BRITAIN has launched a new ‘super priority’ same-day visa service for urgent travellers from
India, the first-of-of-its-kind service to be launched by the UK anywhere in the world.
The super priority visa service had been announced by British Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to
India in February this year.
The service launched by the UK Home Office opened for appointment bookings in India from Tuesday (May 14).
"I am delighted to see the super priority visa service being launched in India before any other country," said Sir
James Bevan, the British High Commissioner to India.
"For the first time, Indian visitors will have the option of a same-day visa to the UK. This underlines our
strong commitment to make an already excellent visa service even better.
"We expect this new service to be particularly useful for business," he said.
‘Opportunities arise at short notice. We want Indian entrepreneurs and businessmen to be able to seize these. The UK and India are already on course to double bilateral trade by 2015. The new super priority visa will help make sure that we hit this target,’ he added.
The super priority visa service is an optional service, which incurs an additional fee of £600 ($918) besides the standard fee for the type of visa being applied for.
Applicants are required to complete an online form and submit their applications, by appointment, before 9.30 am India time. If an application is successful, the visa will be ready for collection by 5.30 pm the same day in New Delhi or by 6.30 pm the same day in Mumbai.
It complements the UK’s existing Fast Track Service and the recently announced online payment option.
The new service is available to customers applying for a six-month or two-year multiple entry visit visa
(excluding student visitors) who have previously travelled to the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada or a Schengen country within the last five years.
It is also available to visa applicants sponsored by companies who are members of the UK’s Business Express
programme.
