Visa invitation letter
You live abroad and want a friend or relative to visit you.
An invitation letter is written by the person already living in the country, not by the visitor. Consulates read it to see who is inviting whom, how you know each other, where the visitor will sleep, and who is paying.
It is a supporting document. It does not replace the visitor's own application, and no invitation obliges an embassy to grant a visa.
Your letter is never uploaded, because it's built in your browser. Nothing you type here is saved, so refreshing starts again.
I am , resident here, and I would like to invite , , to visit me.
The visit is planned from to.
will return home at the end of the visit, and I understand that this invitation does not commit your office to granting a visa.
I am happy to provide any further documents your office needs.
Still to fill in: your full name, your address, your status in the country, visitor's full name, as printed in their passport, how you know each other, arrival date, departure date, where they will stay, who is covering the trip.
A finished example
The same template with every field filled in. The names and details are invented.
I am Sana Iqbal, a permanent resident of this country, and I would like to invite my mother, Nadia Iqbal, to visit me. I work as a staff nurse at Whitfield General Hospital.
Nadia Iqbal holds Pakistani nationality and travels on passport number AB1234567. The visit is planned from 4 November 2026 to 25 November 2026, 21 nights in total, to be with me for the birth of my first child.
Nadia Iqbal will stay at my home for the whole of the visit, at no cost to them. I will be responsible for the costs of this visit, including travel, accommodation, medical insurance and day-to-day expenses.
Nadia Iqbal will return home at the end of the visit, and I understand that this invitation does not commit your office to granting a visa.
I am happy to provide any further documents your office needs.
Invitation to visit, for Nadia Iqbal Dear Sir or Madam, I am Sana Iqbal, a permanent resident of this country, and I would like to invite my mother, Nadia Iqbal, to visit me. I work as a staff nurse at Whitfield General Hospital. Nadia Iqbal holds Pakistani nationality and travels on passport number AB1234567. The visit is planned from 4 November 2026 to 25 November 2026, 21 nights in total, to be with me for the birth of my first child. Nadia Iqbal will stay at my home for the whole of the visit, at no cost to them. I will be responsible for the costs of this visit, including travel, accommodation, medical insurance and day-to-day expenses. Nadia Iqbal will return home at the end of the visit, and I understand that this invitation does not commit your office to granting a visa. I am happy to provide any further documents your office needs. Yours faithfully, Sana Iqbal
Questions
- Who writes the invitation letter, the host or the visitor?
- The host. It is written by the person already living in the country being visited, and addressed to the embassy or consulate handling the application. The visitor submits it with their own paperwork.
- Does the letter need to say who is paying?
- Yes. It is one of the first things a visa officer looks for. Say plainly whether you are covering the trip, whether your visitor is, or whether you are splitting it, and be consistent with the bank statements you attach.
- Does an invitation letter guarantee a visa?
- No, and it should not claim to. It is a supporting document that answers who, when, where and at whose expense. The decision rests with the consulate.
- Should the letter be notarised?
- Usually not for a short visit. A few consulates ask for it, so check the requirements for the specific post before paying for notarisation.
- What should I attach to it?
- Typically proof of your own status, proof of address, and recent bank statements if you are funding the trip. The consulate's document list is the one that matters.