Moving to the UK from South Asia: Complete Guide

Applicants from South Asia meet the same routes as everyone else, plus three region-wide facts: every country here except the Maldives is on the tuberculosis test list, every country is a visa national, and none is on the majority English-speaking list. Afghan nationals face a further bar on two routes.

Checked 5 March 202614 min readWritten by the Rowan Editorial Team

Section: Moving to the UK From...
Reading time: 14 min
Last checked: 5 March 2026
Source: The published Immigration Rules and GOV.UK guidance, linked throughout this guide.
Rowan does not: Look at your own case, tell you which route to choose, or say what the Home Office will decide. This guide shows the published rules and where to read them.

In short

Every South Asian country except the Maldives is on the tuberculosis test list.
Since 26 March 2026 Afghan nationals are refused Student visas and Skilled Worker visas.
India is not on the Youth Mobility Scheme. There is a separate India Young Professionals Scheme.
Skilled Worker English rose from B1 to B2 for new applications on 8 January 2026. B1 still applies on an extension.
How long money must be held differs by route: 6 months for family visa savings, 28 days for Skilled Worker and Student maintenance.
Settlement costs £3,226 per person and citizenship £1,709 plus a £130 ceremony fee.

South Asian applicants share a set of requirements that follow from published lists rather than from the region: a tuberculosis test, a visitor visa rather than an Electronic Travel Authorisation, an English test at a level that changed on 8 January 2026, and document attestation. Two nationality-specific rules also apply here — the Afghan visa bar of March 2026, and the fact that India is not on the Youth Mobility Scheme but has a scheme of its own.

What applies across the region

The visa routes are national ones, open on the same terms to everyone. What South Asian applicants have in common is not a route but a position on three published lists — and on all three the region falls the same way. Every country here is a visa national, so even a short visit needs a visitor visa applied for before travel rather than an Electronic Travel Authorisation. Every country except the Maldives is on the tuberculosis test list. And no country here is on the majority English-speaking list, so the English requirement reaches everyone.

Two nationality rules specific to this region

Since 26 March 2026 a Student visa application is refused if you are an Afghan national, and so is a Skilled Worker application. The Student bar also covers nationals of Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan. These are nationality bars written into the rules, not judgements about an individual application, so no amount of preparation changes them.

India is not on the Youth Mobility Scheme. Nobody from South Asia is. GOV.UK instead points Indian nationals to the separate India Young Professionals Scheme. Any page telling you an Indian national can apply for Youth Mobility is wrong.

Tuberculosis testing

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are all on the tuberculosis test list. The Maldives is not. You need the test if all three of these are true:

you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more
you have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, and
you were living there, or in another listed country, within the last 6 months

It is a chest x-ray at a Home Office approved clinic; if the x-ray is unclear you may also be asked for a sputum sample. The certificate lasts 6 months from the date of the x-ray. Children under 11 are not normally x-rayed, though all children see a clinician. A test is also needed for a stay of under 6 months if you are applying as a returning resident or as a fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner. GOV.UK publishes no price for the test — clinics set their own.

Document Attestation and Translation

Documents from South Asian countries must be presented in their original form, accompanied by certified English translations where the original is not in English. The Home Office does not accept uncertified translations.

The attestation process differs by country. India joined the Hague Apostille Convention in 2005, which simplifies legalisation for some purposes. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka require documents to be attested by the relevant Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In practice, for UK visa applications, the most important thing is that you provide original documents (not photocopies) with professional translations.

Common documents that need translation include birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, educational qualifications, and police clearance certificates.

Financial Evidence in Local Currencies

The Home Office accepts bank statements and financial evidence in any currency. Amounts are converted to pounds using the exchange rate on the date of your application. This is important because exchange rates fluctuate. If you are close to the financial threshold, build in a buffer.

How long money must be held depends on the route. Cash savings relied on for a family visa must have been in the account for 6 months. The £1,270 for a Skilled Worker visa and the maintenance money for a Student visa are held for 28 days instead. The Home Office will check that the balance has been maintained consistently, not just deposited before the application. Lump-sum deposits shortly before applying can raise questions about the source of funds.

English Language Testing

All five South Asian countries require applicants to prove their English language ability through an approved English test. No South Asian country is on the Home Office list of majority English-speaking countries, so there is no nationality exemption available here. The required level depends on the route:

Skilled Worker: B2 for a new application since 8 January 2026, up from B1. B1 is still accepted when you extend the same visa.
Family visa as a partner: A1 at the first application, A2 at the extension after two and a half years, B1 at settlement.
Student: B2 for a degree-level course.

From 26 March 2027 the settlement level rises from B1 to B2 on several routes, including Skilled Worker.

If you hold a degree that was taught and examined in English from a recognised institution, you may be exempt from taking a test. The Home Office maintains a list of recognised institutions, and many South Asian universities are included.

