20 October 2022

Guidance for Indians moving to the UK

Whether it is to work, study, or visit, we can guide you through your visa application.

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Woodcock Law & Notary Public assists with the needs of many who want to get a UK visa from India.

Recent data shows India is the UK’s main feeder of immigrants. Visas issued to Indians over the last year range from Visitor Visas to Skilled Worker Visas.

In particular, the Student Visa has consistently proven popular amongst Indian nationals. 182,571 Student Visas were issued from April 2022 to March 2023. This data shows that immigration levels are starting to return to how they were in the years prior to the pandemic.

How we can help you get a UK visa from India

India is part of the Hague Convention, which means that the documents you want to use in India can be issued with an apostille, which makes them recognisable to other countries’ authorities.

Countries that are not part of the Hague convention such as the United Arab Emirates, for example, require documents to be legalised by both their UK-based embassy, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). In these cases, apostilles would not be applicable.

Some documents that often need notarisation and legalisation for our Indian clients include the following:

Affidavits
Powers of Attorney
University degree certificates
Marriage certificates (legalisation only)
Birth Certificates
Wills
Proof of identity (for example, a driver’s licence)
Criminal background checks (usually a DBS or ACRO certificate)
Corporate documents

Woodcock Notary Public can help you obtain both an FCDO apostille, and embassy legalisation for your documents.

Please note, documents issued by the UK’s General Registry Office, such as Marriage Certificates, Birth Certificates and Death Certificates cannot be notarised; they can only be legalised.

Student and Skilled Worker Visas

Student and Skilled Worker Visas are two of the most popular visas amongst Indian nationals looking to come to the UK. The Student Visa allows you to study in the UK and take on limited paid work while you are studying for a degree, PhD, or for medical qualifications.

Meanwhile, the Skilled Worker Visa allows you to come and work under a Sponsor Licence. Some jobs are eligible for this visa, while some are not. You find a list of eligible jobs on the Government’s website.

If you are considering applying for one of these visas, you will need to submit your passport as part of your application.

Whilst we cannot help you with applying for a UK visa on our Notary Public website, you can get assistance from our Woodcock Law website, which has a dedicated team who can help you with all immigration matters, such as applying for a visa.

UK Visitor Visa from India

The Visitor Visa is also a popular route for Indian nationals who just want to visit the UK for a short period of time.

It lasts for up to six months, so if you need to come to the UK for a brief amount of time to deal with business issues, or wills, then this will be best for you.

Regardless of the visa you need, you will need to make sure your documents meet any requirements. This includes notarisation and legalisation.

Contact us for our expert advice

For assistance with applying for your visa, please visit our law website and request a free 10-minute assessment with a member of our immigration law team. They have helped countless clients with their visa applications, and they can help you too.

However, if you require the assistance of a Notary Public if, for example, you plan on travelling back to India and need some documents notarised such as a university degree, then we can help you.