If you are planning to travel to the UK, you probably know that you will need a visa. Visa is a necessary condition for traveling to this country and it has many types. British tourist visa, study visa, British work visa, etc. are some of the types of visas of this country, each of which has its own conditions. Going through the legal process of getting a visa may make you tired and frustrated, but getting a UK visa will definitely open your way to an exciting experience and the start of a memorable trip. Follow along to get acquainted with the guide to obtaining a UK visa.
Read the travel guide to England in Alibaba magazine to complete your information about this country.
Types of British visas
England offers three types of visas that you should apply for one of them according to your travel intentions.
- British tourist visa
- UK work visa
- UK study visa
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British tourist visa
Tourist visa is one of the most popular visas in this country. It is interesting to know that the main condition for obtaining a British tourist visa is financial availability and account circulation, which we will tell you about later.
The cost of UK tourist visa is as follows:
- Six months – $270
- Two years – $620
- Five years – $1,080
- Ten years – 1350 dollars
These costs will change over time and economic activities.
UK work visa
To obtain a British work visa, you must have a valid invitation from a company or employer. In order to get this visa and work in England, you must have a high IELTS score.
UK study visa
To get a British study visa, you must have an invitation letter from a university. Along with the admission form and university invitation, you must also submit your academic documents. Financial ability is one of the most important conditions for receiving this visa.
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British visa for Iranians
Obtaining a British visa is one of the most difficult visas for Iranians. This visa has special conditions that all Iranians may not be able to obtain. The required documents for UK visa can be different depending on the type of visa. Iranians can apply for a UK visa through the British Embassy in Tehran.
The address of the British Embassy
No. 198, Ferdowsi St., between Noufel Loshato St. and Jomohri St., Tehran
Working hours of the British Embassy
Every day except Fridays from 7:30 am to 2:30 pm
After submitting the application to the embassy, you must apply for fingerprinting through VFS Global centers in Iran and outside Iran. VFS Global provides administrative support services such as collecting visa applications for some embassies. This organization will not have any influence on the approval or rejection of the visa application and will only carry out the activities related to the documents. You can read more about this organization on the VFS Global website.
VFS Global address
VFS Global has several branches in Tehran.
Branch A:
Hervi Square, Hervi Center Complex, Tehran
Branch B:
Elvand St., Tehran, Argentina
You can find the address of other VFS Global branches in Tehran on the map below.
Working hours of VFS Global
Every day except Fridays from 8 am to 3 pm
Conditions for obtaining a British visa
The conditions for obtaining a British visa are not the same as for a Schengen visa. To get this visa, you will need one of the following:
- Invitation letter from first degree relatives
- Travel history
- Account circulation and finances
Invitation letter from first degree relatives
A valid invitation from your first degree relative can make it possible to get a UK visa. In this invitation, the length of stay, place of residence, date of entry and exit to England and your relationship with the person must be written.
Travel history
If you have travel experience with one of the Schengen visas, Canada, Australia, or Asian countries, your visa will be more likely to be accepted.
Account circulation and finances
Financial resources per person will be around 100 to 150 million Tomans. Account circulation will also be valid for the last three to six months. In the submitted documents, financial resources must be calculated in British pounds or US dollars. Also, financial turnover means the number of transactions made by the account. In general, all your financial activities such as house rent, income, etc. must be declared in the documents.
Documents required for UK visa
All documents submitted to the British Embassy must be translated into English or Welsh by an official translator. Mehr Dar al-Tarjmeh will validate your documents and you will not need the approval of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to obtain a British visa. Below is a list of documents required for a UK visa.
- Current passport with at least one blank page
- Previous passports or passports along with previous visas
- Original and translation of birth certificate
- Submission of invitation documents, travel history and financial ability and account circulation
- Provide employment certificate and social security insurance history
- Round trip ticket booking document
- Hotel reservation document or Hotel Voucher
Procedures for obtaining a British visa
First, after creating an account, you must complete the visa application form online through the British Embassy website. At this stage, you must also pay the visa fee online. After paying the visa fee online, you need to specify the time of your embassy. You will not have an interview at the British Embassy and you will only have to go to the embassy to complete the visa process.
You will also need to go to one of the VFS Global branches and submit your documents. In these offices, you also have to do your fingerprinting. After that, if your visa is for study, they will invite you for an interview, otherwise you will not need to do an interview. Only applicants between the ages of 14 and 79 will need to be fingerprinted to obtain a UK visa. Children under the age of 14 must visit these offices with their parents, but they will not be fingerprinted.
UK visa fee
The cost of a UK visa will vary depending on the type of visa and the duration of the visa. It is interesting to know that the cost of obtaining a UK visa from the British Embassy in Tehran is more expensive than VFS Global offices outside Iran.
The time of the British Embassy
There is no urgent time for the British Embassy in Tehran. Only after completing the relevant form on the embassy website, you can apply for an appointment at the embassy in Tehran. Usually, this time is determined up to two weeks after sending the request. Also, you can specify the time of your embassy in Dubai or Istanbul instead of Tehran and complete your application from there.
British visa answer
The answer to your British visa will be announced two to three weeks after submitting the application and completing the necessary documents for the British visa. You can use various embassy services to get your visa answer:
- Standard service: 15 working days
- Special service: 5 working days
- Super special service: 24 hours
You can choose one of the above services to receive your visa answer on the embassy website by paying a separate fee. Standard service will cost you about $125, special service $409 and super special service $1406 for a six-month visa.
Reasons for UK visa rejection
Your visa may be rejected for one of the following reasons.
- Failure to submit supporting documents
- Fake documents
- Inadequate financial resources
- Inconsistency of the type of visa with the purpose of travel
- Failure to complete the visa procedures
- Imprisonment for 4 years or more
- And …
If for any reason your visa application is rejected by the embassy. You can object to it. To protest against the rejection of a British visa, you must write an email to the embassy and talk about the reasons for rejecting your visa and protest against their decision. In this email, you must also send all your personal information and your visa file.
You will only have one chance in this email to prove that your visa rejection was wrong. If you have enough documents for your reasons and your words are accepted, they will give you an answer after two to three weeks. After being accepted by the embassy, you have to apply for a UK visa again.
At the end
Before applying for a British visa, first determine the purpose of your trip and the type of visa. After checking the website of the embassy and preparing all the necessary documents, proceed to fill the form. The path of obtaining a UK visa may be difficult, that’s why we suggest you proceed carefully and patiently.
References:
RCO NEWS