British Airways to accept UK visa applications

Frequent travellers booked on British Airways flights can now apply for a visa through their local British Airways Travel shop in Abu Dhabi by completing the necessary visa application forms and attaching the required documentation and relevant visa fees. All applications will be submitted to the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi for authorisation. British Airways will deliver all documents and collect visas on behalf of customers who can then pick up their travel documents from their local travel shop - avoiding the need to visit the Embassy Visa Office.

A spokesman for the British Embassy said "We are constantly looking at ways to make our visa service more customer friendly, while maintaining the necessary immigration checks and balances. Working with British Airways in this way will make travel to the UK easier and more accessible for regular travellers by cutting out the need to make the visa application in person."

British Airways' commercial manager in Abu Dhabi Suneel Tyagi said: "We are delighted to be working with the British Embassy to launch this new initiative - the first time British Airways has done so in the Middle East. This unique service will make it even easier for our customers to travel to or via the UK by making the visa application process simpler. We can offer our customers a truly one-stop shop that can cater for all their travel needs."

This service will apply to frequent travellers. First time visitors to the United Kingdom will still need to apply to the Embassy in person. The British Embassy remains responsible for the issue or refusal of all UK visa applications.