UK Visa FAQs for Indians: 25 Questions Answered

Below are 25 questions Indian applicants ask about UK visas, answered from GOV.UK, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), VFS Global and Home Office statistics. Everything is as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. For the full picture of every route, read our UK visa guide for Indians.

Visiting the UK: which visa and what fee?

Do Indians need a visa to visit the UK?

Yes. GOV.UK's visa checker tells Indian nationals coming as tourists that they need a visa. The £20 electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is only for nationalities that do not need a visa.

Which visa covers tourism, family visits and business meetings?

The Standard Visitor visa. The same visa covers tourism, visiting family and permitted business activities, for a maximum stay of 6 months.

How much does a UK visitor visa cost?

£135 for up to 6 months, under the GOV.UK fees table of 8 October 2026. A visitor visa for medical reasons costs £234 (up to 11 months), and one for academics £234 (up to 12 months).

Can I get a long-term visitor visa?

Yes. A 2-year visa costs £506, a 5-year visa £903 and a 10-year visa £1,128. Each visit is still limited to 6 months.

Do I need a visa just to change planes in London?

Usually. Indians changing flights without passing UK border control normally need a Direct Airside Transit visa (£41.50), unless they hold a listed document such as a valid visa for Canada, New Zealand, Australia or the USA. Passing through border control needs a Visitor in Transit visa (£74.50).

Can I extend my stay once I am in the UK?

Only up to 6 months in total, except for medical treatment, academics and PLAB retakes. The extension fee is £1,172.

How do the online application and VFS appointment work?

What are the steps?

Check which visa you need, apply and pay online on GOV.UK, and note the GWF reference number. Then book a VFS appointment to give fingerprints and a photograph. Supporting documents can be self-uploaded online or scanned at the centre for a fee.

Can I choose any VFS centre in India?

Yes. There is no state-based jurisdiction for UK visas: you can select any Visa Application Centre in India. Appointments are mandatory.

Which cities have UK visa centres?

Chandigarh, New Delhi, Goa, Ahmedabad, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Cochin, Thiruvananthapuram, Mumbai North, Mumbai South, Pune, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Kolkata, plus premium application centres in cities such as Guwahati, Indore and Coimbatore.

Does VFS charge a fee?

Not for a standard appointment at a free-to-use centre, and self-upload of documents costs INR 0. User-funded centres charge the Home Office 'User Pays' fee of £76.50. Optional services at New Delhi include Document Upload Assistance at INR 2,400 and a Prime Time Appointment at INR 5,950; VFS says they do not affect the decision.

Will I get a visa sticker?

No. The passport is returned at the biometric appointment, and successful applicants get an eVisa viewed in a free UKVI account. Before travelling, create the account, link your passport and check your eVisa.

What about children?

Each traveller, including children, needs a separate online application and fee. Children under 5 have only a photo taken, and under-16s must attend with an adult.

What should your documents prove?

Which financial evidence works best?

GOV.UK's guide (updated 8 October 2026) suggests bank statements or building society books showing the origin of funds, and an employer letter on headed paper with your role, salary and length of employment. The self-employed can use business registration documents or recent invoices.

Do flight and hotel bookings help?

GOV.UK lists hotel bookings, flight bookings (unless transiting), travel insurance and credit card statements as less useful evidence, along with bank documents issued more than 1 year before applying. Focus your effort on proving funds and ties.

Do I need a TB test?

Only if you are visiting for more than 6 months. Longer-stay routes such as the India Young Professionals Scheme also ask for TB test results.

Must documents be in English?

Yes, or in Welsh. Provide certified translations of any document in another language.

How long will you wait, and how often are Indians refused?

How long does a decision take?

About 3 weeks for visit, student and most work visas applied for from outside the UK. Family visas usually take 12 weeks.

Can I pay for a faster decision?

Yes, where offered. Priority Visa (£500) usually decides most applications within 5 working days. Super Priority Visa (£1,000) usually decides by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointment. Both were offered at the New Delhi centre in October 2026.

How early can I apply?

Visit visas can be applied for up to 3 months before travel. Students can apply up to 6 months before the course starts.

Can VFS tell me my application status?

No. VFS does not give updates while UKVI processes your application. GOV.UK's online service tells you when to expect a decision, and UKVI sends it by letter or email.

How many Indian visitor applications are refused?

Home Office statistics show 514,398 visitor visas granted and 111,749 refused for Indian nationals in the year ending June 2026, a grant rate of 82% (provisional). This describes past decisions, not your own chances.

Studying, working and the Young Professionals Scheme

What does a UK Student visa require?

A CAS from a licensed sponsor, course fees for the first year and living costs of £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 outside London for up to 9 months, held for 28 consecutive days. The fee is £558 plus a healthcare surcharge of £776 a year.

What salary does a Skilled Worker visa need?

Usually the higher of £41,700 a year or the going rate for the job. The fee is £819 (up to 3 years) or £1,618, plus a healthcare surcharge of £1,035 a year, and English at CEFR B2 applies to new applicants since 8 January 2026.

What is the India Young Professionals Scheme?

A ballot-based visa for Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 with a bachelor's degree or higher and £2,530 in savings. It allows up to 2 years of living and working without a job offer. The 2026 ballots ran in February and July for 3,000 places, and no further 2026 ballots are planned.

Can I stay and work after a UK degree?

Yes, on a Graduate visa applied for from inside the UK. It lasts 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, and 18 months from 1 January 2027 (3 years for a PhD). The fee is £937.

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

Frequently asked questions

Can I skip the VFS appointment by using the UK Immigration: ID Check app?

Sometimes. GOV.UK says you are told at the start of the application whether you can use the UK Immigration: ID Check app instead of giving biometrics at a centre. Most applicants in India still give fingerprints and a photo at VFS.

Do UK visitor visas carry the immigration healthcare surcharge?

No. The immigration healthcare surcharge applies to longer-stay visas such as Student (£776 a year) and most work routes (£1,035 a year). It is not a visitor visa requirement.

What changed in UK visa fees in April 2026?

From 8 April 2026, the Standard Visitor visa rose from £127 to £135, the Student visa from £524 to £558 and the Skilled Worker visa (up to 3 years) from £769 to £819, according to GOV.UK.

Can I get married in the UK on a visitor visa?

Use the Marriage Visitor visa, which costs £135 and allows up to 6 months. You must be 18 or over, free to marry and plan to marry or register a civil partnership within 6 months of arrival.