1 applying for a uk visa in south africa - visas international · the uk’s visa service in south...
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The UK’s Visa Service in South Africa
98% of visa applications from
South Africans are
successful
99% of all non-settlement visa
applications from South Africans
were resolved within 15 working
days
Remember! Average turnaround times can vary significantly throughout the year. UK
Visas & Immigration (UKVI) in Pretoria handles ~160,000 applications every year from
customers in 27 countries across Africa. While you, or someone you know, may have
received a faster ordinary service the last time you applied, we have peaks in demand
and can be extremely busy at any point. UKVI’s global service standard for any Visitor
visa application is 15 working days, and we encourage all customers to ensure they apply
in good time to travel!
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Customer Service Standards
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We are committed to providing first-class customer service and our published
service standards state that;
• You will be able to book an appointment at a convenient Visa Application Centre (VAC) within 5
working days.
• Non-settlement visa applications (for e.g. Visitors, Short-term Stay, PBS Tiers 1, 2, 4 & 5, UK
Ancestry) will be resolved within 15 working days from submission of biometric data at the VAC.
• Settlement visa applications will be resolved within 60 working days from submission of biometric
data at the VAC.
• Where an application is not straightforward, and will (likely) take longer to resolve than our published
service standard, we will inform the applicant, and keep them informed.
• Remember! Plan travel and ensure you apply for a visa in good time.
• Remember! You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before you intend to travel and we can post-
date a Visitor visa by up to 3 months where you tell us to do so.
• Remember! It is not possible to purchase a priority service to fast-track a standard application after
you have submitted your application and biometric data at the VAC.
Important note! When communicating with customers, UKVI will use the email address or
phone number entered on the Visa Application Form (VAF). Ensure this information is noted
correctly! We advise that all (adult) applicants provide their own personal contact details. UKVI
cannot be held responsible for messages sent that are not communicated or passed on to the
visa applicant where alternative contact details (for e.g. an agent’s) have been provided on the
VAF.
Visa Routes for Visitors to the UK
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There are now just four Visitor visa routes;
• Visit (Standard)
• Visit (Marriage & Civil Partnerships) https://www.gov.uk/marriage-visa
• Visit (Permitted Paid Engagements) https://www.gov.uk/permitted-paid-engagement-visa
• Visit (Transit)
• Remember! A Visit Permitted Paid Engagements visa will be valid for single entry only to cover the
period of the event in the UK.
Further information and a full range of online UK visa guidance for visitors is available at:
www.gov.uk/browse/visas-immigration/tourist-short-stay-visas
• Remember! UKVI does not ask that any customer applying for a visit visa include confirmed flight
tickets, hotel reservations or travel itineraries. All online guidance advises against purchasing travel
ahead of a visa decision.
Important note! A Marriage Visitor visa allows you to marry or register a civil partnership in the UK – i.e. to
conduct the legal ceremony. It is usually valid for 6 months but remember you cannot settle in
the UK afterwards.
Check guidance carefully at this page to understand what type of activity is considered a
Permitted Paid Engagement and view full details of what you can and can’t do.
Business Visitors
Business visits.
A Standard Visitor visa is suitable if you want to come to the UK for a short time to carry
out activities relating to your business or work.
Permitted activities include:
Attending meetings or conferences.
Negotiating or signing trade agreements or contracts, and making deals.
Undertaking fact-finding missions.
Checking details or goods.
Conducting on-site visits.
Promotional activities.
Consider a long-term visit visa if you are a regular traveller and visit the UK frequently.
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Important note! A Standard Visitor visa is usually issued for 6 months and is valid for multiple entries to the UK
during that period. You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months. If you can prove you need
to visit the UK regularly over a longer period, you can apply for a long-term Visitor visa that is
valid for 2, 5 or 10 years. Remember! You can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit, a
10-year Visitor visa does not allow you to remain in the UK for 10 years and you cannot spend
long periods of time in the UK through frequent visits.
Other Visa Routes
Remember! It may not be appropriate to apply for a Visitor visa.
