🇦🇫 Afghan citizens · 🇬🇧 UK · Business

UK business visa success rate for Afghan citizens (year to March 2026)

33.5% of Afghan UK visitor visa applications were approved in the year to March 2026, across 3,421 decisions — the remaining 66.5% were refused. Approval is down from 47.6% in year to March 2025. Unlike the Schengen figures, this is grouped by the applicant's nationality rather than by where the application was lodged, and it is broken down by visa type, so it describes Afghan visitor applicants specifically. Withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from both sides of the fraction. It remains a nationality-wide outcome rather than a prediction for one case. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record instead.

Last reviewed August 2026 per our editorial standards. Rate: UK Home Office — outcomes of entry clearance visa applications by nationality and visa type (Vis_D02) .

For Afghan citizens applying, a business visa to the United Kingdom is decided mainly on whether your trip is a genuine, short business visit. Public statistics point to an approximate base approval of around 43% for this route — but your own profile can move that figure a lot in either direction. Published approval rates for Afghanistan run at 36.7% on US visitor visas in FY2025.

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Official — issued, year to March 2026

33.5%

Refused (year to March 2026): 66.5%
Refused (year to March 2025): 52.4%
Issued: 1,145
Refused: 2,276
Decided: 3,421

Official published figure: 66.5% refused in year to March 2026, so 33.5% of decided cases ended in a visa. Entry clearance visitor visa applications from Afghanistan nationals decided in the year to March 2026, as a share refused. The Home Office publishes decisions by nationality and visa type; withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from both sides of the fraction. It is a nationality-wide outcome, not a probability for an individual application.

Source: UK Home Office — outcomes of entry clearance visa applications by nationality and visa type (Vis_D02) .

An outcome for everyone who applied from this country, not your odds — estimate yours below.

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Where Afghanistan sits in the official data

Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Afghan applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from Afghanistan.

US visitor visas — FY2025

A 63.3% adjusted refusal rate places Afghanistan 173rd of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 13% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Afghanistan is 31.5 points above it.

The European Commission's Schengen table carries no row for Afghanistan at any volume, so the US and UK figures above are the only two nationality-level rates published for Afghan applicants anywhere. They run 63% refused in the US against 67% refused in the UK — within 4 points of each other, despite being different systems entirely.

Sources: U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality and European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates . Schengen figures are grouped by the country an application was lodged in, not by passport.

Frequently asked questions

What is the UK business visa refusal rate for Afghan citizens?

66.5% in year to March 2026, against 52.4% in year to March 2025 — meaning 33.5% of decided cases ended in a visa. Entry clearance visitor visa applications from Afghanistan nationals decided in the year to March 2026, as a share refused. The Home Office publishes decisions by nationality and visa type; withdrawn and lapsed applications are excluded from both sides of the fraction. It is a nationality-wide outcome, not a probability for an individual application. Your own case is assessed on its own evidence, so use the estimator on this page rather than the average.

Where does this UK refusal-rate figure come from?

From UK Home Office — outcomes of entry clearance visa applications by nationality and visa type (Vis_D02), covering year to March 2026. We restate the published figure without adjustment and link the source file directly, so you can check it yourself.

What matters most for a UK business visa?

Officers focus on whether your trip is a genuine, short business visit. In practice the single biggest lever is a credible invitation and ties, so make that part of your application as strong and well-documented as possible.

Does a previous visa refusal affect my chances?

Yes. A prior refusal weighs on new applications until its underlying reason is addressed. Find out exactly why you were refused, fix what caused it, and clearly show what is different this time.

Is this a guarantee of approval?

No. GetVisaOdds is an educational planning tool, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Only a consular or immigration officer can decide your application. We show approximate odds and the reasons behind them so you can prepare better.

Is my information private?

Completely. The estimate runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server or stored — there is no sign-up and nothing to leak.

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Helpful guides

UK ETA 2026: who needs it, cost (£20) and how to apply → How long does a visa take? US, UK, Canada & Schengen (2026) → How to read visa approval and refusal rates → How to prove strong ties to your home country → How to document your finances for a visa → What to do after a visa refusal →