UK Visit Visa Requirements for Pakistan

Yes. Gov.uk sorts nationalities into three groups: those who need a visa, those who need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), and those who need neither. Pakistani nationals are in the first group, so you must get a Standard Visitor visa before you travel. You apply online first, then attend an appointment at a visa application centre. An ETA is not an alternative for a Pakistani passport.

The Standard Visitor route covers most short trips from Pakistan. Gov.uk lists these permitted activities, among others:

• tourism and holidays
• seeing family or friends
• certain business activities, such as meetings, interviews, conferences and negotiating contracts
• volunteering for up to 30 days with a registered charity
• a recreational course of up to 30 days
• study at an accredited institution for up to 6 months
• private medical treatment

You cannot work for a UK company, claim public funds, or live in the UK through frequent or back-to-back visits. You also cannot marry or give notice of marriage on this visa; that needs a Marriage Visitor visa. You can usually stay for up to 6 months per visit.

Gov.uk says you must show that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit and that you can support yourself and any dependants during the trip. You must also show that you can pay for your return journey, or that someone else is funding it, and that you will not make the UK your main home. Most refusals come down to one of these points, so build your file around them rather than around a generic checklist.

The gov.uk application asks for:

• your planned travel dates and where you will stay
• how much you expect the trip to cost
• your home address and how long you have lived there
• your parents' names and dates of birth
• your annual income, if you have one
• any criminal, civil or immigration offences

Depending on your situation, it may also ask for your travel history for the past 10 years, your employer's contact details, and your partner's passport details. It can also ask who is paying for the trip and for details of family members in the UK. Your passport must be valid for the whole of your stay.

UKVI's Visiting the UK: guide to supporting documents says the list is not exhaustive. Handing in these papers does not guarantee a visa. Useful evidence includes:

• Work or study ties: a letter on headed paper from your employer giving your role, salary and length of employment, or an enrolment and leave letter from your college or university.
• Self-employment: business registration documents or recent invoices.
• Money: bank statements that show where the funds came from, or proof of earnings.
• Travel history: copies of previous passports showing trips to other countries.
• A sponsor: if someone else pays, evidence of what support they give, how, their relationship to you, that they can afford it, and their legal status in the UK.

Translations. Any document that is not in English or Welsh needs a full translation. Each translation must include the translator's confirmation that it is accurate, the date, the translator's full name and signature, and their contact details. This matters for Urdu-language documents such as some property papers and family records.

Children. A child should show a document proving the relationship to a parent or guardian, such as a birth certificate. They should also show a copy of the photo page of a parent's passport. A child travelling without a parent needs a signed consent letter confirming travel and care arrangements.

Pakistan is on gov.uk's list of countries where a tuberculosis test is required. However, the test applies when you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more. A normal Standard Visitor trip of up to 6 months does not need one. It becomes relevant if you apply as a medical or academic visitor for a longer stay. The test must be done at a clinic approved by the Home Office.

Gov.uk's visa application centre finder links Pakistan to VFS Global, which runs the UK centres. After you submit the online form, you book an appointment and attend to:

1. prove your identity with your passport
2. give your fingerprints and a photo (biometric information)
3. hand in the supporting documents for your application

Gov.uk says you get your passport back on the same day. The centre may keep some other documents while the application is decided. Family members each need their own application, fee and appointment, although you can apply on behalf of a partner or child.

Frequent visitors can choose a long-term visa, but gov.uk warns that UKVI may grant a shorter visa than you asked for. You will not get a refund if that happens or if you are refused. For applicants under 18, a long-term visa is valid only until 6 months after their 18th birthday. Any visa centre charges for optional services are separate.

Gov.uk does not publish an approval rate for Pakistani applicants on the Standard Visitor pages, so ignore any "guaranteed approval" claims.

Source: Apply for a Standard Visitor visa – gov.uk

• Apply up to 3 months before you travel.
• A decision usually comes within 3 weeks once you have applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents.
• Gov.uk describes paid faster decision options, where they are offered for your application.

Appointment wait times at your local visa centre vary, and UKVI does not publish one national waiting time. Our guide on how long a UK visit visa takes from Pakistan shows how to plan each stage.

If you need to change something after you apply, contact UKVI. Gov.uk says you can ask to cancel, but the fee is refunded only if the application has not yet been processed.

• Bank statements with a large, unexplained deposit just before applying. UKVI's guide asks for statements that show where the money came from.
• A sponsor letter with no proof of the sponsor's own finances or UK status.
• Travel dates or costs in the form that do not match your bookings and budget.
• Urdu documents handed in without a complete, signed translation.
• Buying non-refundable tickets before the decision. UKVI's guide warns that providing documents does not guarantee a visa.