UK Visit Visa From Pakistan 2026: £135 Fee, Documents and How to Apply
The UK Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for 6 months. Apply online, give biometrics at VFS in Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi, and get a decision in about 3 weeks.
A UK Standard Visitor visa from Pakistan costs £135 for a stay of up to 6 months. You apply online on GOV.UK, then give fingerprints and a photo at a VFS Global centre in Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi. A decision usually takes about 3 weeks.
We read the UK government's own pages on 3 October 2026 for every fee and time in this guide. Pakistan is on the UK's visa national list, so a Pakistani passport holder needs a visa before travel. The UK's electronic travel authorisation (ETA) is not an option for Pakistanis.
The UK visit visa from Pakistan turns on one question: will you go home at the end? GOV.UK lists it as a core rule that you must show you will leave the UK when your visit ends. Every document below exists to answer that question.
UK visit visa fees for Pakistanis in 2026
The standard 6-month visit visa costs £135. A long-term visit visa costs £506 for 2 years, £903 for 5 years and £1,128 for 10 years, with a 6-month limit on each visit. The fee is not refunded if you are refused.
| Visa | Fee | Longest stay |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Visitor visa | £135 | 6 months |
| Standard Visitor visa for medical reasons | £234 | 11 months |
| Standard Visitor visa for academics | £234 | 12 months |
| 2-year long-term Standard Visitor visa | £506 | 6 months per visit |
| 5-year long-term Standard Visitor visa | £903 | 6 months per visit |
| 10-year long-term Standard Visitor visa | £1,128 | 6 months per visit |
| Visitor in Transit visa (transit only) | £74.50 | Passing through |
Fees are set in pounds. Your bank converts them to rupees when you pay by card, so the rupee amount moves with the exchange rate. Each family member pays their own fee.
A long-term visa is not a safer bet. GOV.UK says you may get a shorter visa than you asked for, with no refund of the difference. For a first visit, the £135 visa is the sensible choice.
What a Standard Visitor can and cannot do in the UK
You can visit family or friends, travel as a tourist, attend business meetings and conferences, take a short course of up to 6 months, or get private medical treatment. You cannot work, claim benefits, marry, or live in the UK through repeated long visits.
Business visitors can attend interviews, meetings, conferences and trade fairs, and sign deals. They cannot be paid by a UK company, except for a few permitted paid engagements. If you plan to work in the UK, you need the UK Skilled Worker visa instead.
A course longer than 6 months needs a different route too. For a full degree, apply for the UK Student visa, not a visit visa. Marriage or giving notice of marriage needs a separate Marriage Visitor visa.
How to apply for a UK visit visa from Pakistan
Fill in the online form on GOV.UK, pay the fee, then book an appointment at a visa application centre in Pakistan. At the appointment you give fingerprints and a photo and hand over your documents. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before travel.
- Start the form on the GOV.UK Standard Visitor page. You can save it and come back later.
- Enter your travel dates, where you will stay, trip cost, home address, income and travel history.
- Pay the £135 fee online. Add the priority service here if you want it and it is offered.
- Book a biometrics appointment at a VFS Global centre in Islamabad, Lahore or Karachi.
- Attend with your passport and documents. Your passport comes back the same day.
GOV.UK's centre finder sends Pakistani applicants to VFS Global. When we checked on 3 October 2026, VFS listed centres in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore, open Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:00. It also listed a premium application centre in Mirpur, open Monday to Wednesday.
Your passport must be valid for your whole stay. If it is close to expiry, sort out passport renewal before you start the form, because the visa goes on that passport.
Documents and bank statements for a UK visit visa
GOV.UK asks you to show you are a genuine visitor, will leave at the end, and can pay for the trip. Bank statements should show where the money came from. GOV.UK sets no fixed minimum balance for visitors.
The UK government's guide to supporting documents lists what helps. It says the list is not complete, and no document guarantees a visa.
| What to prove | Documents that help |
|---|---|
| Identity | Valid passport, plus old passports showing past travel |
| Job or study at home | Employer letter on headed paper with role, salary and start date; or a letter from your college confirming enrolment and leave |
| Self-employment | Business registration papers or recent invoices |
| Money for the trip | Bank statements that show the origin of the funds; proof of earnings |
| Sponsor, if someone pays | What they pay, their funds, your relationship, and their UK status |
The phrase "origin of the funds" matters. A large deposit just before you apply, with no clear source, raises questions. A steady salary credit over several months says more than a big balance. You can download a bank statement online from most Pakistani banks.
Any document not in English or Welsh needs a full translation. GOV.UK says the translation must carry the translator's confirmation, the date, their full name and signature, and their contact details. Urdu documents need this too.
Children under 18 need a birth certificate or similar proof of the parent link. A child travelling without a parent needs a signed letter of consent from the parent or guardian.
Processing time and priority service
A Standard Visitor decision usually takes 3 weeks from your biometrics appointment. Priority service costs £500 extra for a decision in about 5 working days. Super priority costs £1,000 extra for a decision usually by the end of the next working day.
Working days are UK working days, Monday to Friday. GOV.UK says applications can take longer if documents need checking or an interview is needed.
Priority places are limited. GOV.UK says that if you are not offered the option, you can still make a standard application. A faster service does not raise your chances. If you are refused, the priority fee is not refunded.
Do not book flights you cannot cancel until you have a decision. GOV.UK says UKVI will not repay travel costs if you are refused or the decision is late.
If your UK visit visa is refused
Your refusal letter states the reasons and whether you can ask for an administrative review. If it allows one, you have 28 days and it costs £80. Most people do better fixing the stated reason and applying again with stronger evidence.
Read the letter line by line. If it doubts your job, add a fuller employer letter. If it doubts your money, show where the money came from. Each stated reason points to a document you can add or correct.
GOV.UK warns that an administrative review can take 12 months or more. It also says a new visa application cancels a pending review. So choose one path. A new application means a new fee.
Be honest about past refusals on every later form, including for other countries such as a Schengen visa. The UK form asks about your travel history and any immigration problems, and a hidden refusal causes more trouble than a declared one.
Common questions
How much is the UK visit visa fee from Pakistan in 2026?
£135 for a Standard Visitor visa of up to 6 months, according to GOV.UK on 3 October 2026. You pay in pounds online, and your bank converts it to rupees.
How much bank balance do I need for a UK visit visa?
GOV.UK sets no fixed amount. You must show you can pay for your stay and return journey, and your statements should show where the money came from.
Where do I give biometrics for a UK visa in Pakistan?
At a VFS Global visa application centre. GOV.UK's centre finder points to VFS, which lists Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi, plus a premium centre in Mirpur.
How long does a UK visit visa take from Pakistan?
Usually 3 weeks after your biometrics appointment. Priority service, if offered, aims for 5 working days, and super priority for the next working day.
Do I need a TB test for a UK visit visa?
Only if you are visiting for more than 6 months, for example as an academic or for medical treatment. A normal 6-month visit does not need one.
Can I work in the UK on a visit visa?
No. Paid or unpaid work for a UK company is not allowed, except for a short list of permitted paid engagements such as giving a lecture as an expert.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
We read these GOV.UK pages on 3 October 2026: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor (fees, eligibility, how to apply, documents; content updated 9 September 2026), the visit visa guide to supporting documents, Get a faster decision on your visa (updated 18 September 2026), Visa processing times for applications outside the UK, Ask for a visa administrative review, and Appendix Visitor: Visa national list, which includes Pakistan. We read the VFS Global Pakistan centre list that GOV.UK links to. We did not make an application ourselves. Fees change, so check GOV.UK on the day you pay.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
