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How to write a compelling cover letter for UK visa (that will impress the ECO)
Updated: September 6, 2023
A cover letter for UK visa is instrumental in persuading the ECO that you meet the visa requirements and have no intention of overstaying your visa. It gives you the opportunity to convince the ECO that you are a genuine visitor and you will promptly return back to your country.
A cover letter is a document to convey additional information that wasn’t asked in the UK visa application. It’s not a mandatory document but by far the most helpful document in increasing your chances of UK visa approval.
Table of Contents
Why do you need a cover letter for uk visa.
The information asked in the UK visa application isn’t enough to convince the ECO that you will return back to your home country after your trip.
Most questions on the UK visa application are close-ended. They don’t give you an opportunity to explain.
A cover letter allows you to explain in your own words and be as descriptive as you can. You can use your own format and even use illustrations if needed.
Is a cover letter mandatory for UK visa?
No. A cover letter is not mandatory for UK visa. It’s not even a document in the documents checklist for UK visa.
When I applied for my UK visa, I did not submit a cover letter. At that time, I didn’t know the importance of a cover letter for UK visa. I didn’t feel the need to explain anything additional, so I didn’t submit one. My visa was still approved.
That’s not the case for everyone. A cover letter will not hurt your chances of approval, it can only help. It gives you an additional opportunity to convince the ECO.
If I apply again for my UK visa, I would definitely submit a cover letter.
What should you write in the cover letter?
A cover letter is not a mandatory document for UK visa. So obviously, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) does not provide any guidelines on what to include in the cover letter.
As you all know, I started this website in 2016. Since then, I have been helping my readers with their visas. I figured that a cover letter was the most helpful for UK visa.
I have been writing cover letters for my readers. Over time, I learned that a cover letter with a certain format worked the best for UK visa.
I would like to impart all my knowledge in this article, so you can write the most compelling cover letter for your UK visa. It will not only impress the ECO but will greatly improve your chances of visa approval.
So without any further delay, let’s get started.
Format of the cover letter
The goal of the cover letter is to convince the ECO that you are a genuine visitor. You must do this in a simple, short and clear manner. ECOs rarely will have time for anything other than what’s asked.
Write your cover letter in simple words as if it’s meant for a 5th grader. If the language is too complicated to read, ECO will not bother to read it.
Do not use words that people from your country can only understand. ECOs are from the UK and they can only understand the terms that they use in the UK.
Example: It’s common for people in India to say something like “ please do the needful and revert back to me “. Even though it’s still understandable, saying something like “ please let me know if you need anything else from me ” will help the ECO understand better.
Remember, a cover letter is not a mandatory document. ECO is doing you a favor by reading it. So, make it easy for the ECO.
Your cover letter should never be longer than two pages. ECOs rarely have time for things other than what’s asked in the application. If you present them with a booklet, they will toss it in the trash without even looking at it.
Again remember, a cover letter is not mandatory. It should not consume too much of ECO’s time.
To further simplify your cover letter, format it with subheadings, bullets and highlights. This helps the ECO to quickly glance over the letter and read any section that interests them.
Example: Instead of writing like this –
“ I intend to travel to the UK for tourism from 20 June 2021 to 24 June 2021 and I plan to visit various attractions in London such as Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, London Eye, Madame Tussauds, National Gallery, etc. “
Write like this –
- I intend to travel to the UK for tourism. My travel dates are from 20 June 2021 to 27 June 2021.
- 20 June 2021: Arrive at Heathrow International Airport at 3 PM. Check-In and dinner.
- 21 June 2021: Visit Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London
- 22 June 2021: Visit Tower Bridge and London Eye
- 23 June 2021: Visit Madame Tussauds and National Gallery
- 24 June 2021: Depart from Heathrow International Airport at 10 AM
Sections in the cover letter
It’s important to break the cover letter into different sections. This helps the ECO quickly glance through the letter and understand the gist of it. If needed, the ECO can read specific sections. Your cover letter for UK visa must contain the following sections.
