If you are currently residing in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland on a UK visa, it is almost certainly contained within your passport. At some point throughout your time in the country as a UK visa holder, you may need to transfer your visa from your passport. Today’s blog will teach you how to transfer your UK visa from your passport (in the context of visa endorsements).
Transferring a visa: Background
- Transferring a visa (or replacing a visa) is a requirement for holders whose travel document (passport) is no longer valid, and/or for those whose visa contains personal details which are no longer relevant (for example, if you have new address or name).
- In an applicant’s passport expires, he or she will need to take specific action:
- If your visa functions mainly as a document that allows you to travel to and from the UK, you can continue to show your visa (contained within your defunct passport) to enter and exit the country (this is because visa endorsements continue to be valid even if the passport no longer is).
- If an applicant’s passport expires and they decide they don’t want to keep using it to travel to and from the UK, they have two additional options, which depend on their location. If they are abroad, they can transfer your visa to a new passport online.
- If you are residing in the UK, you can replace your visa with a biometric residence permit (note that prices for replacing a visa with a BRP vary).
- In contrast, if the primary purpose of your visa is to demonstrate your right to work in the country, you do not have the option of continuing to use your visa within your invalid passport. In this case, you are required to replace your visa with a biometric residence permit.
Transfer your visa from your passport
- Please note that this process can only be undertaken from outside the country and assumes you do not already have a BRP.
- While you can transfer your visa to a new passport online, you will need to travel to an official biometric information collection point, in order to submit your fingerprints and photos in pursuit of your new visa.
How to transfer your UK visa from your passport
- Fill out the specific application form to transfer your UK visa from your passport (contact us here to access the online form).
- Submit your payment for your new visa (also can be done online)
- Have your biometric information collected (as previously mentioned, this is an in-person requirement that involves traveling to a center where your fingerprints and photos can be collected).
- Take a tuberculosis test (if relevant, based on your application location)
- Submit your passport and the rest of your required application materials
Replacing a 30 Day Visa Vignette
- If you have been granted a 30 day visa vignette enabling you to enter the UK at some point between those 30 days, and it expires before you are able to travel to the country, you will need to lodge an application for a replacement. In this scenario, replacing a 30 day travel visa vignette involves submitting an application for a Transfer of Conditions.
- For information about applying for a Transfer of Conditions, contact us here.
Asaad