VFS Global Appointments

VFS Global is the UK's commercial partner for visa applications across South Asia. You give your fingerprints and photograph and hand over your supporting documents at one of its centres. Use the GOV.UK visa application centre finder to see which centre covers you: the list of open centres changes, so it is not something to take from a guide.

Centres also sell optional extras at their own prices — document scanning, text message updates, courier return of your passport. None of these is a visa requirement, and GOV.UK publishes no price for them. The priority (£500) and super priority (£1,000) services are different: those are Home Office services that change the decision time, not centre extras.

Visa Routes by Country

India

The Skilled Worker visa and the Student visa are both open to Indian nationals on the ordinary terms. India is not on the Youth Mobility Scheme; the separate India Young Professionals Scheme is the route GOV.UK points Indian nationals to. India is on the visa national list and on the tuberculosis test list.

For a detailed breakdown of the Indian application process, document requirements, and costs in INR, see our complete guide to moving to the UK from India.

Pakistan

The family visa as a partner is one of the main routes, along with Skilled Worker and Student. Pakistan is on the visa national list and on the tuberculosis test list.

Pakistani civil documents are issued and verified by NADRA, the National Database and Registration Authority. Where an overseas criminal record certificate is required — that is, for Skilled Worker applications in specified health, education and social care jobs, and for the adult partner of such an applicant — it comes from the relevant district police. See our complete guide to moving to the UK from Pakistan.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh is on the visa national list and on the tuberculosis test list, and the routes are the standard ones: Skilled Worker, Student, and a family visa as a partner, parent or child.

Document attestation through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka is required for key documents. See our complete guide to moving to the UK from Bangladesh.

Nepal

Nepal has a distinct connection to the UK through the Brigade of Gurkhas. GOV.UK publishes separate settlement arrangements for discharged Gurkhas and their family members, which sit outside the ordinary visa routes — check those directly rather than assuming the standard rules apply. Otherwise Nepal is on the visa national list and on the tuberculosis test list, and the ordinary routes apply.

Nepalese documents require attestation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu. The VFS centre in Kathmandu handles all UK visa applications. See our complete guide to moving to the UK from Nepal.

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is on the visa national list and on the tuberculosis test list, and the ordinary routes apply: Skilled Worker, Student, and a family visa as a partner, parent or child.

Documents require attestation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Colombo. Where an overseas criminal record certificate is required, it comes from the Sri Lanka Police. See our complete guide to moving to the UK from Sri Lanka.

Where applications commonly fall down

Requirements that are missed

GOV.UK does not publish refusal rates by region in a form that would let anyone tell you how likely an application is to succeed, and any site quoting one at you has made it up. What can be said is which published requirements an application has to meet, and where an application fails it is usually one of these:

Insufficient financial evidence. Not meeting the income or savings threshold, or providing bank statements that show irregular deposits.
Inadequate relationship evidence. For spouse visas, failing to prove the relationship is genuine and subsisting.
Missing documents. Incomplete document chains, missing translations, or expired TB certificates.
English. Not providing a valid test certificate at the required level — which for a new Skilled Worker application has been B2 since 8 January 2026.

Processing times

GOV.UK's published service standards for applications made outside the UK are 3 weeks for work and Student visas and 12 weeks for partner, spouse, parent and child family visas. A standard is not a guarantee, and an application that needs further checks takes longer. Do not book flights or give up a home before the decision arrives.

The immigration health surcharge

The immigration health surcharge is often the largest single cost. It is £1,035 a year on most routes, and £776 a year for students, their dependants, Youth Mobility applicants and under-18s. Over a 5-year Skilled Worker visa that is £5,175 per person, paid up front with the application.

It buys NHS care on the same basis as a UK resident, which is not the same as free. In England a prescription costs £9.90 and NHS dental treatment falls into bands of £27.90, £76.60 or £332.10. Prescriptions are free in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Path to Settlement

Most work and family routes lead to settlement, or indefinite leave to remain, after 5 years of continuous residence. It costs £3,226 for you and the same for each dependant, you can apply from 28 days before the 5 years is up, and the decision usually arrives within 6 months of giving your fingerprints and photograph. The requirements include the Life in the UK test — £50, 24 questions in 45 minutes, pass mark 75%, and no test if you are under 18 or 65 or over — English at B1, and not exceeding the absence limit of 180 days in any 12-month period. A change from 5 years to 10 years has been proposed but is not law, so the qualifying period may change.

After settlement you can apply for British citizenship once you have held it for 12 months, or straight away if you are married to or in a civil partnership with a British citizen, where the residence requirement is 3 years rather than 5. It costs £1,709 plus a £130 ceremony fee and usually takes up to 6 months. The faster decision services are not available for citizenship.

