Do I need a visa?

To check whether you need a visa to attend our conferences, please visit this page and fill in the questionnaire. EU, EEA, and EFTA citizens, please visit the page nearer the time of the conference in order to ensure your travel is not affected by the process of the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Some embassies and consulates will only process visa applications 30 days in advance. However, we recommend applying for your visa at least 3 months in advance if possible.

If you require a visa, NSCJ can provide you with a formal letter of invitation to support your application. Continue reading this page for further information.

Visa invitation letter requirements

If you have completed registration, your abstract has been accepted, and you have paid your fees, we can provide you with a visa invitation letter. Please note that the abstract acceptance letter is not a letter of invitation, and your visa application may fail if you attempt to use the former as your supporting evidence.

Invitation letters can be issued to the following persons:

• Speakers/chairs
• Spouse or partner of a speaker/chair
• Non-speaker participants

If you wish to bring a minor with you, please seek guidance from the UK VISA page.

Administration charges
NSCJ’s administration charges for visa invitation letters are as follows:

Electronic Copy (PDF): £29 – most embassies will accept this
Paper Copy (tracked/signed postage): £39
Paper Copy (guaranteed 5 day postage): £79

Process
After completing registration and paying your fees, if you have requested a visa invitation letter, NSCJ will prepare this within 1-3 working days and send an electronic copy to you so you can check for any errors. If there are any errors, please allow for a further 1-3 working days for correction.

If you have requested a paper copy, the letter will then be posted. The tracking information will be sent to you via e-mail. Please inform us to confirm when you have received your letter.

The deadlines for requesting a Letter of Invitation and making payments are listed below. For those who did not register and within 10 deadline, the issued letter will be cancelled. NSCJ will inform the UK Border Agency that a visa should not be granted.

• The request deadline for Quantum1 is 15 March. The payment deadline is 25 March.
• The request deadline for Mechanics1 is 15 March. The payment deadline is 25 March.
• The request deadline for Energy 8 is 20 June. The payment deadline is 20 June.

What if my application fails?

If you are unable to attend due to a denied visa application, you may receive a monetary refund of your registration fees, minus a £100 cancellation charge. In order to claim this refund, you must supply evidence of the denied visa application. Delegates who failed to obtain a formal letter of invitation from NSCJ are not eligible for this refund under any circumstances.

The refund will be processed within 2 weeks following the conference.