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The application process

Where to apply

Application centres, embassies and consulates, entry points and the official authorities.

5 UK resources in this topic

Requirements & how-to guidance

  • Application centresGuidance

    Visa application centres are the places where you attend an appointment to give your biometrics and have documents checked as part of a UK visa, settlement or citizenship application, run overseas by VFS Global and TLScontact and inside the UK through UKVCAS service points.

  • Embassies & consulatesGuidance

    UK visa applications are made online through UK Visas and Immigration (part of the Home Office), with biometrics given at a visa application centre — you do not apply in person at a British embassy or consulate.

  • Entry pointsGuidance

    What happens when you arrive at the UK border, and what you need to be allowed in.

  • Official authoritiesGuidance

    UK immigration is run by the Home Office and its commands — UK Visas and Immigration (visas and status), Border Force (the border) and Immigration Enforcement (immigration law) — and gov.uk is the only official source, so learning who does what helps you avoid scam and third-party sites.

Guides & explainers