Guidance

Apply for a visa if you want to travel to a British Overseas Territory or Commonwealth country

Updated 15 January 2021

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This page explains how you can apply for a visa if you want to travel to a British Overseas Territory or Commonwealth country.

We can accept and process visa applications on behalf of the following British Overseas Territories and Commonwealth countries.

British Overseas Territories

  • British Virgin Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Gibraltar
  • Falkland Islands
  • Turks and Caicos

Commonwealth countries

  • Jamaica
  • Trinidad and Tobago

To apply for a visa for any other Overseas Territory or Commonwealth country, you will need to check their own website or contact their nearest Embassy or diplomatic post for advice on how to apply.

We can only process applications in countries listed above where the British Overseas Territory or Commonwealth country has no visa issuing post, for example an Embassy, Mission, Consulate or a visa application centre.

If the UK has no visa issuing post in the country where you are applying, we may still be able to process your application. Your application would need to be couriered from the nearest UK visa application centre and additional courier charges may apply. Where there are local restrictions to couriering passports out of country, you will need to apply in person to the nearest British Overseas Territory or Commonwealth country or visa issuing post.

1. Before you apply

Before you apply, you should check the visa requirements for the territory or Commonwealth country you are travelling to. As we are unable to offer any advice regarding visa requirement, you should contact the relevant British Overseas Territory or Commonwealth country of your destination.

2. How to apply

If you are travelling to one of the 5 British Overseas Territories or 2 Commonwealth countries listed above, and there is no local representation to apply for your visa, you must complete and submit a UK visa application form online and select the reason for visit as ‘other’ and the visa type as ‘Overseas Territory & Commonwealth’ to proceed.

3. Book an appointment

When completing your online application form, you will need to pay a handling fee. Once you have completed this part of the online process, you will then need to book an appointment at your nearest UK visa application centre.

If you are part of a family or group, each member of the family or group must make an individual application and individual appointment. For example, if you are a family of 4, with 2 adults and 2 children you must make 4 individual applications and 4 individual appointments.

After you have completed your online application, you will receive an email message containing your application number (also known as a ‘GWF reference’). Please make a note of this number.

4. Visa application centre

To complete the application process, you must attend your appointment at the visa application centre on the date, time and location you have selected.

You should take with you:

  • a copy of the appointment confirmation
  • the printout of your completed online visa application form, signed by you
  • your valid passport
  • 1 recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm) colour photograph of your face, which meets the requirements in our photograph guidance
  • any supporting documents relevant to your application and a photocopy of each document including English translations

We or the visa application centre, are unable to advise which supporting documents to bring with you. Any advice regarding supporting documentation should be sent to the country of your destination.

5. Waiting times

As we may need to refer your application to the British Overseas Territory or Commonwealth country you are intending to visit, the actual processing time will depend upon the issuing authority in your chosen destination. We are unable to provide a timescale as to how long this may take.

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