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.
Good day
please, i need an answer to this :
when you talk about bank statement like how much is required you must have in your account because is my uncle inviting me to UK. Am a Nigerian
In Nigeria money?
from my experience and findings, your income in a month should be able to cater for your trip to the UK peradventure your Uncle could not sponsor your trip again. i.e. after paying for your rent, up-keep, settle dependents, buying flight ticket and some money for shopping while in UK, you should still have some left over after returning from your trip.
They just need a proof beyond doubt that you are financially tied to Nigeria.
please my uncle has send me invitation to visit him in uk for 3weeks. he stated the date of arrival but did not state the departure date and also added his passport copy and business certificate to it. and am from ghana
and am a student am i suppose to add my admission letter,sponsorship letter,bank statement,student id
Hi,
I would like to invite my aunt who lives and works in the Philippines as a lawyer for a 2-3week holiday here in Belfast. But I’m not a UK resident, I’m only here on a work visa tier 2 sponsorship by my employer. However I’m currently staying in a rented house under my name, and i can provide my aunt free accommodation . Will my tier 2 visa affect my invitation letter to my aunt? Can you suggest which sample letter is best suited for my situation? Thank you!
Sure Allie,
You can invite your Aunt. Just modify this sample invitation letter as suited to your Aunt.
one of my friend one to invite me to the uk for visit but we met online.is it possibble for him to invite me as a tourist visa or visitor visa?
Hello,
I have recently booked an appointment for UK visa amd now in a process of gathering my docs. I was in the UK for 2 and a half years as a student and left on january this year. Now i want to go there with a standard visit visa. My relative- far cousin sent me an invitation and i will cover my expenses myself. The only problem is how can i prove my relation to her as she is not my first cousin? Plus i have recently got back so i am unemplyoed yet. How can i prove that i willl get back after my visa expires? Your feeback would be very helpful. Thanks
Hello Admin
Am maureen. I have been invited to the UK by my fiance for 4 months. I will pay for my airticket but he will take care of the rest. I am a trader and have enough savings in my account. My concern is , one of the requirements if one is self -employed is that they have to present a business certificate which i do not have since am just a trader and i deposit cash into my personal account. so what do i do? Should i just present bank statements?
The second question is: is it best to ask him to invite me as a friend since there are all these assumptions by the immigration that i might not return home.
Thirdly , i co -own a house with my mum and sister is it ok to present that too?
Good day
Hi
I’m working in the UK and i want my husband to join me and settle over here. I need to write an invitation letter stating that my husband is applying for a dependent visa. could you help me with this please.
Hi there,
I’m a MBA student in Malaysia and my elder brother who is a Uk citizen is trying to invite me over for vacation on a visiting visa. Please I need to know.
Q 1. Can I apply for a Uk visa from Malaysia, even tho it’s not my home country. I am from Nigeria or it’s best to apply from Nigeria
Q2 . Do I see other people getting tenancy agreement and other document, cause all he want to do is send me an invitation letter with his passport. I need to know if I need any other documents to apply.
Thanks
Yes Jerry, you can apply from Malaysia because you are a student there.
Yes again, an invitation letter and passport is enough for your application.
Hello,
My name is Lydia, I leave in Uganda and I want to apply for a UK visa to visit my brother. Right now I do not have a permanent source of income, I only do project works once in a while and I get paid cash not through any bank account. So that means I do not have any transactions to show on a bank statement or any evidence of money on my account. My brother is in position to pay for everything right from the visa application, to travel fees and accommodation and upkeep in the UK for about 4 weeks. So do I still need to attach a bank statement on my visa application? And what else do I really need to attach to the application?
Hello,
My name is Lydia from Uganda. I want to apply for visit visa to the UK to visit my brother for about 4 weeks. I am not in permanent employment right now so I do not have any evidence of money on my account. I only do project assignments and I am paid cash. My brother is going to take care of all costs involved and I will be leaving at his house. Do I still need to attach a bank statement, and what else do I need to attach to the application?
Hello
I am a british citizen and i want to invite my friend from ukraine for a week, but i dont have a job currently. My friend is able to support herself.
I was wondering if this would be a problem in writing the invitation letter?
Thank you in advance
Hi George,
This should not be a problem. The visa officer is more concerned about your guest. The invitation letter you send helps the officer to verify that your guest is visiting a friend in the UK.
Hello,
Am a Fijian Citizen and am applying for a standard visitor visa to visit my relative in uk, I have all the supporting documents needed for uk visa application but I am left with my proof of ties to my home country, I am a final year student of a secondary school in Fiji, and the school had provided a confimation letter that I am a student of that school…is that confirmation letter enough for my proof of ties to my home country? Or do I need any other document for my proof of ties to my homecountry? Can u enlighten me on what are the documents I could provide for my proof since this is my last year in school?
Hi Fancy,
can I use an affidavit of support for the UK visit visa? I am unemployed my brother support me to visit the UK. I have doubt that affidavit of support for students and whose age less than 18. Am I right.
please reply
thanks.
Does the person inviting me need to sign on the invitation letter?
Yes Emmanuel,
The invitation letter must be signed by the person inviting you to the UK.
Hi Dems,
Thank you for the information that you have provided on this website.
My question is just a basic one.
A friend from Ghana has asked me to write an invitation letter for her to come to the UK.
She has been here once before, so I assume she will be allowed to come again.
I have never written an invitation letter before and will follow your advice.
But once I have written the letter and enclosed the necessary documents, who do I send the letter to?
Direct to my friend in Ghana or direct to the High Commission here in the UK or in Ghana.
Thank you
Hi Marie,
You send the invitation letter to your friend in Ghana.
Hello! thanks so much for your help! what kind of “documents proving your status in the United Kingdom and financial Status” should my friend send me? Im guessing a copy of his drivers license to prove his address, and for financial status a work contract or a credit card statement should do? I would like not to have to see his income, is there something else he could send me that could avoid this?
Hi Mona,
Just a scanned copy of his passport would do. He should simply state his occupation in the invitation letter. A lot of people have done just that without any problems.
Hello there,
Hope you’re well! I am a British citizen and I am also recently married to somebody from outside the EU, a little over 1 year ago. My wife and I would like to invite a family member ( 2nd cousin ) of hers (whom shes close to) to come and stay a couple of weeks in the UK with us at our house and cover her accommodation, but only accommodation. Her cousin will cover the rest!
How would I go about typing the letter? I’m having trouble wording the letter because I purchased the house in my name alone, and the person we want to invite is not a relative of mine but a relative of my wife. Will that be an issue?
Many thanks
Mr. Renato Vukaj
Hi Renato,
You really don’t need to worry about whose name is on the house. You can invite any friend or family member.