Who can apply
Anyone who is traveling to attend business meetings, exhibitions, conferences, fairs etc.
Where to Apply
Documents/information you need in hand while filling in the application:
Before proceeding with your visa application, please ensure that you have the following information:
Your current and old passport(s) information.
Your personal information including your parents’ details, your full current address and telephone number.
Air ticket (intended date of travel).
Amount of money you will spend in the UK (the cost of accommodation, air-tickets, pocket money, etc...+ your income).
Invitation letter and details of those who invited you.
Intended place of stay in the UK.
Your previous ten-year travel history.
Details of the people you will be traveling with.
Details of any friends or family you have in the UK.
Stages of the visa Process Overview
Applying for a business visit visa involves an 8 stage process:
STAGE 1: Creating an online visa application account.
STAGE 2: Selecting your visa type.
STAGE 3: Completing and submitting your online visa application form.
STAGE 4: Paying for and scheduling your visa application appointment online.
STAGE 5: Gathering the relevant supporting documentation.
STAGE 6: Attending your visa application appointment to have your biometrics taken.
STAGE 7: Submission of supporting documentation.
STAGE 8: Waiting for a decision.
Stage 1
Creating an online visa application account
In order to apply for your business visit visa, you must first access www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk.
You will need to select create an account and complete your personal information; contact information; choose a password; agree to the terms and conditions; and click “create”.
You will then receive an email providing you with a link to complete registration. Please click on the link and log in with your chosen email address and password.
Once logged in, please select “apply for myself”. For additional applicants, such as individual applicant family members, you will need to create their applications later by selecting “apply for someone else”.
Please read the important information provided about supporting documentation, false documents and frequently asked questions before proceeding. Once read and understood, please click “continue”.
You should now see a screen with pre-filled in personal information - check that this is correct and make any amendments necessary. Please then enter your “passport number” and “date of intended travel”.
Stage 2
Selecting your visa type
Please select “Visit” as “Reason for Visit“; “Business” for “Visa Type”; and finally “Visit Business – 6 months” if this is your first UK Business Visit visa.
If you have visited the UK before, then you may have the option of choosing a business visit visa with a longer duration.
You will then need to select “no” for all three questions “do you intend to set yourself up in business for the UK”, “is the main purpose of your stay to visit friends/family in the UK” and “do you have a valid CoS number”.
You must then click “create application” and select “go to application”.
Stage 3
Completing and submitting your online visa application form:
There are seven sections in the online visa application form and you are required to complete each section.
1) You should initially find yourself on the “passport and travel information” section.
You will need to complete your personal information; passport information; and where you intend to stay in the UK.
Please be aware of two questions in this section: Firstly, “are you a national of the country which you are applying?’ If for example you are an Egyptian National and you are applying from Egypt, then the answer is yes. If, however you are an American National applying from Egypt, then the answer is “no” and you will need to prove your right to reside in Egypt in order to apply from Egypt.
The second question to be aware of is “how long do you intend to stay in the UK” – as a guideline, you should try and avoid exceeding around six weeks at a time as a tourist in the UK, otherwise UK Visas and immigration may infer that you are intending to overstay in the UK and refuse your application.
2) You should now find yourself on the “personal details and travel history section”. You will need to complete your current personal information and details of any previous travel to the UK and commonwealth, outside the commonwealth and information regarding any visas you have previously applied for, that have been approved or have been refused.
For any previous travel and details of any previous visas, you are expected to answer these questions covering the last ten years. If you run out of space, please simply continue completing the information in the “additional information” section at the end of the online form.
3) You should now find yourself in the “family details” section. Please complete the requested details for your spouse/partner (if applicable), your maternal mother, paternal father and your children (if applicable).
4) The next section is “employment and income”. You must complete this section accurately, outlining your income, savings and employment status. This section is very important, as UK Visas and Immigration want to be sure that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in the UK and will cross reference this section with your supporting documents provided. There is no mandatory amount required, as a common sense approach is taken by UK Visas and Immigration.
5) The next section is called ‘family and friends´ and simply requires you to provide information about any family or close friends you have in the UK.
6) The next section “medical treatment” requires you to provide details of any medical treatment you have previously undergone inside the UK.
7) The next section “UK organisation” requires you to provide details of who invited you to the UK (CEO, Manager, Director) and the details of the company.
8) The final section “additional information” is there for you to provide any further information which is relevant to your application, or any information which didn’t fit into the fields provided earlier on in the online application form.
Once you have completed the form, you must re-review it to ensure that all information is correct, as it cannot be changed once submitted. You can “save” the form as you go along, “save and close” and come back to it later or once completed, click “submit”.
Stage 4
Paying for and scheduling your visa application appointment online
Once submitted, you will need to follow the instructions on making payment and booking your visa application appointment.
If you are applying for additional family members as well, you will need to repeat this process for each of them (you do not need to re-register) by selecting “apply for someone else”.
Cost (USD):
- Standard Visitor Visa – short term up to 6 months: $122
- Standard Visitor Visa – long term up to 2 years: $461
- Standard Visitor Visa – long term up to 5 years: $837
- Standard Visitor Visa – long term up to 10 years: $1048
Stage 5
Gathering the relevant supporting documentation
You will need to gather all relevant supporting documentation and ensure that the documents correspond with the information given in your online visa application form; meet UK Visas and Immigration requirements; and are originals where required.
Supporting documentation includes (this is not an exhaustive list):
1 - Current original passport with a blank page on both sides.
2 - Expired original passport(s)
"In some some countries it is required that you submit a copy from all your passports having copied all pages of all passports even if blank pages.”
3 - Evidence that you can support yourself whilst in the UK – last six months’ payslips/bank statements.
4 - Letter from employer "HR letter that is signed and stamped by your employer" confirming your position and salary.
5 - Invitation letter from company inside UK.
6 - Return flight ticket (can be purchased after approval).
7 - Evidence of place of residence whilst staying in the UK (such as hotel booking).
8 - Evidence that you are free from TB (for relevant countries).
9 - Air ticket copy.
Stage 6
You must then attend your scheduled visa application appointment.
Here you will be required to have your photograph and fingerprints taken.
Stage 7
Submit your supporting documentation
You must check the rules for the country you are applying from as to whether you submit your documents at your visa application appointment or afterwards, to a designated address.
Stage 8
Wait for a decision.
Processing times for each application in each country can be found by visiting www.gov.uk. Some countries also have the option to purchase priority visa processing.
you can track your visa using your GWF number through the TLS Account which you will create once you submit the visa.