» What will I need to make my application ?

A visa is a certificate that is put into your passport or travel document at a British mission overseas. The visa gives you permission to enter the UK.
If you have a valid UK visa we will not normally refuse you entry to the UK unless your circumstances have changed, or you gave false information or did not tell us important facts when you applied for your visa.
When you arrive in the UK, an Immigration Officer may ask you questions, so take all relevant documents in your hand luggage.

You will need to fill in a visa application form (VAF1 - Non-settlement). You can download the form from this website, or get one free of charge from our visa section.
You can apply for a visit visa at any full service visa-issuing office. For all other types of visa, you should apply in the country of which you are a national or where you legally live.
You can apply in a number of ways, for example by post, by courier, in person and online. This website will tell you about the ways in which you can apply.

You will need the following.
» which you have filled in correctly.
» If you wish to download an application form from the website you can do so, but it will not be accepted unless the pages are copied on both sides and submitted in booklet form.
» Your passport or travel document.
» A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm), color photograph of yourself. This should be:
»» Taken against a light colored background
»» Clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
»» Printed on normal photographic paper, and
»» Full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless you wear this for cultural or religious reasons.
»» The visa fee. This cannot be refunded and you must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where you are applying.
»» The documents referred to above that relate to the type of business you are applying for entry clearance to set up in the UK.
You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to set yourself up in business. If you do not, we may refuse your application.
We will refuse your application if we find that any documents are forget.

The Entry Clearance Officer will try to make a decision using your application form and the supporting documents you have provided. If this is not possible, they will need to interview you.
Please check your visa when you get it. You should make sure that:
»» your personal details are correct
»» it correctly states the purpose for which you want to come to the UK, and
it is valid for the date on which you want to travel. (You can ask for it to be post-dated
»» for up to three months if you do not plan to travel immediately.)
If you think that there is anything wrong with your visa, contact our visa section immediately.

Under the Immigration Rules, if you want to set up in business in the UK you must be able to support yourself and any dependants, and live without claiming certain state benefits. Use the "Public funds" link at the bottom of this page to see a list of them.

Your dependants will need the following.

» which they have filled in correctly.
» A passport or travel document.
» A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm), color photograph of themselves. This should be:
»» taken against a light colored background
»» clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
»» printed on normal photographic paper, and
»» full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless they wear this for cultural or religious reasons.
» The visa fee. This cannot be refunded and they must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where they are applying.
» Evidence of their relationship to you.
» Evidence that you can support them without needing any help from public funds.
» A copy of the relevant pages from your passport, showing your permission to stay if you are already in the UK.