UK Visa

We walk you through booking your VFS Global visa-centre appointment in Saudi Arabia within 48 hours of completing your documents on GOV.UK. You attend the appointment yourself and track your application on your own GOV.UK and VFS accounts until a decision is issued.

• Tourist Visa (UK Tourist Visa)

  Allows leisure travel within the United Kingdom — sightseeing and short holidays.

• Visitor Visa (UK Visitor Visa)

  For visiting friends or relatives or taking a short holiday — proof of financial means to cover trip costs is required.

• Business Visa

  For attending meetings, conferences, or business-related events — an invitation from the host party is required.

• Transit Visa

  For passing through UK territory to another destination within 48 hours.

• Sports & Cultural Events Visa

  For taking part in or attending cultural, sporting, religious events, or talent showcases inside the UK.

• Medical Treatment Visa

  For receiving medical treatment in the UK — requires medical reports and an official invitation from the receiving hospital.

• Domestic Worker Visa

  Issued to domestic workers accompanying their employers travelling to the UK.

• Student Visas

  • Study for more than 6 months
  • Study for less than 6 months
  • English-language courses

• Short Study Visa

  For short courses up to 30 days, including some professional exams such as PLAB and OSCE.

• Academic & Medical Visas

  • Clinical Attachment — practical clinical training inside UK hospitals.
  • Elective Placement — elective training for students during their medical studies.
  • Academic Visitor — for academic visits such as research, teaching, or institutional collaboration.

• Important note:

  We also assist with every other visa type based on the client's case and travel purpose, reviewing the file to identify the best option and most suitable visa category.

1. Choose the right UK visa type

   Start by identifying the visa category that matches your purpose of travel — tourism (Standard Visitor), business, medical, study, or family visit. For all visa types and conditions, see the official UK visas portal on GOV.UK and the Standard Visitor visa requirements.

2. Fill the application on GOV.UK and pay the fees

   Open the official UK visa portal and create an account, then complete the application form fully in English. Spelling errors in your name or passport number are a major refusal reason. Embassy (UKVI) fees are paid online at the end of the application. Since the 2024–2025 transition, TLScontact is no longer the service provider in Saudi Arabia — after payment, your application is now automatically referred to VFS Global to complete biometrics.

3. Prepare the required documents

   Review the supporting-documents guide on GOV.UK, and prepare:
   - Passport valid throughout the visit, with at least one blank page.
   - Iqama copy (for residents) or Saudi national ID (for Saudi nationals).
   - Bank statement stamped for the last 6 months.
   - Letter from your employer + recent salary certificate.
   - Round-trip flight booking and hotel reservation covering the entire stay.
   - Invitation letter if the visit is family-related.
   - Recent photo to UKVI specifications.
   - Application confirmation page and fee receipt from GOV.UK.
   In-person attendance is mandatory at submission for biometrics.

4. Book the biometrics appointment at VFS Global

   After completing the application on GOV.UK, head to the VFS Global portal for UK visas in Saudi Arabia to book an appointment at one of three centres: Riyadh, Jeddah, or Khobar. To find the nearest centre officially, use the GOV.UK visa application centre finder. Booking at least 3 weeks before your travel date is recommended; you can apply up to 3 months before travel for visitor visas.

5. Attend the appointment and submit biometrics

   At your appointment your application barcode from GOV.UK is scanned, ten-finger biometrics and a face photo are taken, and document copies or originals are submitted per VFS instructions. Biometrics are mandatory for anyone aged 5 and above. The procedure takes about 15–30 minutes inside the centre. Optional paid services (Priority / Super Priority / Walk-in / On-Demand Mobile Visa) are available to speed up the appointment or processing.

6. Track processing at UKVI

   Your file is referred to the regional UKVI processing centre. Standard processing time for a visitor visa is around 3 weeks, and can be reduced to 5 working days (Priority) or 24 hours (Super Priority) for additional fees. Track your application via your VFS Global account or on the GOV.UK portal.

7. Collect your passport and visa

   When the decision is issued, your passport is returned to the VFS Global centre where you applied. Collect it in person with your ID, or request home delivery if available. The visa may be issued for 6 months or 2/5/10 years multiple-entry depending on your file. Before travelling, check the visa data (name, number of entries, validity dates) and keep copies of your bookings and insurance to present at the border if requested.