How to Book a Prison Visit in the UK

The single most common mistake people make when trying to visit someone in prison is attempting to book a visit before being on the approved list. You cannot book a visit, online or by phone, until the prison has formally approved you as a visitor. This step is entirely controlled by the prisoner and cannot be initiated from outside.

The process works as follows. Your loved one must ask their Personal Officer or residential wing staff for a form to add a new visitor. They fill in your full name, date of birth, and home address and submit it to wing staff. The prison's security department then carries out checks, which may include a search against police databases and criminal records, before confirming approval. Once approved, you receive confirmation and in some cases a unique visitor identification number which you will need for online booking.

How long this takes varies considerably by prison and by category:

During this waiting period, letters are the best way to maintain contact. You can write to your loved one at any time at the prison address, all that is needed is their full name and prison number on the envelope. Email a Prisoner at emailaprisoner.com is another option, allowing messages to be printed and delivered to the cell, usually the next working day.

If the prison refuses to approve you as a visitor, they must give you written reasons. Common grounds for refusal include previous convictions for violence at a prison, intelligence suggesting you pose a security risk, or a past exclusion from another establishment. You can challenge the decision through the prison's formal complaints process, and if you believe the decision is unlawful, contact the Prisoners' Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003 for advice.

How to Book a Prison Visit: Step by Step

What to Bring to a Prison Visit

The rules on what to bring, and what to leave behind, are strict and non-negotiable. Arriving with prohibited items will result in refusal of entry and, in some cases, may jeopardise your loved one's visiting entitlement. Check the specific prison's visitor information page before your first visit, as rules vary.

What to Expect When You Arrive

For many people, particularly on a first visit, the arrival process at a prison is unexpectedly demanding. Understanding what will happen before you go makes the experience far less stressful.

The visitor centre
Most prisons have a visitor centre operated by a family support charity such as POPS (Partners of Prisoners), Pact (Prison Advice and Care Trust), or Nepacs. These are not part of the official prison security process, they are support services located near the entrance that provide a welcoming space before and after visits. Staff at the visitor centre can answer questions, help with first-time visitors, and provide a calmer environment if you are travelling with children. Visitor centres are usually open from at least 30 minutes before visiting sessions begin.

Checking in and ID verification
You check in at the prison reception by providing your name and booking confirmation. Staff will verify your identity against the approved visitor list and check your ID document. At some prisons, particularly newer ones such as HMP Fosse Way, biometrics (fingerprints) are taken on your first visit and stored for faster processing on subsequent visits. Have everything ready before you approach the desk, it speeds up processing for everyone.

Searching
All visitors are searched before entering the visits hall. This typically involves a pat-down search of your body and clothing, passing personal items through an X-ray scanner, and potentially being sniffed by a detection dog trained to identify drugs and other prohibited items. Children are also searched, though usually in a less intensive way. Declining a search will result in your visit being cancelled. The searching process is not personal, it applies equally to everyone.

The visits hall
Visits halls vary enormously between prisons. At older Victorian-era establishments, visits take place across fixed tables in a large room with limited comfort. At modern prisons like HMP Five Wells or HMP Fosse Way, visiting halls have soft furnishings, café facilities managed by catering companies, play areas for children, and a generally more welcoming environment. At Category A high-security prisons, the visits hall will typically have more physical separation between visitor and prisoner, closer supervision, and stricter rules about physical contact.

Physical contact during visits
The rules on physical contact during prison visits vary by prison and by the prisoner's security level. At most prisons, a brief hug and kiss at the start and end of a visit is permitted. Sustained physical contact beyond this is generally not allowed, and holding hands across the table may or may not be permitted depending on the establishment. At Category A prisons, physical contact is more restricted. If in doubt, ask a member of staff rather than risk having the visit terminated.

How Many Visits Can a Prisoner Receive?

The minimum visiting entitlement for sentenced adult prisoners in England and Wales is set by Prison Service Rules. However, the actual number of visits a prisoner can receive is also affected by their Incentives and Earned Privileges level.

As a minimum, sentenced prisoners are entitled to at least one social visit per month, typically two hours, in addition to any legal or official visits. In practice, most prisoners receive more than this. At Enhanced IEP level, visit entitlements are increased. The exact entitlements vary by prison, and governors have some discretion.

Remand prisoners, those awaiting trial or sentencing, generally have more flexibility around visits than sentenced prisoners. They are not subject to the IEP scheme in the same way and may be entitled to more frequent visits. In practice, the availability of visit slots at busy local prisons means the actual number of visits achievable can be constrained by capacity rather than entitlement.

If you fail to attend a booked visit without cancelling in advance, this is recorded as a no-show. Three no-shows within a set period can result in your booking rights being temporarily suspended. If you cannot attend a visit, cancel through the GOV.UK portal or by calling the prison's visits booking line as soon as you know — the sooner the better, as it allows the slot to be reallocated.

Children Visiting Prison

Children can and do visit prisons, and prison visits can be valuable for maintaining the parent-child relationship through a sentence. However, the experience of visiting a prison with a child requires specific preparation.

Children do not generally require their own photo ID, but they must be listed on the booking by name and date of birth. Under-18s must be accompanied by an adult who is also on the approved visitor list, children cannot attend a prison visit unaccompanied. At most prisons, children are subject to the same searching process as adults, though conducted in an age-appropriate way. Inform visiting staff in advance that you are bringing a child, particularly a young child, so they can advise on what to expect.

