This page explains how you can apply for a visa to come to the UK if you are currently in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

If you currently have temporary permission to stay in Pakistan and Afghanistan (for example, as a student or a visitor), you can only apply for some types of UK visa - see 'More information' below. Afghans can apply for any category in Pakistan and India, regardless of their status.

When to apply

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK. We strongly advise you not to confirm your travel arrangements until you have received your visa. To find out how long we usually take to process your type of visa, see the Visa processing times page.

Before you apply

Before you apply, you must:

prepare the supporting documents that you will need;

be tested to show that you do not have tuberculosis (if you want to come to the UK for more than 6 months);

be ready to enrol your fingerprints and photograph (known as biometric information) at one of our visa application centres in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore or Mirpur; and

be able to pay the visa application fee. The Visa application fees and guides pages explain how much your visa application will cost.

If you do not know which supporting documents to provide, the Visa application fees and guides page will help you to find guidance for your visa category.