Costs Overview

The total cost of moving to the UK from South Asia depends on your visa route, but the main components are:

Visitor visa: £135 for 6 months, £506 for 2 years, £903 for 5 years, £1,128 for 10 years.
Skilled Worker from outside the UK: £819 for up to 3 years, £1,618 for longer; £628 and £1,235 for a job on the Immigration Salary List.
Student: £558, and £558 for each dependant.
Family visa as a partner, parent or child: £2,064 from outside the UK, £1,407 from inside, per person.
Immigration health surcharge: £1,035 a year, or £776 a year for students, their dependants, Youth Mobility and under-18s.
Settlement: £3,226 per person. Citizenship: £1,709 plus a £130 ceremony fee.
Faster decisions: £500 for priority, £1,000 for super priority.
Tuberculosis test, English test, translation, attestation and application-centre extras: GOV.UK publishes no price for any of these.

For a full breakdown of UK visa fees across all routes, see our complete UK visa fees guide.

Next Steps

Start with your country-specific guide to understand the exact requirements for your situation. Then use our route-specific guides to prepare your application:

For official information on visa requirements, visit the GOV.UK visa checker and the Immigration Rules.

Questions and answers

Do I need a TB test to move to the UK from South Asia?

Almost certainly. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are all on the tuberculosis test list; the Maldives is not. The test is needed if all three of these are true: you are coming to the UK for 6 months or more, you have lived in a listed country for 6 months or more, and you were living there within the last 6 months. It is a chest x-ray at a Home Office approved clinic, and the certificate lasts 6 months from the date of the x-ray. Children under 11 are not normally x-rayed.

What is the most common UK visa route for South Asian applicants?

GOV.UK does not publish a ranking of routes by country, so there is no published answer to this. The routes themselves are national and open on the same terms to everyone: Skilled Worker with a sponsoring employer, Health and Care Worker, Student, Graduate, Global Talent, and a family visa as a partner, parent or child. Two things are nationality-specific in this region. Indian nationals are not on the Youth Mobility Scheme but have a separate India Young Professionals Scheme. And since 26 March 2026 Afghan nationals are refused both Student and Skilled Worker visas.

How do I prove my income for a UK visa if I earn in local currency?

The Home Office accepts income evidence in any currency and converts it to pounds at the exchange rate on the date of your application. Provide payslips, bank statements and employment contracts. How long money must be held depends on the route: cash savings relied on for a family visa must have been held for 6 months, while the £1,270 for a Skilled Worker visa and the maintenance money for a Student visa must be held for 28 days. Because the conversion happens on the application date, an amount that only just clears a threshold in local currency may fall below it if the rate moves.

Do I need to get my documents attested or apostilled?

South Asian countries are not members of the Hague Apostille Convention (with the exception of India, which joined in 2005). For Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, you typically need documents attested by the relevant government ministry (such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and then legalised by the British High Commission or embassy if required. India now accepts apostille for documents destined for other Hague Convention countries, but for UK visa purposes, the standard is to provide original documents with certified English translations.

What English language level do I need for a UK visa from South Asia?

No South Asian country is on the Home Office list of majority English-speaking countries, so the requirement applies to everyone from the region. A new Skilled Worker application has needed B2 since 8 January 2026, up from B1; B1 is still accepted when you extend the same visa. A family visa as a partner needs A1 at the first application, A2 at the extension after two and a half years, and B1 at settlement. A degree-level Student visa needs B2. You prove the level with an approved English test or a degree taught and examined in English. From 26 March 2027 the settlement level rises from B1 to B2 on several routes, Skilled Worker among them.

How long does UK visa processing take from South Asia?

GOV.UK publishes service standards rather than country-by-country times. Applying from outside the UK, work visas and Student visas are usually decided within 3 weeks and partner, spouse, parent and child family visas within 12 weeks. The priority service costs £500 and usually brings a decision within 5 working days, or 30 working days on a family visa or citizenship application. Super priority costs £1,000 for a decision by the next working day, or 2 working days over a weekend or bank holiday; it is not available for citizenship applications.

Can I use a VFS Global centre in South Asia for my UK visa application?

Yes. VFS Global is the UK's commercial partner across South Asia, and you give your fingerprints and photograph and hand over your documents at one of its centres. Use the GOV.UK visa application centre finder to see which one covers you, because the list of open centres changes. Centres sell optional extras — document checking, courier return of your passport, and so on — which are not part of the visa requirements. GOV.UK does not publish their prices.

This guide is general information about published immigration rules. It is not advice about an individual application under s.82 Immigration and Asylum Act 1999, and Rowan is not regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority. Immigration rules change several times a year. For advice on a particular situation, contact an adviser authorised by the Immigration Advice Authority or an immigration solicitor. Always check GOV.UK for the authoritative current rules.

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