Most prisons make some provision for children in the visits hall: play areas, toys, or children's activities. At newer prisons the facilities are generally better. At some establishments, family-specific visits days are held periodically, providing a more relaxed and child-friendly environment than standard visits. These are worth enquiring about with the visitor centre charity at the prison.

For very young children and infants, you can usually bring nappies and formula or baby food, but check in advance with the specific prison, as what can be brought in varies. A changing table is available at most visitor centres. Pushchairs are generally not permitted in the visits hall and should be left in the locker area.

Video Calls as an Alternative

For families who live far from the prison, who have mobility difficulties, or who simply want to supplement in-person visits, video calls offer face-to-face contact without the travel cost and time involved in a physical visit. Most UK prisons now offer some form of video visiting.

The majority of HMPPS-managed prisons in England and Wales use the Prison Video service at prisonvideo.gov.uk. To use this, you need to register an account, and the prisoner must arrange the video call from inside the prison, you cannot initiate one yourself. Slots are typically available on weekday mornings and afternoons, with some weekend availability. Video visits are subject to the same visitor approval requirements as in-person visits.

Some privately managed prisons use different platforms. HMP Five Wells, HMP Millsike, and some other newer prisons use the Purple Visits app. Download the app before your first video visit, you will not be able to receive the call without it. Contact the prison's visits team for booking instructions at these establishments.

Video visits are a valuable supplement but do not count towards the in-person visiting entitlement in the same way at most prisons. They are worth setting up as a regular addition to physical visits, particularly for children who benefit from seeing a parent's face more frequently than an in-person visit allows.

The Assisted Prison Visits Scheme

Travelling to visit someone in prison can be expensive, particularly if the prison is far from home. The Assisted Prison Visits Scheme helps with these costs if you are on a qualifying benefit or hold an NHS low income certificate.

If you are unsure whether you qualify, it is always worth applying — the scheme covers a wide range of benefits and the application is straightforward. Many families are unaware the scheme exists and miss out on financial help they are entitled to. The Prisoners' Families Helpline on 0808 808 2003 can also advise on whether you are likely to qualify.

Booking Prison Visits in Scotland

Scottish prisons are managed by the Scottish Prison Service and do not use the England and Wales GOV.UK booking system. Each Scottish prison manages its own visiting arrangements independently. To book a visit to a Scottish prison, contact the individual prison directly, the number and visiting information are on each prison's page on the SPS website at sps.gov.uk.

The visitor approval process at Scottish prisons works broadly similarly to England and Wales, the prisoner must add you to their approved list first, after which you can arrange a visit. However, the specific timescales, the days and hours of visiting, and the process for booking differ between establishments. Contact the prison directly for current guidance.

One important difference for families of prisoners in Scotland is the phone call arrangement. Scottish prisoners receive 200 free call minutes per month from the Scottish Prison Service, after which calls cost 5p per minute for all UK numbers. This is considerably more generous than the HMPPS tariff in England and Wales, where there is no free allowance and calls to mobiles cost 5.50p per minute on weekdays.

Booking Prison Visits in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has three prisons, HMP Maghaberry, HMP Magilligan, and Hydebank Wood Secure College and Prison, all managed by the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) independently of both HMPPS and the Scottish Prison Service.Visits to Northern Ireland prisons are booked through the individual prison. You must first be on the prisoner's approved visitor list. The Northern Ireland Prison Service has its own online booking guidance at nidirect.gov.uk. For your first visit to a Northern Ireland prison, you must book by phone, once you have an official visitor identification number from that visit, subsequent bookings can be made online.

If Your Loved One Is Transferred to a Different Prison

If your loved one is moved to a different prison, your approval as a visitor does not automatically transfer. You will need to go through the approved list process again at the new establishment, which means another waiting period before you can visit. This is one of the most disruptive aspects of a prison transfer for families.

When a transfer happens, write to your loved one at the new address immediately. Include a request for them to add you to the new visitor list as soon as possible, and confirm your current full name, date of birth, and home address so they have the right information to hand when they complete the form. The sooner they submit it, the sooner the security check begins and the sooner you can visit.

The same principle applies to phone calls. Your loved one will need to resubmit your number to the new PIN list at the new establishment. Passing them a Prison Call virtual landline number rather than your mobile means that from the first approved call at the new prison, every minute costs 2.48p instead of 5.50p, saving over 55% with no additional action needed from either of you.

Staying in Touch Between Visits

Visits are the most meaningful form of contact, but the time between visits matters just as much. Several options help maintain connection during the gaps.

Phone calls
Phone calls from prison are charged to the prisoner's phone credit account at the current HMPPS rate, 5.50p per minute to UK mobiles on weekdays, or 2.48p per minute to a UK landline. A Prison Call virtual landline forwards calls from prison directly to your mobile at the cheaper rate, saving over 55% on every call. Plans start from £19.99 per month with no app needed and same-day number activation.

Letters
There is no limit on how many letters you can send, and a stamp is the only cost. Letters can cover everything that would take up valuable visit time, news from home, photos, updates on family events. Many prisoners find letters particularly meaningful because they can re-read them and keep them. Write to your loved one at the prison address, always including their full name and prison number on the envelope.

Email a Prisoner
The Email a Prisoner service at emailaprisoner.com lets you send messages for a small per-message fee, usually around 30 to 40 pence. Messages are printed and delivered to the cell the next working day. Photos can be attached at most prisons. Some prisoners can send typed replies through the same service. It is a cost-effective way to keep in regular contact on days when a phone call does not happen.

Video calls
As described above, video visits through Prison Video or Purple Visits provide face-to-face contact without the travel involved in a physical visit. They are especially valuable for children and for families who live a long distance from the prison.