To travel to the UK you must prove that you have provable genuine reasons, you can do this by providing proof that:
- You are travelling to the UK to engage in an allowed activity, and you will leave the country after your stay.
- You have sufficient finances including sufficient to pay for your return or onward travel, as well as any other expenditures associated with your visit.
Other documents, except for passports, may be originals, scans, or photocopies.
If you submit a document, not in English or Welsh, you must include a complete translation that the Home Office can independently verify. Every translation must include the following:
- Verification from the translator that the translation is an exact rendition of the original document.
- The translation date.
- The complete name and signature of the instructions for contacting the translator.
You are not required to provide several copies of the same documents if you are applying as a family or group.
The submission or presentation of any of the documents indicated below does not ensure that your application for a visit visa or border crossing will be approved.
1. Travel document (passport)
You must present a valid passport or other acceptable travel documents while applying for a visa or entering the United Kingdom.
Some passport holders may be required to produce additional proof of identity and nationality.
Visa applicants must have at least one blank page in their passports.
2. Providing evidence of private circumstances
If you plan to visit the United Kingdom, you must demonstrate that you are a genuine visitor who is going to the country for an allowed activity, you will leave after your stay, and that you have adequate funds to cover any reasonable expenditures associated with your visit.
You must submit facts about your situation in your native country and the activity you intend to pursue in the United Kingdom.
Following is information about the documents you may choose to submit in support of your application under the Immigration rules for Visitors. This list is incomplete.
- If you are going to the United Kingdom to engage in activities related to your employment or studies outside the United Kingdom (such as attending business meetings, performing as a musician, or participating in an educational exchange), you may be required to present the following documentation:
- What you will be doing in the United Kingdom, the purpose of your stay, and whether or not your expenses will be covered, as well as any letters from inviting or sending organizations
- Conditions in your home country, including evidence of your employment or student status, such as employment or enrollment documents
- A letter from your employer on letter headed paper describing your position, salary, and duration of employment
- A letter on letterhead from your school verifying your enrollment and leave of absence
- Documentation of business registration or recent invoices attesting to ongoing self-employment
- Prior travel documents/passports that demonstrate prior travel
- Proof of legal residency, if you are not a citizen of the country where you are applying or if your right to remain there is not stated in your passport
- Financial documentation attesting to the availability of sufficient cash. These must demonstrate that you have access to the cash, including:
- Bank statements
- Building society literature
- A letter from the employer confirming employment information (start date of employment, salary, role, company contact details)
3. If you are a young child (under 18)
You must present a legal document establishing your link with at least one of your parents or guardians.
If they are not also applying for a visa, you must provide a copy of the photo page of at least one parent or guardian’s passport, containing their signature and passport number or an alternative official document bearing their signature.
3.1 If you are not travelling with your parent or legal guardian, you must:
Provide additional proof that your parent or legal guardian knows your trip plans and has permitted you to visit the United Kingdom. Your application will be rejected if you do not comply.
You must supply a letter from a parent or legal guardian confirming your travel plans, containing the following:
- Parental or guardian permission to travel to the United Kingdom.
- Who is travelling with you – if they are an adult, you must supply their passport number.
- Who will watch after you in the United Kingdom?
4. If you are sponsored
If someone else (your sponsor) is paying for your travel, maintenance, or lodging, you must produce proof of the following:
- What assistance is provided and whether it extends to families with dependents
- How this assistance is provided
- The link between you and the sponsor (such as if they are a relative or an employer)
- The person supporting you is lawfully present in the United Kingdom (where applicable), as evidenced by a British passport or residence document
A decision maker has the right to request extra information from you based on your individual case.