This post was most recently updated on May 29th, 2019
How to write an Invitation Letter for UK Visa?
An Invitation Letter for UK Visa is one of the documents that an intending visitor to the UK will use to show the reason for their visit. Although an invitation letter can be very useful, it is not required for obtaining a visitor visa to the UK. It is, however, a good idea to send one to your guest to make their application as robust as possible. Writing an invitation letter for a UK visitor’s visa can be challenging if you do not know what to write.
To write a good letter, what is important is to ensure that all the required information is in the letter. There is no specific method or style once all the required information is visible in the letter. This letter is sometimes referred to as sponsorship letter for UK visa
In summary, the following should be on the invitation letter.
Your letter should include the following information about the person being invited:
- Complete name.
- Date of birth.
- The person’s address and telephone number.
- Your relationship to the person being invited.
- The purpose of the trip.
- How long the person you are inviting intends to stay in the United Kingdom.
- Details on accommodation and living expenses.
- The date the person you are inviting intends to leave the United Kingdom.
Your letter must also include the following information about the person writing the letter:
- Complete name.
- Date of birth.
- Address and telephone number in the United Kingdom.
- Occupation.
- Your status in the United Kingdom
- A photocopy of documents proving your status in the United Kingdom and financial Status.
Find a list of documents required for visa application here
Writing an Invitation Letter is just one piece of the puzzle, your guest may need help with Visa Application or Interview.
To whom do you address your Invitation Letter for Visa
Invitation letter for visa purposes can be addressed to either the guest (the person you are inviting) or the Consular Office, Embassy or Visa Application Center. In most cases, the letter will be given to the guest to attach to their application for a visa. This means that whether you address the letter to your guest or the Embassy, you will still send the letter to your guest.
Before you start writing your letter
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Below is a sample invitation letter for UK Visa. The names on it are fictitious but this format has been used and visas have been issued using this format. There are other formats that can be used. The most important thing is for the information required to be on it. Remember that this is just a sample and we are not in any way connected to the British High Commission.
The following sample invitation letter is written for a friend. You could use the same format for a parent, parents, cousin, uncle or business partners. All you need to do is adjust the text as it suits each situation.
January 27th, 2019
David Smith
191 Masons Avenue,
London HA3 5AH
United Kingdom
+44 020 8876 1234
To Whom It May Concern:
Application for a Standard Visitor Visa: Dorcas Odu; May 13 1980; Passport No: AO345678
I am writing to confirm I wish to invite Dorcas Odu to visit me in the UK for 3 weeks in order to have a short holiday. I hope she will be able to come on 20th of June 2019.
I am a British Citizen and Electrical Engineer Working at DemsTech in London. I will be on vacation at that time.
I am able to accommodate her for the duration of her stay in the UK. Please find attached evidence of my accommodation.
I have enclosed the following documents:
• Copy of passport
• Tenancy agreement
Should you require any additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours faithfully
David Smith
Do not forget to send a scanned copy of your passport. You do not have to notarize the letter.
How to get a UK Visa
Sample Invitation Letter for UK Visa written to a father
As a British Citizen or anyone who has an eligible status in the UK, you are entitled to have a guest visit you from different parts of the world. Many students come to the UK to study from all over the world, these students often need to have their parent or other relatives visit them. Find below a sample invitation letter written by a Naturalized British Citizen who wants his father to visit him in the UK.
Please take note that you can use the same format to invite a mother, uncle, brother, sister, grandparents. All you have to do is adjust the letter to reflect the different relationships. If your situation is different, simply state your case and let your guest present himself. In some cases, you may mention something about your guest but that is not necessary. This letter is just a document that shows that your guest really has a reason to come to the UK.
The sample below is just one format for an invitation letter. There are very many other formats. You may choose to write the letter directly to your guest. In both cases, however, it is your guest that you send the letter to.
204 Rye Lane,
Peckham
London,
SE15 4RZUK
12 Nov 2018
British High Commission
Upper Hill Road
Nairobi
Dear Sir/Madam
Application for Visit Visa: JAMES DONALD MARK – PASSPORT NO – 123456
I am writing to confirm that I Moses Kevin Mark am inviting Mr JAMES DONALD MARK to visit me in the UK.
Mr JAMES DONALD MARK is my father. His passport number is 123456 and his date of birth is 20 April 1945.
He is going to visit the UK from Feb 13, 2019, and will be staying for 10 days. He would be leaving on Feb 23, 2019.During his stay in UK, he will be staying with me and I will be responsible for his transportation in and around the UK.
I am a British Citizen with passport No – 234565. I currently work at British Airways and reside at 201 Rye Lane, Peckham. I have attached a copy of the Biodata page of my Passport and my tenancy agreement.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any further information.
Yours faithfully,
Moses Kevin Mark
Moses@ba.com
44-078-111-1111
Sample Formal Letter of Invitation for Standard Visitor Visa to the UK written to a husband and wife
Below is a sample letter of invitation. The names on it are fictitious but this format has been used and visas have been issued using this format.
Moses is a 35 year old accountant that lives in Stevenage UK. On his last trip to Hong Kong 4 years ago he met Cindy and Dave (Kenyan citizens) who are also accountants attending the same conference that Moses went to attend. They have been corresponding since then over Facebook and phone calls. This year Cindy and Dave decided to visit Moses in Stevenage Uk.
Here is a sample formal invitation letter that Moses would write to invite Cindy and Dave to UK. This particular letter is addressed to the Consular Officer rather than to Cindy and Dave. All the necessary information are included in the letter. This letter forms one of the supporting documents for the visa application.
February 27th, 2018
(The Address of Moses can be formatted like a personal letterhead)
Moses Mark
234 Jessop Road,
Stevenage, Hertfordshire
SG1 5LL, United Kingdom
+44 020 8669 1234
The Consular
British High Commission
P.O. Box 30465-00100,
Upper Hill Rd,
Nairobi City, Kenya
Dear Consular,
Application for Standard Visitor Visa for Dave Malaba and Cindy Malaba
I am writing to confirm I wish to invite my friends Dave and Cindy to visit me in the UK for 3 weeks during their vacation from April 1, 2018 to April 21, 2018.
I am a British Citizen and a chartered accountant Working at Frank and Coopers Chartered Accountants. I have known Dave and Cindy for 5 years, they are both chartered accountants in Nairobi Kenya. They will be staying at my home in Stevenage during their visit. Please find attached evidence of my accommodation.
Here are some more details about Dave and Cindy Malaba
Dave Malaba
Date of Birth: January 1st 1980
Passport No: 000000000
Occupation: Chartered Accountant
Address: 234 karibu St, Nairobi, Kenya.
Telephone: +200-000-0000
Cindy Malaba
Date of Birth: May 1st 1985
Passport No: 000000000
Occupation: Chartered Accountant
Address: 234 karibu St, Nairobi, Kenya.
Telephone: +200-000-0000
I have enclosed the following documents:
• Copy of passport
• Tenancy agreement
Should you require any additional information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours faithfully,
Moses Mark
Do not forget to send a scanned copy of your passport. You do not have to notarize the letter.
Sponsorship Declaration to accompany invitation letter for UK visa.
It is possible that you may want to invite a family member or friend who is not in the position to sponsor themselves to the UK or you have simply chosen to sponsor their trip as a gift. If this is the case, it is advisable to fill out a sponsorship declaration form which can then be attached to the invitation letter for UK visa application. You may also choose to write a sponsorship letter.
Once the sponsorship declaration is filled and signed, send them to your guest. (Here is the form again)
How should the Invitation letter for Visa be delivered?
There is no stipulated way of delivery for your letter of invitation. You can mail it to your guest or scan it and send via email. Some countries however, require that the letter be notarized. In this case, you have to find a way to get the original copy to your guest. In USA, Canada and United Kingdom, a scanned copy of the invitation letter for visa can be sent.
What happens next? After you send the Invitation Letter?
You guest would add the letter to their Visa Application package. They would then submit the application package to the British Embassy in their country or to a visa application collection company (depending on the company). They would pay the visa application fees and wait for an interview with the visa officer at the British Embassy. The procedure for issuing a standard UK visa differs from country to country. What I have provided is just a general overview.
Here is a suggestion of how much the visa fees are as at 2019 according to UK government site.
A Standard Visitor Visa costs £95.
The fee for a long-term Standard Visitor visa depends on its length:
- 2 years – £361
- 5 years – £655
- 10 years – £822
Other Invitation Letters for UK Visa
Now check out our Ultimate Visa Interview or Application Kit.
Dear Sir
I want to send my family (my wife, my son and my daughter) to London to visit his brother, I already have invitation letter but I have to be the person who should provide financial support for their trip.
Do you have any template for this kind of financial support.
best regards,
Please if someone is sending an invitation to you, does the person need to send it to embassy too or just to foward it to your mail for you to print???
It’s better if they send a scanned copy to you! Or mail it to you via regular mail or courier
Hi! My friend lives in the Uk, she isnt british, but portuguese. She is studying, can she make the invitation letter for me? If yes which sample should she use? The first one right?
Hi there I have a friend whom whats to come and visit me she has money to come and visit but I am unemployed would I be able to invite my friend or is there away that my friend can apply for visiting visa without my help
hello! Can i write an invintation letter to a friend from Ukraine, if i am myself from Ukraine and dont have a UK citizenship but am a student and have a flat and a job. Or does it have to be a UK citizen who writes the letter? In this case could my partner who is British write the letter?
Kind regrds
Hi i live in uk with my husband and now we want to invite my mother to visit us. My husband will ne sponsoring her trip and will support her financially through her 3 weeks visit, what documents should we submit with her application and what should she be submitting?
First her visa was rejected becauae they thought that she will not go back to her country after her trip so we are applying again. Need help
Hi could you please help work a query. I am applying for my 6 month son and partner to visit me in the UK for the first time. My partner is currently unemployed to allow her to take care of our son each day. Will the fact she is unemployed make it difficult for them both to get a visa?
Thank you
Hello everyone my name is anthony live in uk. born in nigeria i love my country nigeria and i love nigerians we r very smart. i am here to help feel free to ask any question.
many thanks anthony from england
Hello, just to make it clear, my brother from UK preparing an invitation to my girlfriend from Russia, so he need to send it to her only, or he need to submit it to embassy in UK? And what embassy Russian or UK ? Thanks a lot for super help!
Hi can you help me to make a letter for inviitation fo boyfriemd to come over here in london…tnx in advance
Please i have been invited by the British Army .
1. should i apply a tourist visa i aply a tourist visa
2. Can someone in Ghana sponsor me financially and someone in Uk sponsor me in terms of accommodation. if yes what documents should the Person sent to me
Hi Admi ,
Please i would also like to know if the tenancy agreement and light bills that shows that the person is staying in the house as stated in the invitation letter . should it be sent via post or the person can scan the documents and sent them to me via Email.
Scanned copies are ok Richmond!
Thank you very much for the sample letters. They are very helpful.
I have a question about inviting my family (mom, dad and sister) to the UK. I’m a UK citizen and I live in a one-bed-room flat. If I’m going to mention in the letter that they will be staying with me at the flat and provide a copy of the tenant agreement will that be a problem as there are no separate rooms for everyone?
Hi sir am a student and someone invited me to the UK for holidays do I need a bank statement
Yes you would need one. The statement is just to show your financial status. It doesn’t need to be fantastic. However, if you are being sponsored by your guest, theirs may play a bigger role. Remember that you need to show that you would return to your school after the visit.
Hey,I would like to visit my boyfriend in Norway who is sick…in 2014 i he sent me an invitation letter,sponsor n declaration but I was refused visa on the grounds I was visiting for over 81 days,now that he’s sick what can I do ,he’s been in and out of hospital ,he is alone in the house,his parents died and he’s an only child .no close relatives,he will be 60 yrs this year…..the wound has bothered him a lot since 2001 on the back of his knee,yesterday he wrote that green water is gushing out plus mayonnaise like stuff,the doctors n nurses are only coming to check him in his house n change the bandage,sometimes back he told me rules hav changed if you drive yourself to hospital you don’t get help unless the doctor who visits you writes a diagnosis. I’m in despair and need to travel soonest and help him,he has his own job,never married and he owns a house so acomodation for me is there….please advice
Hi Triza,
Why doesn’t he contact an immigration officer to see if you can get a visa to stay with him as his primary care giver? On the other hand, you can ask to visit for a few weeks and then when you are in the country you can figure a way to extend your stay.
I’m from Kenya and I need to visit him in Norway….Triza
hi I can submit from sponsored documents just only tenancy agreement,birthcertficate and bank statement because he is british citizen.is it can be granted that kind of supporting documents.thx
Hi Laianne
Those documents are good as supporting documents.
Hi how are you my name is Sean and please I’d like to get a Uk visa to go and start studying please help me do this time UK Visa please do help me can you help me again
Hi Sean,
You will need to get an admission to a school in UK.
Hi Sir,
Thanks so much for this wonderful blog.
Please a friend is being invited to the UK by his long time friend. What are the relevant documents to collect from him to apply for UK visa?
Thanks
Hi Samoore,
An invitation letter is usually enough. A photocopy of his passport to show his immigration status in the uk may also help.
Thanks so much for your swift reply. However, I read my friend would need to take copies of the following from him for the application as a first timer.
1. Invitation letter
2. Bank statement
3. Pay slip
4. BRP
5. Passport copy.
Kindly advise.
Hi Admin,
I am from India and working as a Software Engineer and like to invite my GF for 10 days. Do i need to send her an invitation letter or if she is sponsoring her own trip then is it fine if she just provide a cover letter with details and accomodation details without my invitation letter. Problem is i stay in a shared accomodation and i cant give the tenancy aggrement and also she will not stay with me as we are planning for a trip to scotland. can you please provide me a sample cover letter or invitation letter for the same? Thanks
Hi Abhinav,
Yes she needs an invitation letter from you if she wants to state that she is coming to visit you in the uk. You can simply state that she would be staying at a hotel or with you. It is not compulsory to provide a tenancy agreement if you don’t have one. If you are planning a trip to Scotland, then you can state that as well and show the details.
Otherwise she can provide her travel plans without including you at all. In this case she would not need a letter from you.
as an example you could say:
During your visit, we would visit Scotland and ….. (fill in a few details).
Pls note that the invitation letter is not the most important document when it comes to obtaining a visa. Your GF’s documents that show her ties to India are more important. So don’t worry too much about the letter. As long as you have all the required info, you will be alright.