The UK is an amazing place to be at for business, for pleasure, for studies, for work, and for residence. Whatever could be your motive, the stunningly beautiful Island Nation won’t disappoint you. London the UK Capital is one of the topmost global tourist destinations, and also an excellent place to explore international business and investment opportunities. So, it is hardly a matter of surprise that the different UK Visas, including the British Tourist Visas, are much sought after.
Big Ben, River Thames, London Eye, Tower of London, British Museum, Chester Zoo…these are just some of the many famed tourist spots of the UK that you would surely not like to miss. Needless to say, as per the law of the land, you would need a British Tourist Visa to make a trip to the country for the purpose.
British Tourist Visas also called Standard Tourist Visas are basically for those keen to make a trip to the popular and extensively visited overseas destination for a short period of time(maximum period of 6 months), for the object of a holiday, to make a trip to friends/family, or for the object of business.
In some specific situations, aspirants can be proffered visas extending up to 10 years; of course, this is subject to certain pre-decided terms & conditions.
Applying for a British Tourist Visa
People applying for the visa have two good options to choose from and they may apply for either of these:
- Short Stay Visa – usually valid for a maximum period of 6 months
- Long Term Visitor Visa – these are issued for a maximum period of 2, 5 or 10 years. It is possible to successfully apply the visa in case you may present evidence that you need to make regular visits to the country across a period of time, and that the key object of your trips would continue to be unchanged through the legal validity of the visa.
British Tourist Visa Application Procedure
You have two options online and paper. You can execute the visa application process online or in person. You may present your application to either the UK High Commission or any of the many UK Visa Application Centers located across the nation.
British Tourist Visa Time Period
You can submit an application for the visa no more than three months prior to the planned time of arrival. If we talk about the time taken for processing the visa application, well, a decision on 99% of the normal applications is taken inside 10 working days even as 15 days could be the maximum time for the purpose. But you have the option of getting fast-track services where in your visa petition could be decided inside just 24 hours though you will have to pay extra charges for it.
