Indian travellers visiting the United Kingdom for tourism, business, or family generally need a Standard Visitor Visa, valid for up to six months. Applications are submitted online through gov.uk, with biometrics and document upload completed at a VFS Global centre in India. Standard processing takes around three weeks.
Search intent
informational → transactional
'UK visa from India' is informational (process, fees, documents) with a transactional tail (the user wants to apply). The snippet answers the informational need; the apply modal captures the transactional intent.
Primary keyword
UK visa from India
Standard Visitor VisaUp to 6-month staygov.uk online applicationVFS Global biometric appointmentUK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Overview
The United Kingdom operates a separate immigration system from the Schengen area, so a UK visa does not allow travel to France or other Schengen states. The Standard Visitor Visa covers tourism, short-term business, and family visits for up to six months. Indian applicants apply online through gov.uk, pay the fee, book a VFS Global appointment for biometrics and document upload, and receive the passport by courier or in person. UKVI makes the decision.
Not to be confused with
This page covers the UK Standard Visitor Visa for tourism, business, and family visits. It does not cover the UK Transit Visa, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), work or study visas, or the British Overseas Visa. Note that the UK is not part of the Schengen area; a UK visa does not permit travel to France, Germany, or other Schengen states.
Eligibility
Indian passport valid for the full duration of the intended stay.
A genuine purpose that fits the Standard Visitor rules: tourism, business meetings, family visits, or short study.
Sufficient funds to support the stay without working or accessing public funds.
Intention to leave the UK at the end of the visit, evidenced by ties to India.
No intent to live in the UK through frequent or successive visits.
Documents by applicant profile
Valid passport and prior travel history.
Online application form printout and appointment confirmation.
Approved-leave letter from the employer.
Last three to six months of salary slips and bank statements.
Latest Form 16 and income-tax returns.
Return flight booking and accommodation details.
Sponsorship documents, if staying with a host.
Step-by-step process
1
Apply online on gov.uk
Complete the Standard Visitor Visa application, pay the fee online, and print the confirmation.
2
Book a VFS Global appointment
Choose a biometric appointment slot at a VFS centre and opt for document scanning or self-upload as offered.
3
Attend biometrics
Visit the centre to provide fingerprints and a photograph, and submit the document set.
4
Receive the decision
UKVI assesses the application; the passport is returned by courier or collected in person once a decision is made.
Fees
Applicant
Fee
Note
Standard Visitor (up to 6 months)
115GBPverify
Representative fee; confirm on gov.uk before applying.
Long-term (2, 5, 10 year)
VariesGBPverify
Higher fees; eligibility assessed on travel history.
* Fees marked "verify" must be confirmed on the official portal before payment.
Processing time
The standard decision time from India is around three weeks (about 15 working days) after the biometric appointment. Priority and super-priority services may shorten this for eligible applicants at an additional charge, subject to availability.
Common rejection reasons
Insufficient evidence of funds to cover the stay.
Weak ties to India, raising doubts about return.
Inconsistent trip purpose between the form and supporting documents.
Missing or expired supporting documents.
Previous immigration non-compliance.
Use of a long-term visa for a purpose not permitted under Standard Visitor rules.
Gaya · Bodhgaya · Patna · Varanasi application path
Applicants based in Gaya, Bodhgaya, and Patna can use the VFS Global network across eastern India. The concierge route covers: online form completion on gov.uk, document pre-check in Gaya by courier, biometric appointment at the nearest available VFS centre (commonly Patna where operational, otherwise Kolkata or New Delhi), and return passport courier to the applicant's address. For pilgrims and monks whose travel calendar is tied to Pind Daan and Vassa, appointments are scheduled outside ritual dates.
Pan-India note: The gov.uk + VFS Global route applies nationwide, with VFS centres in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Pune, and other cities. Concierge support and document pre-check by courier are available across all states.
Local-market adaptation: For Bihar-based applicants, the key pain point is the uncertainty of the nearest biometric centre and the cost of repeat travel to a metro. The concierge route addresses this by: (a) courier-based document pre-check in Gaya/Bodhgaya, (b) single-trip biometric booking at the nearest operational centre, and (c) Hindi/Bhojpuri support for the gov.uk form. This differs from generic pan-India copy that assumes metro residency.
Editorial control panel — 10-part deliverable metadata
Compliance & trust
Last verified
2026-08-02
Source priority
gov.uk (Standard Visitor visa) is the primary source. VFS Global India is the operational channel. No third-party platform is used as a content source.
Ambiguity flags
INR amount varies with the GBP exchange rate on the payment date.
Priority service availability changes by centre and season.
VFS centre presence in Patna should be re-confirmed before booking.
Editor note: Fees and processing times are representative. Verify current figures on gov.uk and VFS Global before treating as authoritative live data.
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