Visa Information
All international delegates are responsible for ensuring they have the correct permission to travel to the UK. Some visitors will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling. Others may need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) instead.
Requirements depend on your nationality, passport, and travel circumstances, so please check your personal situation well in advance.
- Standard Visitor visa: If you need a Standard Visitor visa, you must apply online before you travel and attend an appointment at a visa application centre if required. The earliest you can usually apply is 3 months before travel. GOV.UK currently lists the processing time for this visa if applying outside of the UK as three weeks and within the UK as eight weeks.
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): If you do not need a visa, you may still need an ETA before boarding travel to the UK. GOV.UK currently states that an ETA costs £20 and is usually valid for multiple journeys over 2 years, or until your passport expires, whichever comes first. You can apply online, and it is recommended you allow up to 3 working days (Monday to Friday) to receive a decision.
- How to check: Use the UK Government’s online checker to confirm whether you need a visa or an ETA.
- Visa information is provided by the UK Government via their website.
If you require a personalised event invitation for visa application purposes, please request this through the XCD registration platform.