Customers in Sri Lanka will now be able to apply for their UK visit visas, more easily thanks to a new online application form, British High Commission in Colombo said in a media release on Thursday.

The release said: The new form, called Access UK, offers customers a number of benefits including a shorter form, with questions ordered logically, a mobile friendly format and the ability to download a pre-populated Schengen visa form. The form will also be available in more local languages making it easier for more customers to understand the visa format.

UK Visas & Immigration Regional Director for South and Southeast Asia, Nick Crouch said: “The UK remains committed to improving the visa service for customers and making it quicker and easier for customers to apply for UK visas.

“The new form, known as Access UK, successfully launched in China in 2014 and received excellent feedback from customers. We have further refined it and are now rolling it out globally. We look forward to hearing further feedback on the form, and hope that it will encourage more customers from Sri Lanka to visit the UK.”

British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka James Dauris said: “The strong relationship between the UK and Sri Lanka is built on people to people links, including through business relationships and cultural exchange. The UK welcomes genuine visa applications and the new Access UK form will make the process of applying for a business or tourist visa quicker and easier.”

Following the successful launch of Access UK in China in June 2014, UKVI is rolling it out globally to customers applying for visit visas.

Access UK is available at www.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa. However the Visa4UK website will continue to be available for visitors and for applicants applying for visas on other routes.

Plans are underway to launch the form in Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Sinhalese and Bengali to make it easier for customers to apply, however answers will need to be provided in English.”