Which UK Visa Should Indians Apply For?

Every route below is applied for and paid for online on GOV.UK. You then give fingerprints and a photo at a VFS Global visa application centre in India, and successful applicants receive an eVisa rather than a sticker. Fees and rules are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For the step-by-step process, see our UK visa guide for Indian applicants.

Which UK visa matches your reason for travel?

Visiting the UK: which visitor visa fits your trip?

The Standard Visitor visa is one visa for tourism, family visits and permitted business activities. The maximum stay is 6 months, and you can apply no earlier than 3 months before you travel.

• Long-term Standard Visitor: the same rules, valid for 2, 5 or 10 years, with 6 months per visit. It is designed for people who expect to visit repeatedly over several years.
• Medical treatment: £234, with a stay of up to 11 months. You need a doctor's or consultant's letter giving the condition, estimated cost and duration of treatment.
• Academics: £234, with a stay of up to 12 months.
• Marriage Visitor: £135, to marry or register a civil partnership within 6 months of arrival.

For context, the Home Office reports that 82% of visitor visa decisions for Indian nationals in the year ending June 2026 were grants: 514,398 granted and 111,749 refused out of 626,147 decisions, excluding withdrawn and lapsed cases. That figure describes past decisions, not your own outcome.

Do you have a UK job offer? Sponsored work visas

Most UK work visas need a certificate of sponsorship (CoS) from a Home Office-approved employer. You must apply within 3 months of getting it.

• Skilled Worker: salary of at least £41,700 a year or the going rate for the occupation, whichever is higher; English at CEFR level B2 for new applicants since 8 January 2026; at least £1,270 held for 28 consecutive days unless your sponsor certifies maintenance. The healthcare surcharge is usually £1,035 a year.
• Health and Care Worker: for qualified doctors, nurses and health professionals hired by the NHS, an NHS supplier or adult social care. Salary is usually at least £25,000 or the going rate, and there is no healthcare surcharge. Overseas recruitment of care workers and senior care workers closed from 22 July 2025.
• Senior or Specialist Worker: for existing employees moving to their employer's UK branch, on at least £52,500 or the going rate.

No job offer yet? Routes Indians can use without a sponsor

• India Young Professionals Scheme: Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 with a bachelor's degree or higher and £2,530 in savings can live and work in the UK for up to 2 years. Entry is by ballot only. The 2026 ballots ran 17 to 19 February and 21 to 23 July 2026 for 3,000 places, and there are no further 2026 ballots.
• High Potential Individual: for graduates of eligible top-ranked universities outside the UK, awarded in the last 5 years. Fee £880 plus £252 for the Ecctis check.
• Global Talent: for leaders or potential leaders in academia or research, arts and culture, or digital technology. Fee £766.
• Innovator Founder: for an innovative, viable and scalable business endorsed by an approved body. Fee £1,357, plus a £1,000 endorsement fee.
• UK Ancestry: India is a Commonwealth country, so citizens aged 17 or over with a grandparent born in the UK can apply. Fee £726.

Going to study: Student or Child Student visa?

The Student visa is for those aged 16 or over with an offer from a licensed student sponsor. You need a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS), first-year course fees and living costs of £1,529 a month in London or £1,171 a month elsewhere, for up to 9 months. You can apply up to 6 months before the course starts. The Child Student visa covers ages 4 to 17, usually at independent schools.

The Graduate visa for post-study work cannot be applied for from India. You apply from inside the UK after completing an eligible course: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months from 1 January 2027, and 3 years for a PhD.

Joining family, or only changing planes?

The partner or spouse Family visa needs both partners to be 18 or over and a minimum combined income usually of at least £29,000 a year. The fee is £2,064 per person plus the healthcare surcharge, and decisions usually take 12 weeks.

For transit, an Indian changing planes without passing UK border control normally needs a Direct Airside Transit visa (£41.50). 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. Passing through border control needs a Visitor in Transit visa (£74.50), unless you already hold a Standard or Marriage Visitor visa.

Which UK routes are not open to Indians?

• Youth Mobility Scheme: not open to Indian nationals; use the India Young Professionals Scheme instead.
• Electronic travel authorisation (ETA): the £20 ETA is only for nationalities that do not need a visa. Indian tourists need a Standard Visitor visa.
• Start-up visa: closed to new applicants; founders use Innovator Founder.
• Graduate visa from India: inside-the-UK applications only.

Applying for a UK visitor visa? Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (all four). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact our team.

Frequently asked questions

Can I choose any VFS centre in India for my UK visa appointment?

Yes. There is no state-based jurisdiction: you can select any UK visa application centre in India before confirming the appointment. Appointments are mandatory.

How can I get a faster UK visa decision from India?

UKVI's Priority Visa service costs £500 and usually gives a decision within 5 working days for most visas. Super Priority costs £1,000 and usually decides by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointment. Both were offered at the New Delhi VFS centre in October 2026; availability depends on visa type and centre.

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. Your passport is returned at the biometric appointment.

How early can I apply for a UK visa from India?

Visit visas can be applied for no earlier than 3 months before travel, most work visas 3 months before the start date, and Student visas up to 6 months before the course starts.