UK Visas for Indian Citizens: What GOV.UK Says

Do Indian Citizens Need a Visa for the UK?

Yes. The Immigration Rules (Appendix Visitor: Visa national list) name India among the nationalities that need entry clearance, a visa, in advance of travel to the UK as a visitor or for any other purpose, unless one of the exceptions set out in the Rules applies.

UK Visa Routes for Indian Citizens

1. Student Visa

GOV.UK says you can apply for a Student visa if you are 16 or over and have been offered a place on a course by a licensed student sponsor, have enough money to support yourself and pay for your course, and can speak, read, write and understand English. If you are 16 or 17 you also need your parents' consent.

• Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS): from your course provider. It shows the course fee you need to be able to pay.
• Money: the course fee for 1 academic year (up to 9 months), plus £1,529 a month (London) or £1,171 a month (outside London) for up to 9 months. You need extra money for each family member you bring. You must have the money for at least 28 days in a row, and the end date of that 28-day period must be within 31 days of the date you apply.
• Who has to prove it: GOV.UK lists the nationalities that do not need to prove the financial requirement unless they are asked (the "differential evidence requirement"). India is not on that list, so you should expect to prove it when you apply.
• Cost: £558 from outside the UK, plus the healthcare surcharge of £776 a year.
• Timing: if you apply from outside the UK, the earliest you can apply is 6 months before your course starts. GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks if you are outside the UK, and you may be able to pay for a faster decision.
• How long you can stay: if you are 18 or over and your course is at degree level, usually up to 5 years. Below degree level, usually up to 2 years.
• English: GOV.UK says you will usually need to prove your knowledge of English. You can do it with a UK school qualification you began when you were under 18, a degree from a UK institution, a degree taught in English from an institution outside the UK (assessed by Ecctis), or a Secure English Language Test from an approved provider (CEFR level B2 for degree level or above, B1 below degree level). If you study at degree level, your Higher Education Provider can assess your English itself, to the equivalent of B2. GOV.UK also lists cases where you do not need to prove it, for example if you proved your level in a previous visa application.
• Other documents GOV.UK lists: a current passport or other valid travel document, proof of money, an ATAS certificate if your course and nationality require it, your TB test results if needed, and written consent from your financial sponsor if you have been sponsored in the last 12 months.

Work and benefits: GOV.UK says you may be able to work, and how much depends on what you are studying and whether you are working in or out of term-time. You cannot claim public funds, be self-employed or work in certain jobs, for example as a professional sportsperson or sports coach.

2. Standard Visitor Visa

GOV.UK says you can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study on courses of up to 6 months and other permitted activities, and that you can usually stay for up to 6 months.

• Cost: £135 for 6 months, £506 for 2 years, £903 for 5 years and £1,128 for 10 years (up to 6 months per visit).
• Eligibility: GOV.UK says you must have a passport or travel document that is valid for the whole of your stay. You must show that you will leave at the end of your visit, that you can support yourself and any dependants (or have funding from someone else), and that you can pay for your return or onward journey. GOV.UK also says you must not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home.
• Timing: the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. You will usually get a decision within 3 weeks.
• The application: you apply online and then attend an appointment at a visa application centre to prove your identity with your passport, have your fingerprints and photo taken, and provide documents. GOV.UK says you get your passport back on the same day and the centre may keep some of your other documents. Depending on your circumstances you might also need to provide details of your travel history for the past 10 years, and you must provide certified translations of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.
• What you cannot do: GOV.UK says you cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person (unless you are doing a permitted paid engagement or event), claim public funds, or marry or register a civil partnership (for that you need a Marriage Visitor visa).

3. Skilled Worker Visa

GOV.UK says you must work for a UK employer approved by the Home Office, have a certificate of sponsorship from your employer, do a job on the list of eligible occupations and be paid a minimum salary. You need a confirmed job offer before you apply, and you must be able to speak, read, write and understand English.

• Minimum salary: whichever is highest of £41,700 a year and the going rate for your job. GOV.UK sets out when you can be paid less.
• Cost from outside the UK: GOV.UK's standard fee is £819 for up to 3 years or £1,618 for more than 3 years, and a lower fee applies if your job is on the immigration salary list. The healthcare surcharge is usually £1,035 a year.
• Timing: you can apply up to 3 months before the start date on your certificate of sponsorship, and you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks if you are outside the UK.
• How long you can stay: up to 5 years before you need to extend. After 5 years you may be able to apply to settle permanently.
• Health and care: if you work in public sector healthcare, GOV.UK says you may be eligible for the Health and Care Worker visa instead, which is cheaper and has no healthcare surcharge.

4. Graduate Visa

For people who have successfully completed an eligible course in the UK. You must be in the UK when you apply.

• Length: 2 years if you apply on or before 31 December 2026, 18 months if you apply on or after 1 January 2027, and 3 years if you completed a PhD or other doctoral qualification.
• Cost: £937 plus the healthcare surcharge, usually £1,035 for each year you will be in the UK. You will usually get a decision within 8 weeks.
• Work: you can work in most jobs, look for work or be self-employed. You cannot extend a Graduate visa, though you may be able to switch to another visa such as Skilled Worker.