There are many occasions when a Standard Visitor visa is not the correct option, or
where other conditions apply, and guidance should always be read carefully for individual
circumstances. The following pages provide generic Top BritishTIPS! for the following
categories;
• Child Visitor.
• Domestic Workers in a Private Household.
• Overseas Territory.
• EEA Family Permit.
• UK Ancestry.
• Vignette Transfer.
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Other Visa Routes
Child Visitor Guidance for Minors
Anyone under the age of 18 is considered a minor. In the same way as other countries, the UK
is obliged to protect children and ensure the vulnerable are not exploited. Visa applications for
children are usually linked to a parent or legal guardian. Please note the following;
• Where a child will be accompanied, the parent’s passport details will be endorsed onto the visa. This
means that the child can only travel if accompanied by that adult.
• Take care when noting the accompanying adults on the VAF. If it is possible the child may travel
regularly over the 6 months with either one of the parents only, it is advisable to include details of
both adults in the endorsement. The child’s visa will then read only valid if accompanied by x or y.
Tip! The accompanying adult’s passport number is endorsed on the child’s visa, take note of when
the adult’s passport is expiring for long-term Child Visitor applications.
• It is possible to apply for a Child Unaccompanied Visitor visa, if the child will travel alone, or for
example to take part in an organised group/school trip. We may require some additional information
or authorisation from the parents. Unaccompanied is useful for long-term Child Visitor visas.
• Important! Please check endorsements carefully on receipt of your visa. Any mistakes made in
noting the details of the accompanying adult may result in denied boarding by the airline carrier.
• Remember! On turning 18 a minor is considered to then be an adult and will be treated as such.
Any child Visitor visa issued will therefore only be valid for up to 6 months past the applicant’s 18th
birthday.
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Important note! Online guidance is clear and there are several alerts during the online application process. Any
Visitor visa issued to a minor, regardless of duration applied for (i.e. including long-term Visitor
visas usually valid for 2, 5 or 10 years) will only be a valid for a maximum of 6 months past the
applicant’s 18th birthday. Customers are advised to remember that the difference in fee will not be
refunded! Pay particular attention when applying for long-term Visitor visas for children.
Other Visa Routes
Domestic Workers in a Private Household
This includes nannies, au pairs, chefs, security personnel, personal carers. Any employee
of an individual travelling with that person to undertake their duties in the UK while their
employer visits the country is not a Standard Visitor and must apply for a Domestic
Worker in a Private Household visa to accompany their employer on their visit to the UK.
Please note the following;
• The applicant must have been employed in the same role for a minimum of 1 year.
• A contract of employment must be included with the application.
• The applicant must intend to travel with the employer and leave the UK within 6 months or at the
same time as the employer leaves, whichever is sooner.
• The employer must state officially that the employee will be paid at least the UK minimum wage for
the duration of their time in the UK.
• Remember! A Standard Visitor visa application for employees travelling to the UK with their
employer to conduct their usual duties during the employer’s visit will be refused. Appeal rights do
not apply and fees for the incorrect visa application will not be refunded.
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Read full guidance
https://www.gov.uk/domestic-workers-in-a-private-household-visa
Other Visa Routes
Overseas Territories, The Channel Islands & The Isle of Man
The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are part of the Common Travel Area (CTA) and you will need
to apply for a UK Visitor visa noting your destination in the CTA.
There are also a number of Overseas Territories where UKVI is responsible for issuing Entry
Clearance, or a visa, on behalf of that Territory.
• These Territories include, Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands.
• Where an application for a visa to these countries needs to be made, this can be done at a UKVI
VAC. The application is noted as OTHER on the Visa4UK online application system.
• UKVI will contact the authorities in the Overseas Territory and any visa is issued by us on their
behalf.
• A visa to enter an Overseas Territory is not a visa to enter the UK.
• Applicants who intend to travel to or from the Overseas Territory via the UK may also require a UK
Transit visa or a UK Visitor visa.
