Guidance

Living in the UK: applying from overseas

Guidance for applicants outside the UK. It explains the steps to applying for and being granted a visa to live in the UK.

This guide covers the journey from making your application and getting a decision to then sharing information about your immigration status with others.

Make your application

You can apply and pay for your visa online.

If you have dependants who want to come to the UK with you, the relevant GOV.UK application pages will explain whether they can come and how they can apply.

To submit a valid application, you’ll need to:

  • choose the correct application form on GOV.UK
  • pay the fee
  • pay the immigration health charge (if required)
  • provide any required biometrics
  • provide a passport or other document which proves your identity and nationality
  • meet any other specific requirements that are set out by the application route

Check which visa you need.

Gathering your documents

You’ll need to provide documents to support your application.

For more information, check which visa you need and view the documents required for that route.

When to apply

Find out when to apply for your visa.

Get an estimate of how long it’ll take to process your application.

For more information on when you can travel, and any restrictions in place, view the COVID-19 travel guidance.

Fees

There is a fee for each visa. The fee depends on which entry route you apply for.

You may be able to choose to pay more to get a faster decision for some routes.

In addition to your visa fee, each family member who applies to come to the UK with you must also pay a fee.

Pay for healthcare

You may need to pay the immigration health charge as part of your application.

Applying for someone else

You can only apply for someone else if, for example, a relative or your child cannot apply for themselves.

Enter the applicant’s details into the form, not your own.

Cancel your application

You can ask to cancel (withdraw) your application. You’ll only get your fee refunded if UKVI has not started processing your application.

Prove your identity

You’ll be asked to prove your identity as part of your application. The application process will explain how to do that.

If you’ve been asked to use the mobile app

If you have an EEA biometric passport and a compatible smartphone, you’ll be able to prove your identity using the UK Immigration: ID Check app.

The app is free to download. Search ‘UK Immigration: ID Check’ in your app store. Check if the app is compatible with your phone.

If you do not have a compatible smartphone, you can use the app on a family member or friend’s phone. View further information on how to use the app.

You’ll need to provide supporting evidence to prove your identity. The document checklist for your application will explain what you need to provide.

If you use the app, you will not need to send your passport anywhere to be checked. Instead you’ll just need to take a picture of the photo page of your passport using your smartphone camera.

If you’ve been asked to use the app to prove your identity and you’re unable to, you’ll need to make an appointment to attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC).

If you need to prove your identity at a VAC

You’ll need to make an appointment to attend a Visa Application Centre (VAC) to provide your biometric information (your fingerprints and a photograph).

At the appointment, you’ll need to submit documents that support your application. The document checklist in your application explains what to provide.

Some visa application centres may need to keep your passport and documents while they process your application.

You may have to travel to get to your nearest VAC (this could be in another country).

Proving you do not have tuberculosis (TB)

If you’re coming to the UK for more than 6 months you might need to have a TB test.

Check if you’ll need a TB test.

If you do, you must provide a certificate showing you do not have TB with your visa application.

If you applied for someone else

The applicant will need to prove their identity.

If they’ve been asked to use the mobile app, and they have a compatible smartphone, they’ll be able to use the UK Immigration: ID Check app to prove their identity.

If they’re unable to use the app, or if they’ve been asked to prove their identity at a VAC, they’ll need to attend an appointment to provide their biometric information and documents.

If you applied on behalf of a child, a responsible adult will need to accompany them to their appointment. A responsible adult means someone aged 18 or over who can help the child with their appointment, such as a family member or teacher. You will need to give their details on the visa application.

Get a decision on your application

If your application is successful, what you’ll need to do will depend on how you proved your identity.

If you used the mobile app

If your application is successful, you’ll receive a notice of decision by email and you’ll be able to use the View and Prove service to view and share your immigration status information online.

The View and Prove secure service allows you to view your immigration status information and share it with people or organisations, such as employers or universities. Read more about how to view and prove your immigration status.

If you visited a VAC to prove your identity

If your application is successful, you’ll be given a sticker (called a vignette) in your passport. This shows what you’ve been granted (for example, a Standard Visitor visa).

If the VAC kept your passport, they’ll post it to you with the vignette inside.

If you kept your passport, you’ll need to take it to the VAC to collect your vignette.

If you’re a national of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar or the United Arab Emirates and you applied for an electronic visa waiver this visa waiver is sent to you electronically (you do not receive a vignette).

If you notice an error in your vignette, you should contact your VAC immediately to correct it before you come to the UK.

If you notice the error after you’ve arrived in the UK, you must report it to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) within 3 months of arriving or you’ll need to make a new application.