5. Family Visa

GOV.UK says you need a family visa to live with a family member in the UK for more than 6 months, for example a spouse or partner, a child or a parent.

• Cost: £2,064 for each person if you are joining your partner, parent or child and apply from outside the UK (the fee for an adult coming to be cared for by a relative is different). You might also need to pay the healthcare surcharge, which depends on the length of the visa.
• Partner income: if you apply as a partner, you and your partner usually need to prove that your combined income is at least £29,000 a year. The financial requirements are different in some cases, for example if your partner gets certain disability or carer's benefits, and you may be able to use savings instead of income.
• Decision time: for a partner or spouse visa applied for from outside the UK, GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 12 weeks. If you pay for the priority service, family visa applications made from outside the UK usually take 30 working days.

The TB Test

GOV.UK says you need a tuberculosis (TB) test if all of the following are true: you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more, you have lived in one of the listed countries for 6 months or more, and you were living there (or in another listed country) within the last 6 months. India is on GOV.UK's list of countries where you need a TB test, so an Indian applicant coming for 6 months or more will usually need one, while a short visit does not. Coming for less than 6 months, you still need a test if you apply for a Returning Resident visa or a family visa as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner. GOV.UK also lists people who do not need a test, for example accredited diplomats and returning UK residents who have not been away for more than 2 years.

• Where: you must be tested at a clinic approved by the Home Office. GOV.UK lists the approved clinics in India.
• How: a chest x-ray. If the result is not clear you may also be asked for a sputum sample. If your test shows you do not have TB you get a certificate that is valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray, and you include it with your visa application.
• Children: all children must see a clinician who decides whether they need a chest x-ray. Children under 11 will not normally have one.

How to Apply from India

1. Choose your route and apply online on GOV.UK. The GOV.UK guides listed under Sources below have the application link for each route. You must apply before you can make an appointment at a visa application centre.
2. Pay the application fee and the healthcare surcharge where one applies. You do not need to pay the surcharge if you apply from outside the UK for 6 months or less.
3. Prove your identity and provide your documents. GOV.UK tells you when you apply whether you do this in person at a visa application centre or with the UK Immigration: ID Check app. In India, VFS Global lists 18 UK visa application centres, among them New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata, most open Monday to Friday, and premium application centres in further cities. If you do not choose a centre when you apply, one is chosen for you, the most accessible to the country you live in.
4. Wait for the decision. It will usually arrive within the times in the table below. GOV.UK says you may wait longer if the Home Office needs to check your details with other departments or asks you for more information.
5. Access your eVisa. If your application succeeds you get an eVisa, a digital record of your identity and immigration status. You need a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) account to access it.

Your eVisa

GOV.UK says eVisas have replaced physical immigration documents. If you have a biometric residence card you may still be able to use it in some situations, and a visa vignette (sticker) stays valid until it expires. A UKVI account is free, and you can travel with your eVisa after you add your passport or travel document details.

Before you travel to or from the UK, GOV.UK tells you to check that your UKVI account and eVisa details are correct. Your carrier may not let you travel if your details are wrong, and you may be delayed at the UK border. The account must hold your current passport or travel document, and the details must exactly match the passenger information you give your carrier. Our Digital Borders guide covers this in more detail.

Fees and Decision Times

GOV.UK says you can apply for a faster decision on most visas from outside the UK, and that you are told when you apply if a priority service is available. If you attend a visa application centre, it says to check whether the centre offers the priority or super priority service for your visa. The priority service costs £500 on top of the application fee and usually gives a decision within 5 working days for most visa applications, but family and settlement applications usually take 30 working days. The super priority service costs £1,000 and usually gives a decision by the end of the next working day.

Points to Get Right

• Funds for students: keep the money in your account for at least 28 days in a row, ending within 31 days of the day you apply. If you have a student loan or financial sponsorship, GOV.UK says you must provide evidence from the loan or sponsorship company.
• Your CAS: it comes from your course provider, and the course fee you must be able to pay is the amount on it. Check that the details you give in your application agree with your CAS.
• Your TB certificate: if you need one, get it from an approved clinic and include it with your application. It is valid for 6 months from the date of your x-ray.
• For a visit: be ready to show that you will leave at the end of your visit and that you can pay for the trip and your return.
• Keep your documents consistent: dates, names and amounts should agree across your application, your supporting documents and your passport.

Next Steps

Check your documents against the requirements for your route before you book your appointment. TravelReady's Smart Visa Checklist gives you a starting list from your trip details. Confirm it against the official instructions before you apply.

Sources: checked on 2026-10-09 against GOV.UK: Standard Visitor visa (including applying), Student visa (including money you need, knowledge of English and documents), Skilled Worker visa (including your job and how much it costs), Graduate visa, family visas (including partner or spouse and financial requirements), faster decisions (including applying from outside the UK), the healthcare surcharge, TB tests (including the list of countries), eVisas (including travelling with an eVisa) and visa application centres. The fees are also in the Home Office fee table dated 8 October 2026. The visa requirement comes from the Immigration Rules visa national list, and the centres in India from VFS Global. Fees and decision times change, so check the live pages before you apply.