• Remember! South Africans with a valid long-term Visitor visa to the UK (i.e. 2 years or more) are
eligible to enter Gibraltar at the ultimate discretion of the Immigration Authorities without the need for
an additional visa. Persons who wish to avail themselves of these exemption arrangements but who
enter Gibraltar from Spain intending to return there, or those in transit into Spain, will only be
admitted if they hold valid Schengen visas ensuring their entry or re-entry into Spain.
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Important note! If the applicant already holds a valid Visitor visa to the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man they do
not need a separate UK Visa to pass through or visit mainland UK for short periods.
Other Visa Routes
(European Economic Area) EEA Family Permit
You can apply for an EEA family permit to come to the UK if you are from outside the EEA
and the family member of an EEA or Swiss national.
• An EEA Family Permit is gratis, it is valid for 6 months multiple entry.
• The EEA citizen you are joining must either be in the UK already exercising their treaty
rights, or be travelling with you to the UK.
Read full guidance https://www.gov.uk/family-permit
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Important note! This does not include British nationals.
Other Visa Routes
UK Ancestry
You can apply for a UK Ancestry visa if you are;
• A Commonwealth citizen,
• able to prove that one of your grandparents was born in the UK,
• able and planning to work in the UK.
• You can live in the UK for 5 years on this visa and can apply to extend your stay and
settle permanently afterwards.
Please read the guidance online carefully at https://www.gov.uk/ancestry-visa
• Remember! You must be able to support and house yourself and any dependents.
• Remember! You must be able and planning to work.
• Remember! Your grandparent must have been born in the UK.
• Remember! You will need to include original full birth certificates of the parent and
grandparent your ancestry claim in based on.
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Important note! Remember you will need to pay the Health Surcharge as part of this application.
Other Visa Routes
Vignette Transfer
Lost, Stolen or Damaged Passports
You can apply for a Vignette Transfer to have a valid UK Visitor visa transferred to a new
passport.
You can do this where the passport has expired but the visa is still valid. Tip! You are not
obliged to do this, you could travel with both passports.
You can also apply for a Vignette Transfer if you have lost your passport containing a
valid UK Visitor visa or where your passport with valid Visitor visa has been stolen or
irreparably damaged.
• The application is noted as OTHER on the Visa4UK online application system.
• Remember! You will be required to include an affidavit/SAPS Report to confirm that
you have notified the relevant issuing authorities and declared your previous passport
lost, stolen or damaged.
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Important note! The fee for a Vignette Transfer is higher than a 6-month Standard Visitor visa. Consider whether
you are replacing a long-term visa with significant validity remaining. It is cheaper to apply for a
new 6-month Visitor visa.
Transit
Direct Airside Transit & Visitor in Transit Visas Top BritishTIPS!
• Always work from the initial assumption that a South African national will require a visa to enter or
transit through the UK and then check whether any exemption criteria apply.
• Start online at https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa and click on Start Now. Follow the simple
questions, answering South African for nationality and then Transit (on your way to somewhere
else) where the system asks what you intend to do in the UK. You will then be asked to confirm your
destination and whether you will pass through the UK Border or remain airside en route. Tip! This
information should be clear from the ticketing or can be obtained from airlines. You will now have all
Transit exemption criteria to hand!
• Remember! A DATV or a Visitor in Transit visa is usually issued for 6 months and is valid for
multiple entry, so you only need one visa to do a return trip.
• Tip! If you can evidence a regular need to transit the UK you can apply for a long-term Visitor in
Transit visa. You can stay for a maximum of 48 hours on each visit. You must prove that you have a
frequent and ongoing need to pass through the UK in transit; the reason for your need to pass
through the UK is unlikely to change significantly while the visa is valid; and you plan to leave the
UK at the end of each transit.
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Important note! You must meet the same transit passenger criteria on the return journey.
Airside Transit
Airside
Airside Transit passengers are those who do not need to change airports and do not
need to pass through the UK border at Immigration Control – for example to collect
luggage. They will remain in the transit channel and get an onward flight from the same
airport on the same day.
