UK Visas – A Quick Guide to Entering the UK

If you are entering the UK from another country, you may need to apply for a visa. It can be overwhelming and confusing when faced with so much information, so we have put together this short guide to entering the UK to help you.

Please remember that this is a basic guide. We are not official representatives of the UK Border Agency or Home office and rules about visa can change frequently. Therefore, you will need to check this with the Government bodies of the UK and your country of origin.

London: Potography by TJ Morris on Flickr (Creative Commons 2.0)

London: Photography by TJ Morris on Flickr (Creative Commons 2.0)

Entering the UK – Do you Need a Visa?

Whether or not you need a visa to enter the UK will depend on many things, including your Nationality, reason for entering the UK and your current country of residence. The UK Border Agency have developed a quick questionnaire to help to determine whether you need a visa.

Entering the UK from the EEA as an EEA Country National

If you are entering the UK from another EEA country, as a national of that country, you will probably not need a visa. The UK Border Agency states that ‘Nationals of countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland have the right of free movement and residence in the UK’.

Entering the UK from other EU countries

If you live in another EU country and hold an EU passport, you may not need a UK visa. However, check first, as some new members of the EU are still in transitional stages, for example, Romania and Bulgaria. Free movement and residence in the UK is not coming into place for these countries until at least 2014. If you are unsure, it is always best to check.

Entering the UK – Different types of UK Visa

If you are entering the UK as a visitor, you will need to check whether you need a visa, as this is dependent upon your country of origin. If you enter as a visitor, this is usually for up to 6 months.

If you are entering the UK to study, depending on your nationality and country of origin, you may need to apply for a student visa. If you are entering the UK on a student visa, make sure that you check all of the visa rules and requirements. For example, there may be restrictions on how many hours you are allowed to work while studying in the UK. If you breech the terms of your visa, you could end up losing the right to study and stay in the UK.

If you are entering the UK for work, you may need a work visa. The type of work visa that you apply for or get awarded may be dependent upon the work that you do. For example, the UK Border Agency may distinguish between skilled workers and temporary workers. For more information on working in the UK, click here.

Contact Details for the UK Border Agency and Home Office

It is advisable to contact the UK Border Agency or Home Office directly to find out about your visa requirements or visa application. The work of the UK Border agency will soon be returning to the Home Office and will be split into two parts, focusing on the visa system and on immigration law enforcement.

The UK Border Agency or Home Office will always have the correct and most up to date information. You can apply online for most visas.

When you arrive in the UK

When you arrive in the UK, you will probably want to keep in touch with your family back home. Remember that with Pocketdial UK you can get cheap international calls from just 1p per minute.