UK Visa for Indians with a US Green Card: Rules

The UK assesses you by your Indian nationality, not by your US residence. The rules below come from GOV.UK and UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For every UK route, see our UK visa guide for Indians.

Does a US green card let Indians visit the UK without a visa?

No. GOV.UK's 'Check if you need a UK visa' result for Indian nationals says that someone coming for tourism or to visit family and friends needs a visa. US permanent residence does not change that result. 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, with or without a green card.

For a holiday, a family visit or permitted business activity, you apply for a visitor visa. GOV.UK fees from its table of 8 October 2026:

When does a green card replace a UK transit visa?

This is where the green card counts. An Indian changing flights in the UK without passing border control normally needs a Direct Airside Transit visa (£41.50). Someone who passes through border control in transit needs a Visitor in Transit visa (£74.50), unless they already hold a Standard or Marriage Visitor visa. GOV.UK's visa checker lists documents that remove the transit visa requirement, including:

• a valid US permanent residence card issued on or after 21 April 1998;
• a valid visa for the USA, Canada, Australia or New Zealand;
• a permanent resident card issued by Canada on or after 28 June 2002;
• an EEA or Swiss residence permit or category D visa, or an Irish biometric visa.

All of these must be valid on the day you travel. Three limits apply:

• A Border Force officer decides whether you qualify to transit without a visa.
• E-visas or e-residence permits are not accepted for this, so carry the physical document.
• Landside transit without a visa works only if you arrive and leave by air within the set time, hold documents for your destination and meet one of the conditions on GOV.UK's transit visa page.

How do you apply for the visitor visa?

You apply and pay online on GOV.UK, which gives you a GWF reference number. You then usually give fingerprints and a photo at a visa application centre; GOV.UK tells you at the start of the application if you can use the UK Immigration: ID Check app instead. Successful applicants get an eVisa, not a sticker. Before travelling you must create your UKVI account, link your passport and check your eVisa.

If you apply while in India, VFS Global runs the centres, and you can pick any centre in the country, such as New Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Bengaluru or Chennai. A standard appointment is free, and a Home Office 'User Pays' fee of £76.50 applies only at user-funded centres. If you apply from the US, the GOV.UK application shows your biometric options there; our record covers centres in India only.

What should your file show about your life in the US?

The GOV.UK form asks for your home address and how long you have lived there, your annual income and, depending on your circumstances, your travel history for the past 10 years and your employer's address and phone number. Answer these in line with your US residence. GOV.UK's guide to supporting documents asks for:

• financial documents that clearly show you have access to sufficient funds, such as bank statements detailing the origin of the funds;
• proof of earnings, such as an employer letter confirming your start date, salary, role and company contacts;
• for self-employed applicants, business registration documents or recent invoices.

The same guide calls hotel bookings, flight bookings (unless transiting), travel insurance and statements issued more than 1 year before applying less useful as evidence. No published rule says a green card speeds up or secures a visitor visa; it is simply part of your circumstances.

How long does it take, and how often are Indians refused?

UKVI's standard time for a Standard Visitor or Transit visa is 3 weeks. Where offered, 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. You can apply at the earliest 3 months before travel.

Home Office statistics show an 82% grant rate for visitor visa applications from Indian nationals in the year ending June 2026: 514,398 granted and 111,749 refused out of 626,147 decisions. This counts all Indian nationals applying from outside the UK, not only those applying in India, excludes withdrawn and lapsed cases, and the 2026 data is provisional. It describes past decisions, not your own chances.

Which mistakes do green card holders make?

• Applying for an ETA. It is not open to Indian nationals.
• Relying on an expired green card for transit. The exemption needs a valid card.
• Booking a transit that crosses UK border control without checking the landside conditions.
• Forgetting the UKVI account. Link your passport to the eVisa before you fly.

Need a flight reservation, hotel booking or itinerary for the file? Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares these, plus cover letters, with packages from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation up to INR 3,000 for reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write via our contact page.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Canadian PR card also exempt Indians from a UK transit visa?

Yes, GOV.UK's list for Indian nationals includes a valid permanent resident card issued by Canada on or after 28 June 2002. As with the US green card, a Border Force officer decides whether you qualify to transit without a visa.

Can a valid US visa, not a green card, also cover UK transit?

Yes. A valid visa for the USA is on GOV.UK's list of documents that remove the need for a UK transit visa for Indian nationals, alongside valid visas for Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It must be valid on the day you travel.

Will I get a UK visa sticker in my passport?

No. Successful applicants get an eVisa, a digital record of immigration status viewed in a free UKVI account. You must create the account, link your passport and check the eVisa before you travel.

How early can I apply for a UK visitor visa?

GOV.UK says visit visas can be applied for at the earliest 3 months before travel. The standard decision time is 3 weeks.