The conditions that apply to you

There may be conditions about what you can and cannot do in the UK based on your route.

You can see these conditions in your decision or on your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP).

If you’ve been told to use the View and Prove service, the conditions are also set out in your online immigration status information.

For example, your conditions might say:

  • ‘No access to public funds’ - you cannot claim benefits
  • ‘No work’ - you cannot take paid or unpaid work in the UK
  • ‘Restricted work’ - you can only work for your sponsor

Getting a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

If you proved your identity through the UK Immigration: ID Check app, you will not receive and do not need a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). Read more about how to view and prove your immigration status.

If you proved your identity at a VAC and you’re coming to the UK for more than 6 months, then you have to collect a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) after you arrive in the UK.

You must do this before the vignette expires or within 10 days of arriving in the UK, whichever is later.

You choose where to collect your BRP from during your application.

When you get your BRP, check the details are correct. If your name is long, it may appear ‘cut off’. This is not a mistake - it is because there is limited space on the BRP card. However, if there’s a spelling mistake, you must report it.

You need to report any errors in your BRP within 10 days of collecting it.

You do not need to tell UKVI if your BRP expires on 31 December 2024 but you have leave to stay longer.

UKVI will update their information on how to update your BRP in early 2024. You do not need to do anything and your immigration status will not be affected.

If your application is refused

You’ll receive a decision notice which will set out the reasons your application was refused.

Your decision will explain if you have the right to either an:

Your passport will be returned, if it was kept as part of your application.

Your immigration status

There are some differences in how you check and share your immigration status depending on how you proved your identity.

If you received a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP)

If you have a BRP, you can use it to confirm your right to live and work in the UK. Find out how to prove your right to work in the UK.

View the full guidance on using your BRP.

If you used the mobile app

If you used the UK Immigration: ID Check app to prove your identity, and your application is successful, you’ll be told how to view your immigration status information online using the View and Prove service.

You will not receive a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP). You will be able to view and share your immigration status information completely online.

This is a fully secure service and allows you to share your status with prospective employers, universities, and other organisations.

To view your status, you’ll need:

  • details of the identity document you used when you applied (your passport, national identity card, or biometric residence card or permit)
  • your date of birth
  • access to the mobile number or email address you used when you applied - you’ll be sent a code for logging in

View your immigration status.

Apply for a National Insurance Number

If you have a right to work or claim benefits in the UK and wish to do so, you will need a National Insurance number.

Find out how to apply for a National Insurance Number.

You can start work without a National Insurance number if you can prove you can work in the UK. You can still apply for benefits.

Sharing your status

You can also use the View and Prove service to share your status with people or organisations, such as employers or universities.

You will need to choose the reason why you are sharing your information, so that the checking organisation sees the information that is relevant to them. For example, if you’re proving your right to work we will only share the information that’s relevant to confirm your right to work.

To share your immigration status, you can generate a ‘share code’ which will be valid for 30 days. You’ll need to provide this share code, along with your date of birth, to the person who wishes to check your information.

At the end of the 30 days, the code will no longer be valid, and the person will no longer be able to access your information unless you provide them with another code.

Certain government departments and public authorities will be able to automatically access information about your immigration status. This will include services such as claiming benefits or use of the National Health Service (NHS).

You will not need to do anything to share your status to access these services. If the organisation does need to see information about your status, they will tell you and you’ll be able to use the View and Prove service to share your immigration status information with them.

Your immigration status information will also be automatically available when you travel through the UK border.

Share your immigration status.

Updating your details

It’s important that you keep your details up to date.

If you have a Biometric Residence Permit (BRP), find out how to update your details.

If you have online access to your immigration status information, you can update your details through the View and Prove service by logging in and following the instructions.

You must tell us about any changes to your personal details, such as your name and nationality. You should also tell us if any of the information displayed on your online immigration status profile is incorrect.

You can also use the View and Prove service to update your sign in details and passport or travel document details so that you can continue to access your immigration status information online.

Update your details.

If you need help using the service

If you need help using the View and Prove service, you can contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).

How we protect your data

You can find information on how we protect your personal data by reading our privacy notices:

If you don’t have access to the View and Prove service

If you receive a BRP you will not have full access to the View and Prove service but you will still be able to use online services to prove some of your rights in the UK, such as proving your right to work.

In the future, BRP holders will also be able to use the View and Prove service. Further guidance on how to do this will be published on GOV.UK.

Published 5 October 2020
Last updated 1 December 2020 + show all updates
  1. Added information on how to apply for a national insurance number.

  2. Added guidance for if your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) expires on 31 December 2024.

  3. First published.