Digital visa service rolled out to 180 nations

Apply for a UK visa via mobile app

The British government is making it easier for people across the world to apply for visas with the rollout of a digital application process, accessible in 180 countries worldwide.

It follows a pilot project in China, which has now been extended globally, and is now available in 10 languages. More than half a million applications have been made via the service so far, the government claimed.

"I'm delighted to report that this global rollout has been achieved on time and without compromising on the quality of the service," said Simon Peachey, director of international visa operations at UK Visas and Immigration.

The Access UK service also works across mobile devices to make it as convenient as possible for those applying to work on the application from any location.

The government added that a further 13 "lower volume locations" will also get access to the service, although some unique locations, such as the Falkland Islands, will retain their own application processes.

The Home Office touted the availability of the service on Twitter.

The move to digitise the visa application process underlines the growing push within government and the wider public sector to make it as easy as possible to access key services via the web and mobile apps.

For example, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is creating a digital version of the driving licence that could be stored in the Apple Wallet.