If you planned to travel, but after submitting your visa application or while the process is still ongoing, your travel plan changed, meaning you won’t be travelling anymore.
You can cancel your visa application and get a refund. Yes, even if the process has already started, it’s possible to withdraw your visa application.
I’ve had to do this myself. A while back, I applied for a visa (not the UK this time), and literally the next day, I heard there was political unrest in the country I was heading to.
My plans went out the window, and so did my visa application.
Maybe in your case, an emergency came up, your travel dates changed, or you simply decided not to make the trip anymore.
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Whatever the reason, you can withdraw your UK visa application at almost any stage of the process and get a refund. If you want to do it, here’s how.
How to cancel a UK visa application and get a refund
To cancel your UK visa application, send a cancellation request to the immigration authorities.
You can send a cancellation request online or offline; it all depends on how you applied for your visa.
If you applied for your visa online, you can send a cancellation request online; likewise, if you applied offline, you can send a cancellation request offline.
Step 1: Send a cancellation request to the UK visa and Immigration authorities.
If you submitted your application online, you’ll have a UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI ) online account.
It is from this account that you will initiate the cancellation process. To get started, visit https://www.gov.uk/cancel-visa.
On your account, go to ‘Section 6: further actions’ to cancel your application
You will be asked to fill out the online cancellation form. To do that, you’ll need:
- Your GWF reference number (you can find it in your application confirmation email)
- Your full name and date of birth
- The email address you used for your application
In the form, explain why you’re cancelling. Keep it short and factual – e.g., “Change of travel plans due to personal reasons” or “No longer travelling to the UK.”
Then, submit your request. Once you hit submit, you’ll get an automated confirmation email.
Read also: Is there a time limit to enter the UK after getting a visa?
If you don’t receive a response two working days after sending your cancellation request, you can email the UK visa and immigration support team or call their helplines. They will respond to you.
If you applied offline, that means you submitted your visa application at the UK visa application centre, then you can contact the VAC to initiate the cancellation process
If you don’t know where to find the contact information of the VAC (where you submitted your visa application), use the UK Find a Visa Application Centre portal to locate your VAC.
Once you find the particular VAC you are looking for, you will see information about it, including its contact details (either email or phone number) of the VAC.
Read also: If my visa is cancelled, can I apply again?
Reach out to them through their email address or phone number, and inform them of your intention to cancel your application and request a refund.
If you are sending them an email, include your full name, your application reference number, your passport number, and a brief explanation of your situation.
They will need your details to confirm that the request is coming from you. Once your request is received, you will receive a confirmation email from the VAC.
This email is to acknowledge the receipt of your request and to inform you that the process has started.
If you don’t receive a response from the VAC after two working days, you need to contact their customer support team.
Read also: How to check Canada visa status with passport number.
After submitting your cancellation request, you need to wait for the authorities to complete the entire process and confirm that your application has been cancelled before you proceed with the refund.
Step 2: Check if you are eligible for a refund
Generally, visa fees are refundable, but some conditions determine whether or not you will get a refund.
For example, if you cancel:
- Before your biometrics appointment: You can get a full refund of your visa fee.
- After your biometrics appointment but before a decision: You can still cancel, but the refund may not always be 100% (depends on the type of visa and processing stage).
- After a decision is made: You can’t get a refund, even if the visa hasn’t been printed or sent yet.
To make it clearer: If you applied for a UK Standard Visitor Visa and realise the next day you can’t travel anymore, you’ll get your entire application fee back — as long as you cancel before they start processing it.
In simple terms, the time you sent your cancellation request will determine if you get a refund or not.
If you cancel before the processing of your application starts, you will get a full refund.
However, if you cancel after processing has started but before a decision is made on your application, you will get a refund, but not a full refund.
Read also: How to book a VFS appointment for passport submission when applying for a Canada visa.
On the other hand, if a decision has been made when you sent your cancellation request, you will NOT get a refund.
Aside from when you cancelled, another factor that will determine how much you will receive (as a refund) is how you were told to prove your identity.
Step 3: Getting a refund after cancelling your UK visa application
You can get a refund of your:
- Application fee
- Immigration health surcharge
- Priority service fee (if you used this service).
The good thing is that you don’t need to do anything before your application is refunded.
Once you cancel your application, it will be automatically paid to the account or card you paid with.
In some rare cases, you will need to send a refund request to the appropriate authority (the visa application centre or UK Visas and Immigration department) before you get a refund.
Read also: Approved places to do Biometrics for an Australian visa in South Africa.
For online applications, the refund will be processed back to the original payment method.
If you paid at a VAC, they will provide you with specific instructions regarding the refund collection.
If you used third-party services like VFS Global, you can visit their refund portal here https://visa.vfsglobal.com/idn/en/gbr/request-a-refund to request a refund.
Step 4: Contact the UK Visas and Immigration department
If you need to contact UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) about cancelling your UK visa application or checking on a refund, here’s how you can reach them:
By Phone
-
If you are inside the UK:
Call 0300 790 6268
(Select the option for visas and immigration)-
- Monday to Thursday: 9 am to 4:45 pm
- Friday: 9 am to 4:30 pm
-
-
If you are outside the UK:
You must use the UKVI International Contact Service: https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk. This is a paid service (you can pay by credit/debit card to send your query).
By Email
If you prefer to send an email, then use the official online enquiry form: https://www.gov.uk/contact-ukvi-inside-outside-uk
You’ll need:
- Your GWF reference number
- Full name and date of birth
- Details of your application and the reason for contacting them
By Post
- UK Visas and Immigration
Lunar House
40 Wellesley Road
Croydon
CR9 2BY
United Kingdom
If you’re chasing a refund, always include your payment details and the exact date you submitted your cancellation request.
This will make it easier for UKVI to trace your payment.
Step 5: Cancelling a Group or Family application
If you applied as part of a group or family, each person needs to cancel individually.
There’s no “one click” cancellation for the entire group.
Can you reapply after cancelling your application?
Yes, you can; cancelling your application doesn’t stop you from applying again in the future.
However, when you want to apply again, you will start the application from the beginning.
How long does it take to get visa fees refunded from the UK?
To get visa fees refunded from the UK takes several weeks, depending on the payment method you used, your visa category, the processing times of the VAC, and your bank.
Will I get a refund if I cancel a visa application to the UK?
Yes, you will get a refund if you cancel your UK visa application before the UK Home Office decides on your application.
How long does it take for UK immigration to approve a refund request?
The approval takes 5 – 10 working days after your request is received, but it will take longer than 10 days to receive the money in your account.
How long does it take for a UK visa to be cancelled?
It takes 7 – 14 working days for a UK visa to be cancelled; it can take even less, depending on the processing time of the specific visa office handling your application and the workload at the time you sent your request.
Can I cancel my UK visa and reapply?
Yes, you can cancel your UK visa application and reapply. Cancelling your visa does not in any way stop you from reapplying for another visa.
It also does not have any negative impact on your visa history. Once you cancel your visa application, you are allowed to reapply at a later time.
When can I cancel my UK visa application?
You can request to cancel a UK visa application at any stage before a decision is made by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
Can I cancel my UK visa application after biometrics?
Yes, you can cancel your UK visa application after biometrics. However, if you cancel your application after providing biometrics, you may not get a refund of the application fee, even for refundable visa types.