Section 1: Your previous UK visa refusals
In the UK visa application, there is a question on previous UK visa refusals. It asks about your previous UK visa refusal and its details. This question asks you to explain why your UK visa was refused but doesn’t ask why it shouldn’t have been refused
There is no other place in the application to address your previous visa refusals either. There is the “additional/extra information” area, but it’s only for text and not suitable for formatting or pictures. Therefore, the cover letter is the most appropriate place for addressing your previous UK visa refusal.
If you are re-applying to challenge your UK visa refusal , include a section in your cover letter specifically for your previous visa refusal. Address your previous visa refusal with evidence, additional information and documentation.
Keep this section as the first section in your cover letter. Having this section at the beginning of the cover letter will help the new ECO get straight to the point. Otherwise, they may overlook and your efforts of re-application may go to waste.
Here is an example.
Previous UK Visa Refusal
My previous application for the UK visitor visa with GWF number GWF12345678 was refused on 16 March 2021.
I would like to address the reason for the refusal with additional information and documentation.
Reason for refusal: The sources of the deposit (£850) were not demonstrated by the documents provided.
Explanation: The deposit in question was made on 05-Dec-2020 for the amount of £850. This amount was the yearly bonus from my employer. Yearly bonuses are deposited in the first week of December every year. Please find the attached documentation to prove that these funds are available to me.
Additional Documentation: (1) Bonus slip, (2) bonus announcement email and (3) letter from my employer with details of bonus, amount and dates.
Section 2: Your travel purpose and itinerary
In this section, mention your purpose of visit and proposed itinerary in the UK. The itinerary must be detailed enough but not too descriptive to confuse the ECO. Format it with bullets and/or a table.
Proposed Travel Itinerary
- I intend to travel to the UK for tourism for a total of 7 days. My travel dates are from 14 Oct 2021 to 20 Oct 2021.
- My planned day-by-day itinerary is as follows
Section 3: People traveling with you to the UK
In this section, mention the people that will travel with you to the UK. If you are applying for the visa with your family members, mention their details such as name, passport number and GWF number.
Each individual must submit one UK visa application. Say if a husband, wife and child are traveling to the UK together, each of them must submit a separate UK visa application. There is no easy way to tie these applications together.
There is a question in the application asking for travel companions, but mentioning them again in your cover letter will help tie them all together.
Travel Companions
I will be traveling to the UK with my wife and son. The GWF numbers of my wife’s and son’s UK visa applications are as follows.
Section 4: Your current employment/business or university details
In this section, mention your current employment details. Include details such as the employer’s name, how long you have been working and your current salary.
Employment Details
- I currently work for Samcore Logistics, LTD, Dubai as a product manager.
- I have been working as a product manager at Samcore Logistics, LTD since Nov 2014.
- My monthly salary is 7,000 AED after taxes.
- An original letter from my employer, a leave approval letter and bank statements indicating the salary deposits are attached.
If you are a business owner, mention the details of your business such as your business name, your role in the company, yearly revenue, etc.
Business Details
- I own a construction business in Dubai since 2016. I’m the founder and president of the business.
- The business has been in positive cash flow since its inception with yearly revenue of 300,000 AED.
- A copy of my business registration, business license, bank statements and tax returns are attached.
If you are currently a student at the university, mention your university details along with the program, major and semester details.
University Details
- I’m a full-time student enrolled in the undergraduate program at the University of the Philippines.
- I’m currently in the second semester of my second year with another four semesters remaining to graduate.
- A letter from my university and the fee payment receipts are attached.
Section 5: Your current financial situation
In this section, mention your source of income, savings and the bank statements for your UK visa .
If you have multiple bank accounts, this section is a good place to talk about it. Explain why you have multiple bank accounts and how they are connected.
Financial Solvency
- I currently have 300,000 INR (approx. 2,900 GBP) in my bank account.
- The source of my savings is my salary from my employer, WinTech Corporation.
- The last 6 months bank statements and payslips are attached.
It’s quite common for many to work in a foreign country and send all their earnings back home for family maintenance or savings. In such cases, you will have to submit bank statements from both countries, but most importantly, mention that clearly in this section.
