India in United Kingdom — Visa & Immigration Sources
Visa types, work permits, residence permits, and immigration requirements for India nationals in United Kingdom — answered only from official government sources.
Key facts at a glance
- •The Asylum Support annual cost is £4 billion GBP (Home Office)
- •British Citizenship processing takes 12 months (UKVI)
- •British Citizenship requires: lived in the UK for the last 3 years (UKVI)
- •Electronic Travel Authorisation (eta) processing takes 3 working days (UKVI)
- •The Electronic Travel Authorisation (eta) application fee is £16 GBP (UKVI)
- •Electronic Travel Authorisation (eta) validity period: 2 years (UKVI)
Extracted from 109 official pages across 5 government sources. Auto-updated daily.
Official Sources
- HCI London17 pages
- HCI London20 pages
- Home Office30 pages
- UKVI41 pages
- VFS Global UK1 page
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Key Policy Facts
Data points extracted from official government pages. Updated automatically.
Afghan Resettlement
- Number Of Afghans Resettled Since 2021
- 37,000
Britain has offered sanctuary to over 37,000 Afghans via its 2 resettlement schemes since 2021.
Asylum Claims
- Total Asylum Claims Last 5 Years
- 133,760
- Percentage Of Claims From Legal Routes
- 39%
- Reduction In Student Asylum Claims 2025
- 20%
- Increase In Asylum Claims Since 2021
- over 470%
- Percentage Of Afghan Asylum Claims To Study Visas
- 95%
In total, 133,760 people have claimed asylum after arriving legally in the past 5 years.
making up 39% of the 100,000 people who applied last year.
the government has successfully reduced student asylum claims by 20% over the course of 2025.
Asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan rocketed by over 470% between 2021 and 2025.
Between 2021 and the year ending September 2025, the proportion of Afghan asylum claims to study visas issued was 95%.
Asylum Support
- Annual Cost
- £4 billion GBP
Asylum support is currently costing more than £4 billion a year.
Biometric Residence Permits (brps)
- Expiration Date
- 31 December 2024
Since 18 March 2024, we have been advising people who have biometric residence permits (BRPs) expiring on 31 December 2024 with permission to enter or remain in the UK past that date, to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.
British Citizenship
- Processing Time
- 12 months
- Eligibility Criteria
- lived in the UK for the last 3 years
To apply for citizenship with ILR you must usually have lived in the UK for 12 months after getting it.
Source: UKVI — British Citizenship
To apply as the spouse or civil partner of a British citizen you must have lived in the UK for the last 3 years.
Source: UKVI — British Citizenship
Brps
- Production Stopped Date
- 31 October 2024
Customers granted permission to stay in the UK for more than 6 months, since 31 October 2024 when the Home Office stopped producing BRPs, have been advised to create a UKVI account to access their eVisa.
Electronic Travel Authorisation (eta)
- Processing Time
- 3 working days
- Application Fee
- £16 GBP
- Revenue Generated
- £383 million GBP
- Application Fee
- £16 GBP
- Processing Time
- 3 working days
- Application Fee
- £16 GBP
- Exemption Criteria
- British and Irish citizens, including dual citizens
- Number Of Applications
- 19 million
- Enforcement Start Date
- 25 February 2026
- Validity Period
- 2 years
- Processing Time
- 3 working days
- Launch Date
- October 2023
- Validity Period
- 2 years
While most people currently get a decision automatically in minutes, it is recommended to allow 3 working days to account for the small number of cases that require additional review.
Applying for an ETA is quick and simple through the official UK ETA app, and the cost is competitive at £16.
As of January 2026, ETA has generated over £383 million in revenue which is reinvested in improving the UK’s border and immigration system.
An ETA costs £16 to apply online or through the UK ETA app.
Source: Home Office — Visa - Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Allow up to 3 working days (Monday to Friday) to get a decision, but it may arrive much sooner.
Source: Home Office — Visa - Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
An ETA costs £16, permits multiple journeys, and lasts for 2 years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.
British and Irish citizens, including dual citizens, are exempt from needing an ETA.
Since ETA was introduced in October 2023, over 19 million visitors have successfully applied.
From February 2026, visitors will not be able to travel to the UK without advance permission.
An ETA costs £16, permits multiple journeys, and lasts for 2 years or until the holder’s passport expires – whichever is sooner.
However, it is still recommended that visitors allow up to 3 working days before they plan to travel to receive their decision in time and, to account for the small number of cases that require additional review.
Since the launch of ETA in October 2023, more than 13.3 million visitors have successfully applied and benefited from faster, smoother travel.
An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner.
Source: Home Office — Visa - Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Electronic Travel Authorization (eta)
- Processing Time
- 3 working days
- Validity Period
- 2 years
Allow up to 3 working days (Monday to Friday) to get a decision, but it may arrive much sooner.
An ETA lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner.
Eu Settlement Scheme
- Deadline
- 30 June 2021
- Application Deadline
- 30 June 2021
The deadline to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme for most people was 30 June 2021.
Source: UKVI — British Citizenship
EU citizens who were living in the UK on or before 31 December 2020 must apply to the EU Settlement Scheme by 30 June 2021 to maintain their healthcare entitlements in the UK.
Source: Home Office — Healthcare - NHS Entitlements for Migrants
Evisa
- Processing Time
- 6 months
- Application Fee
- 0 GBP
- Processing Time
- 6 months
- Application Fee
- 0 GBP
- Number Of Issued Visas
- 10 million
- Validity Period
- more than 6 months months
It can take up to 6 months to process an NTL application.
Source: Home Office — Visa - eVisa
To get an eVisa, you need to make a free ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application.
