Applying for British and European visas at the same time often takes non-EEA tourists a long time, and potentially costs hundreds of pounds.
The UK government has made this a thing of the past for Chinese visitors and business travellers, who as of today, will be able to apply for both UK and European visas in one simple, single process.
The worry was that previously, Chinese visitors were being deterred from holidaying in the UK since this involved applying for a separate visa.
Previously, tourists were only able to apply for one single Schengen visa for most of the EU, excluding the UK, thus, this scheme will be highly beneficial.
The British Hospitality Association (BHA), claims that Britain could be losing as much as 1.2 billion pounds a year due to Chinese tourists choosing to visit cities such as Paris and Milan instead of London, which requires a separate visa.
Home Secretary Theresa May said that “This scheme will create a one-stop shop for Chinese visitors to the UK and Europe” whether it is for leisure or business.
Applicants will now be able to apply online, using the same set of documents for both visas and then finalise the process by booking an appointment for a UK visa.