If you use a broker or third party to send cash back home, errors can occur and transactions may not match. I highly recommend using a money transfer service such as Wise to transfer cash back to your home country.
Section 6: Your sponsorship information
If you are paying for your trip yourself, this section does not apply to you. Have this section in your cover letter only if someone else is paying for your trip.
In this section, mention your sponsor details, your relationship with the sponsor, what expenses they will bear, etc.
Sponsorship Details
- My brother is sponsoring my trip to the UK.
- He will bear all my travel expenses while I’m in the UK including accommodation, food and transportation.
- A letter from my brother, his UK residence permit, employment proofs, bank statements, his apartment lease contract and the document to prove our relationship are attached.
Section 7: Your travel history
In this section, mention your travel history. Travel history is very important and highlighting it will only help with your UK visa. Your travel history can include all your previous travels to the UK and other countries. If you have traveled to a country multiple times, mention that country only once.
Travel History
- In the last 5 years, I have traveled to 8 countries for both tourism and business.
- The countries I have traveled to are Hong Kong, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, UAE, Turkey and Denmark.
- A copy of my visas and entry and exit stamps from all the above countries are attached.
Section 8: Any family members staying back at home
In this section, mention any family members remaining at home during your UK trip. This helps prove your family ties with your country. Family ties indicate that you will return back to your country after your trip.
Do not include this section if it does not apply to you.
Family Remaining at Home
- I currently live with my wife and two children.
- My wife and children will remain at home during my trip to the UK.
- A copy of my wife’s employment proof and children’s school receipts are attached.
Section 9: Your intention to return back
In this section, mention that you will promptly return back after your trip and the reasons for that. Reasons can be employment, business or attending to family needs.
Intention to Return Back
- I intend to return to Pakistan after the end of my UK trip on 27 Oct 2021 as I have to report back to my employer and continue at my job on 28 Oct 2021.
- An original leave approval letter from my employer is attached.
Section 10: Any miscellaneous information
If you want to add something that didn’t fall under any specific section above, you can include it here. This could be something about properties you own (economic tie), your rental situation, covid safety precautions, etc.
Miscellaneous
- I currently live in a rental apartment. A copy of my rental contract is attached.
- I own farmland with my wife. A copy of my property ownership document is attached.
- I assure you that I will follow COVID safety precautions throughout my trip.
A cover letter is not a mandatory document for UK visa. But in my experience, it’s the most helpful document. The goal of the cover letter is to convince the ECO that you are a genuine visitor. Your cover letter must be simple, short and clear. Break the cover letter into sections, paragraphs and bullet lists. Use pictures and screenshots if necessary.
That’s it, folks! Now you know how to write a compelling cover letter for UK visa. This will greatly improve the chances of your UK visa approval. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below.
WRITTEN BY THIRUMAL MOTATI
Thirumal Motati is an expert in tourist visa matters. He has been traveling the world on tourist visas for more than a decade. With his expertise, he has obtained several tourist visas, including the most strenuous ones such as the US, UK, Canada, and Schengen, some of which were granted multiple times. He has also set foot inside US consulates on numerous occasions. Mr. Motati has uncovered the secrets to successful visa applications. His guidance has enabled countless individuals to obtain their visas and fulfill their travel dreams. His statements have been mentioned in publications like Yahoo, BBC, The Hindu, and Travel Zoo.
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78 Comments
Kiesha says
March 5, 2023 at 8:53 am
Hi Thirumal, I love your articles and it has been really helpful, I applied for my Mums EUSS dependent Visa to travel to the UK which got rejected due to insufficient money transfers. It takes nearly 6 months to get a reply from them sometimes more than that. I need my mum to travel to the UK to be present for my delivery in July so I wanted to apply for a visiting visa. Do you think that would be an issue as I had applied for a dependent visa before? Thank you for your help.
Thirumal Motati says
March 6, 2023 at 2:07 pm
Hi Kiesha! Yes, it can pose an issue. I have seen cases where a visitor visa was refused due to a previous EUSS refusal. ECO assumes that the applicant is taking a different route to gain entry into the UK. So you will have to put more effort into convincing the ECO, through additional documentation and a cover letter.
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