UK Visa for Indians 2026: £135 Fee (₹17,771) and Documents

Yes, Indians need a visa to visit the UK: a Standard Visitor visa costs £135, which the Home Office lists as ₹17,771, for visits of up to 6 months, and a decision usually comes within 3 weeks of your biometrics appointment (checked 16 Oct 2026). Our 8-day UK group tour is from ₹1,99,000 per person with the visa fee and flights paid separately (prices checked 16 Oct 2026).

The visa fee pays for the visa only. Our group tours include hotels, most meals, coach touring and a tour manager, but they exclude airfare and visa charges, so you pay the Home Office fee yourself when you apply. GST and TCS are shown in your written quote.

Prices checked 16 Oct 2026 from our live trip pages. Visa rules and fees checked on GOV.UK and the Home Office visa fees page on 16 Oct 2026.

Do Indians need a visa to visit the UK?

Yes. India is on the UK's list of nationals who need a visa to enter or transit the UK, in the Home Office's guidance for international carriers (GOV.UK, list updated 3 Aug 2026). For a holiday, a family visit or a short business trip, the visa you need is the Standard Visitor visa.

The UK's electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is for nationalities that don't need a visa, so it is not a substitute for an Indian passport holder.

GOV.UK says you must be able to show that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit, that you can support yourself and any dependants during the trip (or have someone else funding you), and that you can pay for your return or onward journey. Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay.

How much is the UK Standard Visitor visa fee in rupees?

The short-term visa is £135 for up to 6 months. Frequent visitors can take a long-term visa instead, which lets you travel on the same visa for 2, 5 or 10 years. The pound fees are from the Home Office fee table that applies from 8 Oct 2026, and the rupee figures are from the Home Office's own visa fees page for applications in India, both checked 16 Oct 2026.

Each person needs their own application, fee and appointment, including children. For a family of four on 6-month visas, the fee alone is £540, or ₹71,084 at the Home Office's rupee figures.

How long does a UK visitor visa take?

GOV.UK says you will usually get a decision within 3 weeks, counted from your visa application centre appointment rather than from the day you start the form. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. GOV.UK also has a page on getting a decision faster; check whether it is offered at your centre and what it costs before you rely on it.

We suggest starting about 3 months before your trip, which leaves time for the appointment, the documents and the decision, with a margin if you are asked for more.

Which documents do you need, and where do you give biometrics?

You apply online on GOV.UK, pay the fee and book an appointment at a visa application centre. At the appointment you prove your identity with your passport and have your fingerprints and photo taken. Documents not in English need a full certified translation.

GOV.UK's guide to supporting documents (updated 8 Oct 2026) separates what you must provide from what helps:

What you must provide

• A valid passport, valid for the whole of your stay.
• Translations of any document that is not in English or Welsh, each with the translator's name, signature, contact details and the date.

What usually helps

• Previous passports that show travel to other countries.
• Bank statements that show where your money comes from, issued within the last year.
• A letter from your employer on company letterhead with your role, salary and length of employment; for students, a letter from the college confirming enrolment and leave; for the self-employed, business registration or recent invoices.
• If someone else is paying, evidence of what they provide, your relationship to them and that they have the funds.
• For children, a birth certificate showing who the parents are, a copy of a parent's passport photo page if they are not applying, and a signed consent letter if the child is not travelling with a parent.

The guide says not to use hotel or flight bookings as evidence for a visit, and it warns that sending documents does not guarantee a visa. Avoid paying for non-refundable flights until your visa is decided.

Should you take a 2-, 5- or 10-year visa?

A long-term visa makes sense if you will visit the UK more than once, for example to see a child studying there or relatives who live there. Each visit is still usually limited to 6 months, and you must not live in the UK through frequent or long visits.

At the Home Office's rupee figures, three separate 6-month visas cost ₹53,313 and four cost ₹71,084, so the 2-year visa at ₹66,607 only saves money if you would otherwise need a new 6-month visa four times in those two years. The 10-year visa at ₹1,48,484 suits parents who expect to visit family in the UK most years. For a single holiday, the 6-month visa is enough.

