How to apply for a UK visa in the UAE

Where can I get information?

UK Border Agency and the British Embassies in the UAE work in partnership with a commercial organisation: VFS Global.  You can find out whether you need a visa and how to apply through VFS’s website. VFS also provides information via e-mail and a telephone enquiry service.

All the information provided is supplied and approved by UK Border Agency.

Do I have to pay?

The latest Visa fees are set out on the VFS website. Phone calls are charged at local rates and information from the website and via email is free of charge.

Where can I get advice?

VFS and its staff cannot give you advice on how to present your application, or what type of visa to apply for.

If you need help with your application, or advice about the UK’s immigration rules and requirements, you should contact a qualified professional immigration adviser or lawyer. In the UK, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner or legally qualified professionals regulated by designated professional bodies.  Their websites are:

Law Society of England and Wales
Law Society of Scotland
Law Society of Northern Ireland
Institute of Legal Executives

How do I submit my application?

You must go in person to your nearest VFS .  This is where you should submit your application and your biometric fingerscans.

Who decides whether I will get a visa?

UK Border Agency staff will process and decide your visa application. The VFS and their staff play no part in the outcome of your visa application and cannot influence it in any way.  If any member of staff employed by VFS say they can influence your application, you should tell the British Embassy as soon as possible.

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Service standards - complaints and compliments

The UK Border Agency aims to offer a fair and professional service to all its customers.  We welcome feedback because it helps us to see where we need to improve.

If you have any comments, or are concerned about the service you received, please let us know. We investigate all complaints fully and will send you a reply within 20 working days.

If you want to complain about the service you received from UK Border Agency in UAE, please address your complaint to the Entry Clearance Manager at the British Embassy Abu Dhabi, Khalid Bin Waleed St (Street 22) opposite Khalifa Bin Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE or by e mail to visa.abudhabi@fco.gov.uk

If you want to complain about the service you received from VFS , you may send it direct to their website, make your comments  in person at the VAC, or write to to the Entry Clearance Manager at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi.