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
If you do not have Grammarly - A grammar checker that I use every day for all my writing, please get it free from here Now. Grammarly. You can read my full story on how I discovered Grammarly here.Sample Invitation Letter for UK Visa written to a friend
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.
If I got rejected the first time ..can I change my inviter the second time or it has to be the same inviter
Hello
Sir take my respect, I’m Jobayer Hossain .I’m Bangladeshi and I live in Bangladesh. I have a friend in UK. She is not native English but European. She wants to send me invitation letter to visit UK. But my question, UK is not an European Union so is it possible at now in UK? Can she send me invitation letter from UK? I’m waiting your valuable feedback. Thanks in advance
Regard
Jobayer Hossain
Hi
Just a quick question, l am british with dual citizenship, l would like my parents to come and visit me and stay over for a month or so, they are retired, do l have to write an invitation letter? if so can someone give an example how please?
Thank you
Hi Julian,
Yes, you have to invite them.
You can modify any of the letters here:
https://www.sampleinvitationletter.info/uk-letters
Thank you very much Dems
Hello there ,
My name is Klara,I would like to ask something,my boyfriend is already in U.K. and I would like to pay him a visit he is going to invite me . There is only one thing the last 6 months I’m volunteering so I’m not getting paid ,my boyfriend is going to pay for my visit though. Do you think we are going to have a problem with that ?
Hi Klara,
There is no harm in trying! You have been working before now. Just make sure you have docs to prove you will not overstay your visa. I wish you all the best.
Hello admin sir! Can someone inviting me write and sign the letter and then scan it to send it to my email address for me to print it out and use it. Or must it be written and sent through courier or p.o from uk….please, urgent answer is needed sir.
Hi Bolarinwa,
Yes, they can scan the documents.
Hello big ears
You never replied to my question.
Hi Grace,
He can invite you. But there is no assurance of getting the visa.
Hi,
I wish to invite my mother-in-law to visit me in the UK for a month or two, possibility of maybe more. My wife will be travelling to pakistan for a holiday and would her mother to come back with her. Do I just need to write an invitation letter with all her details and my details, detailing that i am a house owner and work for xyz company for x number of years?
I take it she will have to apply for a visa at the British High Commission in Pakistan?
Yes Omar,
You should write the invitation letter and have your wife take it with her. You and your wife can sign the letter if you want. You can write it alone too.
Hi Admin,
The person inviting me (my boyfriend and his family) own their home so he does not have a tenancy agreement thus, the only support document in the letter would be a passport copy which seems too little information to provide. I was wondering what other types of documents could be useful for support when writing the invitation letter aside from the two you mentioned above?
Thanks in advance!
The passport is enough Emilia
Thank you so much!
Hi, I wish to invite my Chinese wife and step son to the UK, for a holiday, while we start the visa process later to bring them into the UK permanently at a later date.
I am a British citizen back in the UK working. What type of invitation letter would be best for the short stay visa for them, as I don’t want them refused or any problems later when we go for the spouse visa. Thank you
hello sir i have a question my wife is in UK she is a British citizen we both got married in New Zealand and she went back few months ago to see her parents i wanted to go and see her as she is not doing well therefore my question was that in her invitation letter is it important that she needs to show accommodation evidence of her house tenancy letter that she got a space or if she takes a does a booking in a hotel near the place she lives will that work also is not working at the moment though i got a job in New Zealand i am taking holidays especially to go and see her for ten days what do you suggest i should be doing i am a Indian passport holder living and working in New Zealand please tell me what should be the best options in this thanks regards monty
Hi Nico!
She is your wife! Accommodation is not the problem! The problem is showing that you would leave the uk after your visit.
The expectation will be that you begin a process to bring you to stay permanently with your wife
Hi Admin,
I am a hungarian woman and living in England more than 10 years now. I have a Mexican fiancée who currently lives in Cancun. We met on an online dating site and fall in love with each other. We are a couple about 15 months now. He visited me couple of times and I also visited him twice and spent there about 6 weeks with him. We decided that we want to live together. We was talking about this recently and I thought the best decision if he moves here as I can’t speak Spanish. I have a decent full time job, get paid above the avarge so I am more than capable to pay everything by myself while his visa request will be in process. (I read that somewhere he won’t be allowed to work while he is waiting for his visa). I was researching on internet and tried to find out what to do and how to do things but I am very confused now.
I am 35 years old, devorced and gone through some really tough times but I can tell that I never been happier than with him right now.
Could you please help me cause I am not sure what documents I need to provide and what sort of letter I need to write? Do I have any chance to get him here?
Thanks for your help.
Kind regards
A.
Hi Bernadette,
The good news for you is that your fiancé can come to the uk.
I’m not an immigration lawyer! I’m just helping people who need simple solutions. My suggestions are just my suggestions.
Here are my suggestions!
1) It looks like you want to Marry this guy! I pray he is as great as you say! Then the way forward would be to marry him in the uk.
2) Get an immigration lawyer to help with the process of bringing him over to leave in the uk. They do this a lot and they know what to do.
3) find a lawyer before you get married.
4) it will help you if he has some assets too!
Hello Admin please i was waiting for your reply please let me know will that be alright if my wife book the accommodation in a hotel nearby place she lives or its obligatory that she has to show the proof of a accommodation in her home cheers
Hi Nico! Any accommodation is good! A hotel nearby is not a problem
Hi admin thanks for your reply thanks a a lot actually i am stuck in this one of your reply
The expectation will be that you begin a process to bring you to stay permanently with your wife
means that immigration officer would think that i am going U.K to stay permanently over there rather than visit is that what it means
so rather than applying as a spouse visitor visa should i apply for standard visitor visa that she is my girl friend whom i am going to Uk to see her for 10 days will that going to make a big difference because i wont be sending my marriage certificate rather than that i will apply for saying that i am going to visit my girl friend in UK will that be alright please let me know thanks
also if i apply for visiting visa UK to my girlfirend what documents should i add that could show as a proof of our relationship thanks
Admin one more question i have is the invitation letter will that be all or she has to fill the sponsorship form SUO7/12 beside invitation letter thanks
Hi,
Thanks for the great informative article. I just had one quick question. Would we need Council’s or a Solicitor’s stamp/signature on the letter?
No you don’t brad.
Hello
admin i was waiting for your reply please let me know in that scenario what should be the good idea please thanks
Hi Admin if you could please clear my last query would be really helpful please
The expectation will be that you begin a process to bring you to stay permanently with your wife
means that immigration officer would think that i am going U.K to stay permanently over there rather than visit is that what it means
so rather than applying as a spouse visitor visa should i apply for standard visitor visa that she is my girl friend whom i am going to Uk to see her for 10 days will that going to make a big difference because i wont be sending my marriage certificate rather than that i will apply for saying that i am going to visit my girl friend in UK will that be alright please let me know thank
Hello Admin,
Does my aunty need to send the invitation letter directly to the embassy? Will the one I will take to the embassy suffice without her sending one to them? How will they verify the authenticity of the letter? Please respond its urgent. Thanks so much
Hi Gracie,
Your Aunt does not need to send any letter to the embassy! They have your Aunt’s immigration info in their system! All they need to know is that you are related to her
Hi sir are you a travel agent … If yes please contact me through my mail imakandiboi@yahoo.Com i want to know how my it will cost me to get a uk standard visitor invitation..
I wish to apply for visitor visas for my daughter and her husband(my son in law) to visit UK from Bangladesh. I am a British national.
What would i address in invitation letter. Is these:
The Entry Clearance Officer or
The Consular or
To whom it may concern
Your early response would be much appreciateed.
Kind regards,
Hi Nazrul,
You can address it to The Consular or address the letter to your Daughter and Son in law. Whichever one you choose, you should send the letter to your daughter and son-in-law