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London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

The Olympic Rings displayed at London St Pancras station

Coming to the Games as a spectator

This page explains what you need to do if you want to visit the UK to watch the London 2012 Olympic or Paralympic Games.

You might need to get a visa before you travel. To find out whether you need a visa, and how to apply for one, see our Visiting the UK section.

Our standard for processing visitor visas is 15 working days, but you can apply for a visa from 1 January 2012.

If you travel into Heathrow airport during Games time, you might notice that we have set up dedicated Olympic lanes for athletes, coaches, officials and accredited media (known as 'Games family members'). You should pass through the border in the normal way or, if you are a UK or EU/EEA citizens with a 'chipped' passport, using the e-Passport gates.

To find out what you can and cannot bring into the UK, see the Customs section.