Military dependents require VISAs to remain in the U.K. Published July 16, 2009 By Capt. Kelley Jeter 3rd Air Force U.K. Public Affairs ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England -- Arriving in the U.K. can be an exciting time for family and friends coming to visit you, but if their paperwork isn't in order, excitement can quickly turn to disappointment, frustration and added expense. For those coming to the U.K. as a tourist or on business for less than six months, a visa is generally not needed, but outside those parameters, visitors need to start very early in determining what they'll need to do. According to the U.K.'s border agency Web site, processing a visa can take anywhere from five to 60 days or longer, depending on various factors, so the sooner your visitors start the process, the more likely they will have a visa in hand before their trip. "A visa is not a guarantee of entry to the United Kingdom; you should view it as a pass to request admittance once you arrive at the port of entry," said Liza Petrush, Chief of Special Consular Services at the American Embassy in London. "However, having a visa in your passport indicates to the immigration officer that you have already been vetted by a British consular officer." As a general rule, family members who relocate to the U.K. with a military member should have already taken the necessary steps to secure a visa through their military personnel flight at their last base. Where people often have trouble is when family members who live apart from the family, such as adult children away at college, come to visit and don't anticipate a need for a visa. The rule of thumb is if someone coming to visit plans to stay for an extended time and/or work and earn a wage while they are in the U.K., it's definitely wise to get a visa ahead of time, just to be certain they're completely legal. It's not unheard-of for Americans coming to visit their military or DoD-employee family members getting turned around at passport control because they didn't realize they needed a visa if they were thinking of getting a low-paying part-time job for spending money. Visitors have been denied access and put on airplanes back to where they came from, because their stated purpose did not match the paperwork they presented. If someone is coming to visit, and has any purpose in mind other than tourism or business, they will need a visa. "The United Kingdom has very specific definitions of tourism and business," said Ms. Petrush, in regard to the requirements for a visa. "Interns, students, prospective students, spouses, parents, fiancés/partners, charity and religious workers, those coming to the United Kingdom to work (paid or unpaid), those coming to the United Kingdom to marry, and all dependents in the preceding categories require entry clearance/visas irrespective of duration of stay." To help your U.S. visitors ensure they are entering the country with the right documentation, direct them to the Web site run by the U.K. Border Agency at http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/doineedvisa/. To apply for a visa, they should go to http://visa4uk.fco.gov.uk. More information can be found at the British Embassy's Web site at http://ukinusa.fco.gov.uk/en, and the U.K. entry clearance/visa applications wizard can be found at http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoapply/wheretoapply/unitedstates. For more information, contact the Lakenheath Passport Office between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday, at 226-2303.