Your cousin in Manchester is getting married in January. Your brother has lived in London for three years and your mother wants to see him. Or you have a business meeting in Birmingham next month. The first question is always the same. How do I get a UK visit visa from Pakistan?
Here is the straight answer. Pakistani passport holders need a Standard Visitor visa. There is no visa free entry and no ETA for Pakistan. You apply online, give your fingerprints at a visa application centre, and wait. The visa costs £135 and usually takes about 3 weeks. This guide covers the real rules from GOV.UK, step by step.
Do you need a UK visa?
Yes. Pakistan is on the UK visa required list. A Pakistani passport does not get visa free entry, and the ETA route does not apply to Pakistan. The visa you need is called the Standard Visitor visa. Unlike the visa free countries for Pakistani passport holders, the UK requires a full application from everyone.
You can use it for tourism, visiting family and friends, business meetings, study of up to 6 months, volunteering for up to 30 days with a registered charity, and passing through the UK to another country.
You cannot use it to take paid or unpaid work for a UK company, to claim public funds, to marry, or to live in the UK long term through repeated visits.
How much does a UK visit visa cost?
The fee is £135 for up to 6 months. The Home Office sets this fee, and you pay it online when you apply. If you visit the UK regularly, you can apply for a long term visa instead:
- 2 years: £506
- 5 years: £903
- 10 years: £1,128
Every long term visa still allows a maximum stay of 6 months per visit. There is no refund if your application is refused, and no refund if UKVI gives you a shorter visa than you asked for.
When can you apply?
The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. The application is online, and you can save the form and finish it later. If you are visiting family, the process looks a lot like the Canada visit visa from Pakistan, but the UK adds a biometric appointment at a visa application centre.
The steps to apply
Step 1. Fill in the online form
Apply on the official Standard Visitor visa application page on GOV.UK. The form asks for your travel dates, where you will stay, how much the trip will cost, your home address, your parents' names and dates of birth, how much you earn in a year, and details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences.
You may also need your travel history for the past 10 years, your employer's address, and the name and address of anyone paying for your trip.
Step 2. Pay the fee
You pay £135 online with a card. Each person needs their own application and their own fee, including children.
Step 3. Book your biometrics appointment
After you submit the form, you book an appointment at a visa application centre. In Pakistan these are run by VFS Global in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. You can upload your supporting documents online before the appointment. See the official VFS Global Pakistan page for centres and timings.
Step 4. Attend the appointment
Carry your passport. At the centre they take your fingerprints and a photo. Your passport is returned the same day. The centre may keep some other documents while the application is processed.
Step 5. Wait for the decision
Most decisions come within 3 weeks. You get an email from the Home Office when the decision is made.
What documents should you keep ready?
The officer must be satisfied you will leave the UK, that you can support yourself, and that you can pay for your return journey. These papers help:
- a passport valid for the whole of your stay
- bank statements that show your savings or regular income
- an employment letter from your employer, or proof of your own business
- proof of ties to Pakistan: a job, property, or family that needs you back
- details of where you will stay in the UK
- if someone in the UK hosts you or pays for the trip, their name, address and passport number
- certified translations for any document not in English or Welsh
Do you need a TB test?
No, not for a standard 6 month visit. The official TB test rules require a certificate only when you are coming to the UK for more than 6 months, for example for study or work.
What makes a strong application?
Think like the officer. They decide on three things. Will you leave. Can you pay. Is the visit genuine. Show all three clearly.
Apply at the earliest allowed date, 3 months before travel. Fill the form honestly. A small lie is a bigger risk than a missing paper. If you were refused before, do not hide it. The form asks about offences and refusals, and UKVI checks the records.
Upload your documents before the appointment. If you travel to the UK every year, the 2, 5 or 10 year visa saves money and time. And if you need a quicker Gulf trip while you wait, the Dubai visa from Pakistan is easier to arrange.
Common mistakes that hurt applications
- Applying too close to the travel date. The window opens 3 months before travel, and a decision takes about 3 weeks.
- Not proving you will return. A job, property and family in Pakistan are the strongest ties. Money alone is weak.
- Bank statements that do not match the trip cost you wrote in the form.
- Hiding a previous refusal or offence. UKVI checks the records.
- Using an expiring passport. It must be valid for the whole of your stay.
- Paying an agent who promises a guarantee. Nobody can guarantee a visa.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay?
Up to 6 months on a standard visa, and up to 6 months per visit on a long term visa. Longer stays are allowed only in certain cases, for example medical treatment.
Can I work on a UK visit visa?
No. Paid or unpaid work for a UK company is not allowed, and working without the right visa can get you removed from the country.
Does my child need a separate visa?
Yes. Every traveller needs their own application, their own fee and their own biometric appointment, including children.
What happens if my visa is refused?
The fee is not refunded, and the refusal letter tells you the reason. Fix that reason and apply again with a stronger file.
More plain guides live on the Lexiber blog. Start from the Lexiber home page and ask anything about visas or Pakistani law.
Ask Lexiber free in English or Urdu. It shows you the exact section behind every answer.