Do you need a UK visa just to change planes in London?

Usually, yes. Because India is on the UK's visa list for entry and transit, an Indian passport holder changing planes at a UK airport normally needs a transit visa (GOV.UK, checked October 2026):

• Direct Airside Transit visa, £41.50: if you change flights without going through UK border control.
• Visitor in Transit visa, £74.50: if you go through border control but leave the UK within 48 hours.

The carriers' guidance lists exemptions for airside transit, including holding a valid visa for Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the USA, or a valid residence permit issued by an EEA state or Switzerland. A valid Standard Visitor visa also covers transit. Check your own case before booking a UK connection, because the rules depend on the documents you hold.

Does a UK and Europe group tour need two visas?

Yes, if the tour visits both. The UK visa covers the UK only, and France, Switzerland, Italy and the other mainland countries on these tours need a Schengen visa, which Indian nationals apply for separately (EU Delegation to India, opened October 2026). Our tour pages say the same: for a tour that visits the UK and the Schengen area, check the entry rules for each.

Which tour suits whom

Glimpses of United Kingdom runs from London through Windsor, the Lake District, Glasgow and Edinburgh, and back via Oxford, with 6 lunches and 7 dinners included and Jain, vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The last listed departure is 2 Nov 2026, subject to written confirmation.

Grand Wonders of Europe starts with three nights in London, then takes the Eurostar to Paris and ends in Rome, ten countries in all. You need both visas before you fly. Its last listed departure is 1 Nov 2026, also subject to written confirmation.

Fascinating Europe stays inside the Schengen area, Paris and Switzerland, so one visa is enough, with listed departures through to 27 Mar 2027.

If you are only now applying, the 1 and 2 Nov departures fall within the usual three-week decision time, so ask us about later dates. A couple on the UK tour pays from ₹3,98,000 before GST, TCS, flights and visa fees. For more on Europe, see our Europe guide, or read how we build customised travel plans if you would rather travel privately.

How we help

We tell you which visas your tour needs, share a document checklist from the official guidance, and confirm your group tour seat in writing before you book flights. Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we send a written quote with GST and TCS shown: start with a message.

Sources, checked October 2026: GOV.UK, UK visa requirements for international carriers; GOV.UK, Standard Visitor; GOV.UK, apply for a Standard Visitor visa; Home Office visa fees for India; GOV.UK, Home Office fees from 8 October 2026; GOV.UK, guide to supporting documents; GOV.UK, transit visa; EU Delegation to India, Schengen visas.

FAQs

How much is the UK visa fee for Indians in 2026? A Standard Visitor visa for up to 6 months costs £135, which the Home Office lists as ₹17,771 for applications in India. Long-term visas cost £506 for 2 years, £903 for 5 years and £1,128 for 10 years (checked 16 Oct 2026).

How long does a UK tourist visa take for Indians? Usually within 3 weeks of your appointment at the visa application centre. You can apply up to 3 months before you travel, so start early for holiday dates.

Do Indians need an ETA or a visa for the UK? A visa. India is on the UK's list of nationals who need a visa to enter or transit, so an Indian passport holder applies for a Standard Visitor visa rather than an ETA.

Do I need a transit visa to change planes in London? Usually, yes: a Direct Airside Transit visa (£41.50) if you stay airside, or a Visitor in Transit visa (£74.50) if you pass border control and leave within 48 hours. Some travellers are exempt, for example with a valid US, Canadian, Australian or New Zealand visa.

Does a UK visa let me visit Paris or Switzerland? No. The UK visa covers the UK only. France, Switzerland and the other Schengen countries need a separate Schengen visa, so a tour like Grand Wonders of Europe needs both.

Is the visa included in your UK group tour price? No. Our UK and Europe group tours exclude airfare and visa charges. The 8-day UK tour is from ₹1,99,000 per person, and GST and TCS are shown in your written quote.