Travelling to UK under 18 years old

Dear Mr Bassie,

I am not yet 18 years old and I would like to visit the United Kingdom. I would appreciate any advice that you could provide me with.

BJ

Dear BJ,

Persons may visit the United Kingdom (UK) if they are under 18 years old and if all the following obtain :

• They have made suitable arrangements for their travel and stay in the UK

• They have written consent from their parent or guardian to travel to the UK (if travelling alone)

• They are able to pay for their return or onward journey

• They have enough money to support themselves without working or getting help from public funds, or they have family and friends that can support them

TRAVELLING ALONE

Persons can travel to the UK without an adult, that is someone over the age of 18 years old. However, their parent or guardian will need to provide their written consent for him/her to travel to the UK and full contact details.

They will also need to provide proof that they have somewhere suitable to live during their stay in the UK, including:

• The name and date of birth of the person that he/she will be staying with

• An address where he/she will be living

• Details of their relationship to the person who will be looking after him/her

• Their written consent for him/her to stay with that person while in the UK.

IF NOT STAYING WITH A CLOSE RELATIVE

Please note that the parent, guardian or school must tell the relevant local authority about the visit if both of the following apply:

• Under 16 years old (or under 18 if they have a disability)

• Going to be looked after for more than 28 days by someone who is not a close relative (called ‘private foster care’)

The applicant should provide a reply from the local authority if they receive one.

The same rules apply to educational exchange visits that last for more than 28 days, unless they are part of a group that is travelling and staying together, for example, a school group or the individual is accompanied by an adult, for example, a teacher.

TRAVELLING WITH AN ADULT

Even if travelling with an adult, they will need to show that their parent or guardian consents to their travel and accommodation arrangements. Persons who do not need a visa to travel will need to prove this at the border.

Please note that if travelling without a Standard Visitor visa if one is not needed, persons will still need to identify the adult travelling with them in their visa application.

If the person accompanying/travelling is not their parent, the parent/guardian will need to provide specific information about them in the application.

Please be aware that persons can identify up to two adults in their visa application and their names will appear on their visa. The adult can apply for a visa at the same time, but they must each complete a separate application.

I hope this helps.

John S. Bassie is a barrister/attorney-at-law who practises law in Jamaica. He is a justice of the peace, a Supreme Court-appointed mediator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, a chartered arbitrator, the past global president of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and a member of the Immigration Law Practitioners Association (UK). Email: lawbassie@yahoo.com