Source: Home Office — Visa - eVisa
It can take up to 6 months to process an NTL application.
Source: UKVI — Visa - eVisa Information
To get an eVisa, you need to make a free ‘no time limit’ (NTL) application.
Source: UKVI — Visa - eVisa Information
The UK has been phasing out physical documents for several years through the transition to eVisas, with over 10 million issued to date.
Customers granted permission to stay in the UK for more than 6 months, or who have indefinite leave to remain (also known as settlement) need an eVisa to prove their identity and status in the UK.
Expired Brp Card
- Validity Period
- 18 months
- Validity Period
- 18 months
you can use it for 18 months after the expiry date printed on the card.
Source: Home Office — Visa - eVisa
you can use it for 18 months after the expiry date printed on the card.
Source: UKVI — Visa - eVisa Information
Family Visa
- Combined Income Threshold Extension
- 18600 GBP
- Combined Income Threshold New Application
- 29000 GBP
- Earliest Ilr Application
- 5 years
Combined annual income of at least GBP 18,600
Source: UKVI — Family Visa
Combined annual income of at least GBP 29,000
Source: UKVI — Family Visa
Earliest ILR application: After 5 continuous years on family visa
Source: UKVI — Family Visa
Frontier Worker Permit
- Validity Period
- 6 months
You can work for 6 months from the date your employer checked your documents with the Home Office.
Source: Home Office — Right to Work
Global Talent Visa
- Validity Period
- 5 years
- Indefinite Leave To Remain Time
- 3 years
- Healthcare Surcharge
- £1,035 GBP
You can live and work in the UK for up to 5 years at a time.
Source: UKVI — Global Talent visa
you may be able to get indefinite leave to remain so you can settle in the UK after 3 or 5 years.
Source: UKVI — Global Talent visa
this is usually £1,035 per year for each person applying.
Source: UKVI — Global Talent visa
Data last updated: 17 Mar 2026
Topics Covered
HCI London
Passport - Passport for Minors · Education - Information for Students · Visa - Processing Times · Passport - Tatkal Services · Passport - Normal and Jumbo Adult · Passport - Passport for New Born · Passport - Tatkal Scheme · Passport - Public Advisory · Visa - General Information · Visa - Employment Visa · Consular Services · Passport Services · Tax - India-UK Tax Initiatives · Education - General Information · Visa - Young Professionals Scheme · Visa - Student Visa · Visa - Business Visa
HCI London
Passport - Public Advisory on Passport · Visa - General Visa Information · Passport - Emergency Certificate · Passport - Tatkal Passport Services · Visa - Student Visa · Visa - Advisory on E-Visa · Visa - Business Visa · Indian Passport in UK · OCI Card Services UK · Visa - Employment Visa · Visa - Public Notice on Visa Processing · Passport - General Guidelines for Indian Passport FAQs · Education - Information for Students · Passport - Normal and Jumbo Adult Passport · Passport - Passport for Minors · Passport - Passport for New Born · Passport - Lost, Stolen, or Damaged Passport · Tax - India-UK Tax Initiatives · Passport - Passport Under Tatkal Scheme · Passport - Surrender Passport
Home Office
Visa - Visa Restrictions · Policy - Migration Policy Impact Assessments · Asylum - Communication Hub · Citizenship - Personal Information Use · Passport - Applying for a Passport · Right to Work · Visa - eVisa · Immigration Rules - Skilled Worker · Work Permit - Eligible Occupations · Driving - Driving in the UK · Visa - Support for Family Members · Residency - EU Settlement Scheme · Visa - Organised Immigration Crime and Border Security · Visa - Immigration Rules Changes · Housing - Finding a Place to Live · Residency - EU Settlement Scheme Update · Tax - Understanding Your Tax Obligations · Visa - UK Visas and Immigration · Visa - Visas and Immigration · Visa - Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) · Citizenship - Applying for Citizenship · Work Permit - Working in the UK · Work Permit - Skilled Worker Visa · Visa - Immigration Bill · Healthcare - NHS Entitlements for Migrants · Passport - HM Passport Office · Visa - Electronic Travel Authorisation · Migration - Channel Crossings · Citizenship - Windrush Scheme Guidance · Citizenship - Windrush Scheme Application Form
UKVI
Graduate Visa · Visa - General Information · Education - English Language Proficiency · Immigration - Operational Guidance · Visa - Visa Fees Transparency · Education - Education in the UK · Housing - Finding a Place to Live · Visa - Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) · Skilled Worker Visa · Visa - Digital Permission to Travel · Visa - Innovator, Founder and Scale-up Visas · Innovator Founder visa · Student Visa · Citizenship - General Information · Family Visa · Health and Care Worker visa · Scale-up Worker visa · Global Talent visa · Visa - Deportation Guidance · Asylum - Independent Appeals Body · Visa - What You Need to Do · Driving - Driving in the UK · Visa - eVisa Information · British Citizenship · Visa - eVisa Updates · Visa - Processing Times · Visa - Tier 1 General Settlement Refusals · Indefinite Leave to Remain · Standard Visitor Visa · Visa - UK ETA Application · Citizenship - Application to Register as British Citizen · Work Permit - Register of Licensed Sponsors · Visa - EU Settlement Scheme Guidance · Visa - Tuberculosis Test for Visa · Visa - Visas and Immigration · Visa - Online Immigration Status · Visa - ETA Scheme Enforcement · Visa - Electronic Travel Authorisation · Visa - Regulations · Work Permit - General Information · Visa - Immigration Bill
VFS Global UK
Apply UK Visa from India
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by Authentic Sources
I answer questions using 10 official government sources for India in United Kingdom.
Official sources for India in United Kingdom