Documents required for a UK visa

Every applicant

• Passport valid for your whole stay, brought to the appointment
• Old passports showing your earlier travel
• Bank statements showing your money and where it comes from (statements over a year old don't help)
• Your travel dates, where you will stay and what the trip will cost (the form asks)
• Certified English translation of any document not in English or Welsh

For a holiday

Nothing extra to bring.

For a business trip

• Invitation from the event or conference organiser, or from the UK company you visit
• Letter from your employer explaining the visit

For visiting family or friends

• If your host pays: their letter saying how they support you, proof they can afford it, and their UK status
• Proof of your relationship to the host

If you are employed

• Letter from your employer on company letterhead: your role, salary, how long you have worked there, their contact details

If you are self-employed

• Business registration documents, or recent invoices showing your business is running

If you are a student

• Letter from your school or university on letterhead confirming your enrolment and leave

If you are retired

• Pension statements or other proof of your income

If you are not employed

• If someone pays for you: their letter, proof of their money and proof of your relationship to them

Travelling with a child under 18

• Birth or adoption certificate showing the parent or guardian
• Copy of the passport photo page of a parent who is not applying
• If not travelling with a parent: a signed letter from a parent with their consent, who the child travels with and who looks after them in the UK