A visa number in a UK visa is the number granted after the visa application has been approved. If you have been granted a UK visa for a period of more than six months, you would definitely be issued a vignette visa, and your visa number will be listed under your date of birth.
The visa vignette is a sticker that is added to your passport (or travel document) when your entry clearance application is approved.
According to reports, your vignette visa will include your photographic identification and will note the type of visa you have been granted, as well as the issue date and end date. The start date will usually be the date you provided on your visa application as your intended date of travel, although ‘special arrangements’ may apply for certain visa routes.
It will also include your number of entries, category, and conditions. Have it in mind that anyone who needs a visa to enter the UK will need to have a visa number. All temporary visitors to the UK are considered non-immigrants, and all non-immigrants to the UK are given a visa number found in the visa vignette on their passport.
This visa vignette is usually valid for 30 days from the date of issue. You will be expected to travel to the UK within this 30-day period. You cannot attempt entry to the UK before the validity date on the vignette.
How to Effectively Read and Understand UK Visa Vignette/Sticker
If you have received a UK visa vignette, note some information in it can be quite confusing, especially for a novice. Below is a detailed guide on reading and understanding your UK visa vignette. Your UK visa vignette will most definitely include the following basic biographical information:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Sex (M/F)
- Nationality
- Passport number
- Personal visa conditions, such as whether you are permitted to be employed in the country (in which case your visa vignette will note “WORK PERMITTED”, and whether you have access to UK welfare; if not, your visa vignette will say “NO PUBLIC FUNDS”.
- If your visa vignette contains either “Police registration” or “Register with police in 7 days of entry,” you will have to do that within your very first week of landing in the country.
- Aside from the above, you may be mandated to upload UK visa vignette information when looking to register for school, apply for NHS benefits, or seek out other professional or educational opportunities in the country.
Questions your Visa Vignette Will be Expected to Answer
While its contents will vary depending on your visa type, here are basic questions a UK Visa vignette is expected to answer.
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What type of visa do I have?
Under entries, you will find a small line of text that states “Type”. Note that this will identify the type of visa you have (Student, Investor, etc.).
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What is my visa number?
You can find your visa number listed under your date of birth.
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When did my visa become valid?
You can find out the exact date your visa will become valid just by looking at the top right-hand corner. There you will find a text that reads “Valid from” alongside a date. That date is the date when your visa became valid for use in the UK.
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When will my visa become invalid?
Alongside the “Valid from” text on your visa, you can also find a text that reads “Valid until”, followed by a date. Note that the date next to “Valid until” is the date when your visa expires (i.e. the date your visa will no longer legally allow you to stay in the country.”
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Where was my visa issued?
At the top of your visa, alongside its validity date, you will also find the name of the city written in bold letters, just next to a line of text that notes “place of issue”. This is the exact location where your visa was issued.
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How many entries do I have?
Beneath the text that notes your visa “place of issue”, you will also find a line of text that states “Number of Entries”. Just close to that line, in bold, will be displayed the number of entries you have to the country.
For instance, if the text reads MULT, it entails that you can enter and exit the UK an unlimited number of times throughout your visa validity period. Howbeit, if you have a single-entry visa, you won’t be granted permission to return to the UK once you leave its territories, even if you still have time remaining on your visa.
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What are dependents and do I have them?
Although this will most often depend on the category of UK visa you have obtained, you may qualify to bring dependents with you to the UK. Note that dependents are classified as close personal relatives (most often spouses and children).
If you successfully applied to bring your dependents with you to the country, your visa will show this. At the bottom of your visa, it will list text that reads “Number of dependents”, followed by “Dependent name” and “Sex”. If you have any dependents, their names and sex will be outlined here, at the bottom of your visa.
Conclusion
Your visa vignette is the entry clearance sticker inside the passport, which grants you permission to come into the UK. This sticker will be pasted into your passport by the specific consular authority processing your UK visa application.
Note that aside from your photo and biographical information, your UK entry clearance vignette will also include all the basic information about your visa, including its validity period, number of entries, your visa number, category, and conditions.