Upvote:3
Do we need to create five different accounts?
Yes, each applicant uses a separate account. Parents make them for their children, but only one set of evidence is required for the whole family.
Each and every person in the family pays the full fee. The fee must be paid from the applicant's own account at visa4UK. There is no facility to gang pay for a group unless you are a licensed tour operator.
You didn't ask, but this is a tip: Finish the primary's application first (assume the father) and write down the GWF number.
Then the secondary parent completes the application and puts the primary's GWF number in the remarks section.
Then the applications are completed for each child putting the parents' GWF numbers on their applications.
When all the applications are ready, submit them all in one go. This will maximize the chances of having the same biometrics appointment. If they schedule different biometric appointments for the children, you can come back here and ask a new question about what to do.
Per comments...
- age of the children is irrelevant. Even a newborn babe in arms has
to apply with their own passport and pay the full fee. The only dividing attribute is whether they are over 18 or not, and in that case they are 'adults' and 'children' does not apply to applicants over 18.
- nationality of the applicant is irrelevant when using the online
system. Yes, there are special carve-outs for Syrian nationals and
the like, but these are thought to be transitory and it's only 1 pop-up anyway. Americans who use
the online system see exactly the same screens as Indian nationals.
Nationality comes in to play at the risk assessment stage (after submission). Some
nationalities do not use the online system because they do not
require an entry clearance; they simply show up and use their passport, but that's a different story. Some nationalities have fee exemptions owing to treaties, but that's also a different story. Also, more and more Americans/Canadians are applying for entry clearance even though they do not need to (the laser embossing on an entry clearance is more impressive and shinier than the 'leave to enter' stamp used at the airport).
- See also:
How should a family with young children apply for UK visas?