all Indian nationals applying from outside the UK and excludes withdrawn and lapsed cases. It describes past outcomes, not your chances.

Before you submit, check your file against GOV.UK's own guidance: bank statements issued within the last year that show where the money came from, an employer letter that states your salary and length of employment, evidence of the sponsor's funds and relationship if someone else pays, certified translations, and complete travel history if the form asks for it. Apply within the 3-month window and keep copies of everything you upload.

Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares day-by-day itineraries, cover letters, flight reservations and hotel bookings for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write to us through our contact page.

### Frequently asked questions

#### Do I get a visa sticker in my passport for a UK visit?
No. Successful applicants are issued an eVisa, a digital record of immigration status viewed in a free UKVI account. Before you travel, create the account, link your passport and check that the eVisa details are correct.

#### Is travel insurance required for a UK Standard Visitor visa?
No. Insurance is not a visa requirement, and GOV.UK lists travel insurance among the documents it finds less useful as evidence. You may still buy it for your own protection.

#### Can I keep my passport while UKVI decides my visit visa?
Yes. VFS returns your passport at the biometric appointment, so you keep it while the application is processed. Your visa is issued digitally as an eVisa.

#### Do I need a UK visa just to change flights at Heathrow?
Indian nationals normally need a Direct Airside Transit visa (£41.50) to change flights without passing UK border control. You are exempt if you hold, for example, a valid visa for Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the USA, or a valid US green card.

## Steps

1. **Apply on GOV.UK** — Complete the Standard Visitor visa application online and pay the £135 fee. Note your GWF reference number.
2. **Book a VFS appointment** — Choose any UK Visa Application Centre in India and book the mandatory biometric appointment. Premium centres charge the £76.50 User Pays fee.
3. **Upload your documents** — Self-upload bank statements, employer letter, sponsor evidence and certified translations for free, or pay VFS to scan them.
4. **Give biometrics** — Attend the centre for fingerprints and a photograph. Your passport is returned to you at the appointment.
5. **Wait for the decision** — The standard processing time is 3 weeks. UKVI sends the decision by letter or email; VFS does not give status updates.
6. **Activate your eVisa** — Create your UKVI account, link your passport and check your eVisa before you travel.

## FAQ

### Do I get a visa sticker in my passport for a UK visit?

No. Successful applicants are issued an eVisa, a digital record of immigration status viewed in a free UKVI account. Before you travel, create the account, link your passport and check that the eVisa details are correct.

### Is travel insurance required for a UK Standard Visitor visa?

No. Insurance is not a visa requirement, and GOV.UK lists travel insurance among the documents it finds less useful as evidence. You may still buy it for your own protection.

### Can I keep my passport while UKVI decides my visit visa?

Yes. VFS returns your passport at the biometric appointment, so you keep it while the application is processed. Your visa is issued digitally as an eVisa.

### Do I need a UK visa just to change flights at Heathrow?

Indian nationals normally need a Direct Airside Transit visa (£41.50) to change flights without passing UK border control. You are exempt if you hold, for example, a valid visa for Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the USA, or a valid US green card.

## Sources

1. [Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor](https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor) — GOV.UK (UK Visas and Immigration)
2. [Visiting the UK: guide to supporting documents](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visitor-visa-guide-to-supporting-documents/guide-to-supporting-documents-visiting-the-uk) — GOV.UK (Home Office)
3. [VFS UK India - How to apply for a UK Visa](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/gbr/apply-visa) — VFS Global
4. [Entry clearance visas summary tables, year ending June 2026](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a85c6003d82f78d5c514552/visas-summary-jun-2026-tables.ods) — Home Office