This post was created to educate us on How to Apply for UK Standard Visitor Visa in Nigeria, the application procedure and success tactics. What the United Kingdom (UK) Visitor Visas are about is simple. They are clearance issued to travel to the UK, stay over for specified periods of time and for specific purposes.
The permissible purposes are:
- for leisure;
- for visiting family and friends;
- for business;
- for medical treatment;
- for wanting to get married or register a civil partnership or settle down in the UK after marriage or civil partnership;
- for wanting to go to the UK to do specific paid work without having to be sponsored under the point-based visa system;
- for travelling through the UK to other countries; and
- for travelling to the UK being a parent whose child attends an independent fee-paying school in the UK
Whatever reason that suits the aforementioned permissible purposes for visiting the UK, one will need to apply for a UK Visitor Visa. However, if there are other reasons that are excluded from the ones on the list, then one will need to apply for the other UK Visas.
Apart from the UK Visitor Visas, there are two other UK Visas. They are the Work Visas and the Study Visas. The Work Visas are issued to entrepreneurs and investors while the Study Visas are accordingly issued to students who wish to study in the UK upon application. Detailed articles will be written about these UK Visas soonest but now, let’s get back to the UK Visitor visas. Shall we!
There are five types of UK Visitor visas: Standard Visitor visa, Marriage Visitor visa, Permitted Paid Engagement visa, Parent of a Tier 4 child visa and Visa to Pass through the UK in Transit.
UK visa application procedure for most visa category are very similar. Our focus in this post is on Standard Visitor visa but let me quickly introduce you to other types of visa that you can apply for.
UK Standard Visitor Visa
Standard Visitor visa is applied for when one wants to visit the UK on vacation, to visit family and friends, to take part is sporting events or creative processes, or to receive medical treatment. Just so you have a complete grasp of what the Standard Visitor visa is, the following visas have been replaced by Standard Visitor visa:
The Family Visitor visa, General Visitor visa, Child Visitor visa, Business Visitor visa, including visas for academics, doctors and dentists, Sports Visitor visa, Entertainer Visitor visa, Prospective Entrepreneur visa, Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa and Approved Destination Status (ADS) visa.
For more information on the Standard Visitor visa, please click on the this link.
UK Marriage Visitor Visa
The Marriage Visitor visa is needed when one wants to get married or register a civil partnership in the UK, or when one plans to settle in the UK after marriage or civil partnership. There are eligibility requirements and other information that you might need to read. Please click on this link.
UK Permitted Paid Engagement visa
This sort of UK Visitor visa is applied for when one wants to do a specific paid work in the UK without having to be sponsored under the points-based visa system. The points-based visa system is a scheme put in place to regulate immigration in the UK from outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
It consists of Tier 1 (opened to entrepreneurs, investors and exceptional talents), Tier 2 (opened to skilled workers with job offers from an employer in the UK), Tier 4 (opened to students of the point-based system) and Tier 5 (this covers temporary workers and youth mobility).
For more information on the Permitted Paid Engagement Visa, please click on this link.
Parent of a Tier 4 Child Visa
This is the type of Visitor visa that is applied by parents whose children are students of the point-based system. These are students who are schooling at independent fee paying schools in the UK.
For more information on the eligibility requirements on the Parent of a Tier 4 Child Visa please click on this link.
Visa to Pass through the UK in Transit
This is the type of UK Visitor visa which is applied for when one wants to travel through the UK to other countries upon proving that one has enough funds and one’s visit to the UK is to transit to other countries.
Having quickly talked about those, let’s get to the point where we discuss the steps to applying for the UK Visitor visa.
How to Apply for UK Standard Visitor Visa in Nigeria
Step 1:
The first thing to do is to go to https://www.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa or click here.
Step 2:
When you are on the website above, you should follow the instruction that will show you how to create a user, fill application form, schedule an appointment and pay visa fee
Step 3:
After submitting your application as explained above. You will need to print the application form and application checklist which should be available upon completing the step above. These application form and application checklist are to be submitted on your appointment date. The other documents that should be printed or brought alongside are :
UK visa requirements
- A valid travel passport
- Application Form – The UK visa form has to be filled online (the form stated above)
- Evidence of permission to be in UK if you are not a national of the Nigeria. E.g visa, green card, residence permit etc.
- Photocopy of passport data page
- Letter of Invitation if invited by a person or organization.
- Financial proof, original bank statement (6 months)
- Birth certificate for children travelling with parents.
- Applicant travelling on an official business should attach a letter of invitation/confirmation of training/conference, with full details of the Company’s Authorized representative; physical address and phone numbers.
- Supporting letter from sponsor/friend
- Utility bills
- Confirmed Hotel Booking:In the case where you have no one to invite you, you will need a valid hotel booking as proof of accommodation arrangement. Your hotel booking should be valid and should be verifiable if the embassy calls the hotel. Many hotels will cancel your booking once payment is not received within 24 hours after booking, this could lead to visa refusal. Also, we would not encourage spending lots of money to book hotel when you have not received your visa. We have a solution for the hotel booking which you should see in order not to fall victim. Read our Hotel Reservation + Flight Reservation for visa application post
- Flight Booking: Read our Hotel Reservation + Flight Reservation for visa application post
- Marriage certificate if applicable
Step 4:
The UK embassy in Nigeria partnered with a third party company named TLSCONTACT to collect visa application. You may click here to know more about TLSCONTACT. The address of the TLSCONTACT office where you are to submit your application will be shown on the appointment confirmation. Submit the printed copy of your application and other supporting document to TLSCONTACT. Kindly note that you should not address your letters such as company introduction letter or bank reference letter to TLSCONATCT etcetera to TLSCONTACT. All letters should be address to the Visa officer at the UK EMBASSSY. For UK embassy address, click here.
Final word:
As far as my experience with UK visa application stretch, I can authoritatively advise that the success of your application depends on how impressive your financial documents are. You need to show prove of consistent income of about NGN 200,000 and above. For any income less that my speculated value, the embassy will find it hard trusting that you will come back to Nigeria after your visit to the UK.
I want to believe you have learned one or two things in this post, if you need clarification or assistance over any visa application, simply drop a comment below. I will try my best to answer most questions on this page so other people can also learn from the response. PLEASE do not forget to share this post to friends and family. Click on any social media button below to share.
Thank you.
If you have not taken our free visa eligibility test, we advise you take the test now in order to properly plan your application.