Very Important Person Delegate visa

Overview
The Very Important Person (VIP) Delegate visa is for government officials who are coming to the UK with a head of state or a serving government minister on an official visit.
There’s a limit on how many people can come with each official visitor. There can be:
up to 20 people with a head of state
up to 10 people with a government minister
You can combine the number of VIP delegates if more than one eligible person is travelling, as long as the overall total does not go over the limit. For example, a head of state travelling with a serving government minister can have up to 30 delegates in total.
You can enter the UK once with each VIP Delegate visa. If you need to come for another official visit, you will need to reapply.
Your application for a VIP Delegate visa must be approved before you travel to the UK.
Who can apply
You can apply if you:
are aged 18 or over
are a serving government official coming to the UK with a group of government officials on an official visit
have a written notification (Note Verbale) from your government confirming your name, date of birth, passport number and role
You do not need to apply if you are exempt from immigration control (you can choose to
apply for a digital record of exemption instead
).
What you can do with a VIP Delegate visa
With a VIP Delegate visa, you can:
visit the UK for an official trip with your head of state or government minister
stay in the UK for the duration of your official visit (up to 1 month), plus 3 extra days before and after  travel
You cannot:
settle in the UK
bring dependents
study or work
switch to another visa route
How to apply
You must apply online.
Start now
You’ll need to:
provide a passport-sized photo that meets
UK passport standards
submit your passport at a
visa application centre (VAC)
(this must be the original version, not a photocopy)
provide a Note Verbale from your government
You or someone authorised by your government (such as a delegate from your Ministry of Foreign Affairs) must submit your documents in person at a VAC.
Note Verbale
The Note Verbale must:
be written by the government that’s sending you
list everyone travelling with the head of state or government minister
It must include:
your name, date of birth and passport number
the reason for the visit
confirmation that the government supports the application
the dates the visit will happen
proof that you have enough money to pay for your visit
How much it costs
It’s free to apply for a VIP Delegate visa.
After you apply
We will email you with your decision within 10 working days.
If your application is successful, you’ll get a visa valid for the official visit stated in the Note Verbale.
You can only use the visa for this visit.