Passengers cannot transit airside to the Republic of Ireland or anywhere within the
common travel area.
South Africans must apply for a Direct Airside Transit visa before travelling.
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Airport Transit Channel
Remember! Entering Ireland en route to or from the UK = full UK Visit visa
DATV Exemptions
South Africans can transit airside without a DATV to anywhere in the world if they;
Arrive and depart by air, and;
Have a confirmed onward flight departing the same day from the same airport, and;
Have the correct visa documents for their destination, and;
Hold a valid exemption document.
Exemption documents include a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand
and the USA.
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Airport Transit Channel
Exemption Documents
Exemption documents include;
A valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA.
A valid permanent residence permit for Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA.
A valid common format residence permit issued by an EEA state or Switzerland.
A valid common format category D visa for entry to an EEA state or Switzerland.
Remember! A Schengen visit visa is not a valid exemption document to transit the UK
DATV free.
Some conditions apply, check online guidance at https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa.
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Landside Transit
Landside
Landside Transit passengers are those who need or wish to pass through the UK
Border and enter the UK, for example to change airports or to collect baggage and
check in for an onward flight, or to break their journey in the UK.
South Africans must apply for a Visitor in Transit visa before travelling.
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UK BORDER Gatwick
by 23:59
next day
It’s very important to check the details of the onward flight. Remember!
Visitor in Transit Visa Exemptions
South Africans can transit landside without a Visitor in Transit visa, but they must;
Arrive and depart by air, and;
Have a confirmed onward flight that departs before 23:59hrs the following day, and;
Have the correct visa documents for their destination, and;
Hold a valid exemption document.
Exemption documents include a valid visa for entry to Australia, Canada, New Zealand
or the USA – Remember! passengers need to be travelling to or from these
countries with a valid airline ticket on a reasonable journey via the UK.
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UK BORDER Gatwick
Valid US Visa
by 23:59
next day
Access UK Online Application System
Access UK The new online application system is live globally for all Visitor visa customers and will be rolled out
incrementally to all categories. Feedback has been extremely positive but we welcome all input. If
you’ve used this system, what could we do to improve it, and make it even more user friendly?
Benefits of the system include:
A shorter form with questions logically ordered based on customer insight.
A dynamic and intuitive form that asks relevant questions based on previous answers.
The ability to make group applications, payments and bookings in one transaction.
The ability to apply, book an appointment at the VAC and make all relevant payments
in the same transaction, including paying for a Priority Visa service where applicable.
The ability to review, edit and download a partially completed application at any point
before submission.
Support for those who plan to make a separate application for a Schengen visa, with a
partially auto-populated Schengen Application Form available to download.
Availability on mobile devices – you can now apply from your smartphone or tablet!
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How to Apply Online
Apply directly from the pages of GOV.UK.
You can apply for any UK visa category using Visa4UK. Create an online account at:
https://www.visa4uk.fco.gov.uk/account/register
Apply using the new online form for all Visitor visa applications at:
https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/product/uk-visit-visa
Remember! If you are using the new online form to view questions in another
language you must still provide your answers in English.
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Added Value Services
A range of services, to enhance speed of processing and customer experience, are
available to customers applying in all VACs in South Africa.
Premium products and services include;
Priority and Super Priority Visa Services.
Group Appointments.
Walk-in Appointments.
Submission Without Passport.
Digital Assistance.
Prime Time Appointments.
Premium Lounge.
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https://uk.tlscontact.com
Information – Contact Us
UKVI cannot provide immigration advice. A full range of guidance is
available online.
Need to contact us?
Please avoid contacting us to request a routine progress update if your application is still
within our global service standard. Our resources are better used assessing applications
in the queue as quickly as possible than to answer basic queries.
Please see online guidance at www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk which
provides information on how to contact UK Visas & Immigration from outside the United
Kingdom.
Got a specific question?
Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions document published by BritishTIPS,
which provides answers to many common queries. This will be updated regularly, and the
information is always accurate.
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