Inviting wedding guests from abroad: visas, time zones and phone numbers

How early should you invite guests from abroad?

Earlier than anyone else. A guest in Lagos coming to a wedding in London, or a guest in Manchester flying to a wedding in Accra, needs to book leave, find the money for flights, and often apply for a visa before they can say yes.

Ask for replies from abroad a little later if you can. A guest waiting on a visa decision may not be able to answer until close to the day, so tell them that "we're waiting for the visa" is a perfectly good reply in the meantime.

Visas for a UK wedding: what guests from Nigeria and Ghana should know

Visa rules depend on the guest's passport and change from time to time, so send guests to the official pages rather than relying on what a cousin did last year. GOV.UK's "Check if you need a UK visa" tool answers it for any passport.

• When to apply. GOV.UK's Standard Visitor page says the earliest a visitor can apply is 3 months before they travel, and that they will usually get a decision within 3 weeks.
• Who is paying. GOV.UK's guide to supporting documents asks for evidence from anyone supporting the visit, such as who is paying for travel or accommodation and how they are related to the visitor.
• The letter. Many couples write a short letter for each guest applying: who they are to you, the wedding's date and venue, where they will stay and who is paying for what. It supports an application; it doesn't guarantee one.

Send save the dates to visa guests before you send them to anyone else. The application window opens late, but saving for flights, booking leave and gathering documents such as bank statements and a letter from an employer all take longer.

Guests flying from the UK to a wedding in Nigeria or Ghana

It works the other way too. The Foreign Office's travel advice says British visitors need a visa for both countries, applied for before they travel: for Nigeria through the Nigerian Immigration Service's online portal, with no visa on arrival, and for Ghana through the Ghana High Commission. For both countries it also says visitors need a certificate proving a yellow fever vaccination. Check each country's "Entry requirements" page on GOV.UK for the current rules, and pass the link to your guests.

Guests born in Nigeria or Ghana may be able to travel on a Nigerian or Ghanaian passport instead, so it is worth reminding them to check which passport they are using before they apply for anything.

Phone numbers with country codes

Store every number with its country code, written the international way, and an invitation sent on WhatsApp reaches the right phone wherever it is.

Drop the first 0 of the local number when you add the country code. Many relatives abroad have two numbers; ask which one they use for WhatsApp.

Time zones: say whose time it is

"2pm" means nothing to a guest in another country until you say whose 2pm. Give every event's time in the venue's own time zone, and write the zone next to it: "2:00 pm (Lagos time)" or "2:00 pm (UK time)". A guest working out a flight needs the local time at the venue, not their own.

Nigeria and Ghana don't change their clocks, while the UK does. So the gap between London and Lagos is an hour in winter and none in summer, and the gap to Accra is none in winter and an hour in summer. Writing the zone beside the time saves anyone doing that sum.

Wording for guests abroad

How to do it with Our Guest List

1. Add numbers from abroad. Type each number with its country code, like +234 803 123 4567. Or, on the Guests step, choose the country most of your numbers belong to and type them as you would dial them there.
2. Set each event's time zone. Open an event in the Celebration step and press Change beside the time zone, or pick it from the list. The invitation then shows the time in words, like "2:00 pm (Lagos time)", and guests abroad see that same time.
3. Put travel on your website. With Tailored you build your own website: in the Website builder, Getting there has a Flying in starter, and Where to stay has Rooms we've reserved for you, with space for the booking code and the last day to book.
4. Send on WhatsApp or iMessage. Each guest gets their own message from your phone, wherever in the world they are.
5. Tell everyone about changes. Updates for your guests, in the Celebration step, puts a note at the top of every invitation, so a moved time reaches guests in every country.

The free plan covers 50 guests and two events. Bigger weddings need a package, from £65: Tailored, a one-off £65, covers 400 guests, every event and a website you build yourself, and Bespoke, £195, covers any number of guests. Our FAQ answers more, and the wedding page shows a sample invitation.

Questions people ask

How far in advance should you invite wedding guests who need a visa?

Send a save the date nine to twelve months ahead. GOV.UK says a UK Standard Visitor visa can be applied for at most three months before travel and a decision usually takes up to three weeks, so guests need to know the date and have any letter well before that window opens.

What should a wedding invitation letter for a visa include?

Many couples include who the guest is to them, the date and venue of the wedding, where the guest will stay and who is paying for travel and accommodation. GOV.UK's guide to supporting documents lists the evidence a sponsor should give if they are paying for any of the visit.

How do I write a Nigerian or Ghanaian phone number for WhatsApp?

Add the country code and drop the first zero: Nigeria is +234, so 0803 123 4567 becomes +234 803 123 4567; Ghana is +233, so 024 123 4567 becomes +233 24 123 4567.

Which time should a wedding invitation give guests abroad?

The local time at the venue, with the zone written beside it, such as 2:00 pm (Lagos time). Guests booking flights need the venue's time, and naming the zone stops anyone converting it the wrong way.