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When I was 17, I applied for a UK visa with my friend who was noted as my company (since she’s older than 18). On my visa, it specifically says that I can only enter the UK if I am accompanied by her. Now I have turned 18 and would like to travel to the UK alone. Would it be allowed for me to travel without my former company even though it says her name on the visa? Or would I have to wait till my visa runs out and apply for a new one?

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  • Your child accompanied visa expires within 6 months of your 18th birthday if I remember correctly. Think you may well need a new one
    – Hanky Panky
    Commented Mar 19, 2018 at 13:53
  • I still have 2 months till it expires and would like to travel to the UK before it does. I only wonder if I have to be accompanied by the person listed on my visa or am allowed to travel alone.
    – Sude C
    Commented Mar 19, 2018 at 13:56

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You do not need to wait for your current visa to run out before you can apply for a new one. You can apply immediately; your current visa will be cancelled ("without prejudice," or with some similar notation indicating that the cancellation will not be held against you).

You would think that turning 18 would automatically cause the restriction on your visa to fall away, but apparently that is not the case:

What all of this amalgamates to is: don't do it, you could find yourself in detention facing removal.

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    A reason not to have the restriction fall away automatically, I think, is that your circumstances may change once you are no longer linked to an accompanying adult and you may not qualify for a visa in your own right.
    – user16259
    Commented Mar 19, 2018 at 16:58
  • @user16259 that makes sense.
    – phoog
    Commented Mar 19, 2018 at 18:01

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