Hello, I'm about to study for a term abroad, in Steyr, Austria. I've already received my country + touring Schengen visa.

I'd like to visit the UK, but I have no time to apply for a visa in my home country, since I'm leaving in a week. Is it possible to apply while I'm in Europe? Is there some sort of very short-term visa that I can get, if I'd like to visit the UK for 1-3 days?

Thanks for the help

Go to the UK Visas site and work your way through meticulously. Many nationalities don't need visas for stays less than 6 months.

If you need a visa for the UK, you generally need one whether you're coming here for an hour or a lifetime, though some visa nationals can come in visa-free for a max of 24 hrs if they've got an onward booking and the equivalent of a Green Card from another rich country (look up "transit visas" on the UK Visa site)

As a general rule you need to apply in your country of residence: the system will PROBABLY accept applications from students in a country they're studying in (though the system might not accept a single term as conferring "residence")

There's a lot of paperwork you need to have with you, and it'll be easier to take it to Austria than try to have it sent across.

what nationality are you?

General principle is that a visa-national can apply for a visitor entry clearance (visa) at any visa-issuing UK diplomatic post, but for a long-term and settlement visas, you have to apply in your country of nationality or usual residence.
As you have a Schengen visa for staying in Austria, I'd be surprised if you couldn't apply at the British embassy in Vienna. Go to their website and find out.

I'm from the Philippines, for those asking.

Thanks for the help!

You WILL need a visa.

You use application form VAF1 which you can get on the website Flanner mentioned. You can apply in Austria, in Vienna.

Thanks, sheila!

What about my passport, though? I had to leave my passport with the Austrian Embassy here, while my Schengen Visa was being processed... Will the same thing happen there? Don't I need it to travel around Austria?

Sorry if my questions seem silly to you; this is my first time to travel abroad, and alone, at that.

What sort of papers would I need, aside from proof of enrollment in my school, and proof of lodging?

I think you will have to leave your passport. I don't THINK you will need your passport to travel around Austria, but please check with someone who KNOWS.

What sort of papers do you need for what? Your visa application for the UK?

It's all on the UK visas website.

I am not absolutely sure about what is the procedure for Philippines. However I am from India and my cousin was doing a summer student exchange programme in the US. She had to come to The Hague for a compettition, so she thought about visiting us in London (over the weekend). She already had the US and Schengen visa in place, however she did not have time to apply for a UK visa in India.

She wrote to the consulate and this is the response she received:

Thank you for contacting VFS UK Visa Helpdesk.


With regard to your query, please be informed that as per the immigration rules the applicant should apply for visa from their country of origin. Hence the applicant should apply from India only.

Applicants are advised to submit their visa applications in good time, but no more than 3 months in advance of their intended date of travel.

The rules maybe different for Philippines. However I would suggest you write directly to the UK visa application centre and explain your position.

You absolutely do not have to apply for a visa in the Philippines if you are just going on a short tourist trip.

If you can get to a UK consulate, you should be able to get a visa for travel to Britain. Ordinarily, you can get a visa on the same day. You leave your passport first thing in the morning and pick it up in the afternoon. At least that's the way it's done here in New York. It's certainly worth asking (just call the closest consulate once you land in Austria).

If you have your travel plans in place and just plan to stay for a few days, I don't think it's going to be a problem for you. The only trick is that you normally have to get a letter from your employer verifying your employment status; since you are going to be on a study-abroad trip in Austria, it seems to me you should be able to get a similar letter from your school verifying your status as a student.

You'll also have to demonstrate that you have made travel arrangements. That may be tricky because you could be denied (though that's unlikely), and most of the air travel in Europe is on nonrefundable, nonchangeable tickets on the budget airlines. I don't think you'd want to do this by train.

Just be sure to have a hotel reservation and air reservation made for your dates of travel, ideally something that can be cancelled without penalty.

I would still suggest please write directly to the embassy. I live in London and have had a lot of friends and family visiting us and our experience has been that you absolutely do need to apply in your own country (even if you are going to be abroad for a term).

The best and the surest way of knowing is writing directly to the consulate. They are usually prompt and will answer all your questions.

The OP has already made it clear that there isn't time to apply for a visa before departure to Austria. So I'd call the consulate in Austria on arrival to find out if they will process your short-stay tourist visa. If they can, then proceed with making your plans; otherwise, save the UK for the next trip.

Thank you very much for all the advice! I'll ask as soon as I get to Vienna.

"I'll ask as soon as I get to Vienna"

WRONG!!!

Get onto the UK Visas site now. You'll see that Doug is mistaken. Vienna doesn't process visa applications (they're done in Warsaw), and there's no same-day service (15 days turnround is their TARGET. Targets, in UK bureauspeak, are things you pay yourself a bonus if you achieve and think it's fine if you don't meet)

File your application NOW online, and get a date to do your biometrics (in Vienna). If the system rejects you, you might be able to via London, since - armed with a Schengen visa - you might not need a visa for a 24 stopover, even if you exit the airport.

Flanner, I'm tremulous about disagreeing with you, but:-

http://www.ukvisas.gov.uk/en/howtoap...oapply/austria

Sheila, we're not disagreeing.

If a visa national's in most of Austria, they talk to Vienna, and go to Vienna for the biometrics. But the processing for all central Europe actually happens in Warsaw. Invisible to the applicant - but it means same-day service is physically impossible

http://ukinaustria.fco.gov.uk/en/visas/

Incidentally, it's virtually impossible to ring the Vienna embassy on an immigration matter without paying through the nose (and then talking to someone in Warsaw anyway). Paolok needs to fill in the form online.

Phew. I wholly agree