How Do I Apply

From September 2007 all applicants need to visit a Visa Application Centre in person to enroll their biometric data as part of the visa application process.

You can visit the UK Visa Application Centre (VAC) in Kuwait without a appointment. At busy times you many have to wait for a time until one of our agents is available to see you. Normally we expect to attend to you with in 15 minutes of your arrival at the VAC.

If however you want to be sure of seeing an agent at a fixed time, you can make an appointment. Appointments are given between 1800 and 2000 only. You can ring at any time during our opening hours, or email, to make an appointment.

Completing your Visa Application Form:

You can either download a visa application form from this web link - Application Forms, or go to the VAC and obtain one, and then complete the form by hand OR you can complete your visa application form online as detailed below. If you do complete an online application you will be assigned to our priority "Online Application counter" on arrival at the VAC.

Completing your Visa Application Form online:

• Visit Visa4UK to submit your visa application form online. The site will give you full instructions on how to do this.
  
  
• Please remember to print out your completed online application form and bring it with you when you come to the VAC to give your biometrics

Enrolling your Biometric Data:

Please note that all visa applicants age 5 years and above, irrespective of nationality, who apply for a UK visa, must attend in person to provide their Biometrics - a ten-finger scan and a digital photograph - as part of the UK visa application process. The digital photograph is stored electronically. It is additional to the printed photograph which you must attach to your application - see Photo Specifications.

Biometrics are an integral part of the UK's secure border control, helping to protect the UK against illegal immigration, crime and terrorism, and protect individuals against identity fraud.

The digital photography and electronic finger-scanning procedure is quick, discreet, straightforward and entirely safe. Providing biometric data became a legal requirement for all UK visa applicants under the provisions of the Immigration (Provision of Physical Data) Regulation 2006 which came into force on 4 July 2006.

The biometric data collected will be stored on a secure database in the UK and held strictly in accordance with United Kingdom legislation, including the Data Protection Act 1998. Biometric data will not be stored at the Visa Application Centre.

Application Centre Location and Opening Hours

For application centre location and opening hours please click here.

Holidays & Closures

The Visa Application Centre in Kuwait, and the British Embassy visa section, will be closed for the following public holidays in 2008.

Documents Required With Your Visa Application

Why do I need to provide documents to support my application?
UK immigration law says that it is up to you to satisfy the visa officer that you qualify for a visa. Visa officers aim to make a decision on your application without interviewing you, so it is vital that you send the correct documents with your application. If you do not send the documents they need, they may refuse your application without interviewing you. Where possible, please send documents which can be checked by someone else. For example, it can be difficult to prove that a mobile phone number belongs to a particular person, whereas it is easier to prove that a landline number belongs to that person. We appreciate that it may not always be possible for you to provide these kinds of documents, but please be aware that it will help visa officers make the decision if you can.

What sort of documents do I have to show?
Everyone's circumstances are different. Our checklists below give you a general idea of the kinds of documents which will help the visa officer check that you have met the immigration rules. It is up to you whether you submit these documents, or different ones. It is your responsibility to make sure that you have read the available information on the category of visa you want to apply for. The list below does not cover every single situation, and producing all the documents on it will not guarantee you a visa. Please make sure that you include all supporting papers with your application, and don't send or fax any papers separately.

Are there any documents which you don't need to see?
Please don't submit credit cards, or original airline tickets.

What happens if I don't send the suggested documents?
If you do not submit the documents they need to see with your application, our VAC staff will point this out to you. You will be asked if you want to continue with your application, knowing that you do not have all the documents to support it. It is entirely up to you whether you go ahead with your application or not.

What if I want to apply for a visa for my child?
If your child is under 18, as well as meeting the immigration rules, they must show that they have a parent or guardian who is responsible for their care, and that they have suitable travel and care arrangements for when they travel to the UK. Children can travel accompanied or unaccompanied. If they are travelling with someone, the name and passport number of up to 2 adults travelling with them will be written on their visa. The child will then have to travel with one or other of those named people each time they go to the UK. The visa will not be valid if plans change. You can get more advice on what kind of visa is most suitable for your circumstances from Application Centre staff.

How long will it take to get my visa?
The Embassy aims to make a decision an applications within 24 hrs of receiving them. Decisions will be available for collection from the VAC form 1530 hrs on the working day after you submit your application. You can also choose to have your decision return to your home our office by courier for an additional fee.

Information Leaflets For Categories Of Entry To The UK

The following information leaflets give information on the requirements for entry to the UK:

• General Information
• Visitors
• Sponsors
• Husbands, Wives and Partners
• Students
• Family Members
• Adopted Children
• Returning Residents
• UK Ancestry
• Setting Up In Business
• Investors
• Right Of Abode
• Work Permit Holders
• Permit Free Employment
• Working Holidaymakers
• Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP)
• Au Pairs
• Overseas Domestic Workers
• EEA and Swiss Nationals
• Appeals
• Transit

Checklists

Please use the following checklists to make sure you are submitting the correct documents with your application:

Tourist/Visitor Visa:

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Business Visit Visa:

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Overseas Domestic Worker:

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Student Visa:

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Medical Treatment Visa:

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Settlement Visa:

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV):

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Work Permit Visa:

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Working Holiday Maker Visa (WHM):

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Highly Skilled Migration Program (HSMP):

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here

Family Reunion:

Number of pages: 1 Please print this form on an A4 paper Download form here