When can I visit Pentonville?
Booking, ID, first-visit waits, what to take, video calls, local rules, and how visiting actually works.
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Official facts for this prison
| Day | AM | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | – | 1:45–4:15 |
| Tue | – | 1:45–4:15 |
| Wed | – | 1:45–4:15 |
| Thu | – | 1:45–4:15 |
| Fri | – | 1:45–4:15 |
| Sat | 9:30–11:30 | 2–4 |
| Sun | – | 2:30–4:30 |
Source: GOV.UK · Last checked: 2026-07-06
Visit booking 0300 060 6504
Source: GOV.UK · Last checked: 2026-07-06
Booking line Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm
Source: GOV.UK · Last checked: 2026-07-06
Family services: the Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) charity
Source: GOV.UK · Last checked: 2026-07-06
Uses Prison Video
Source: GOV.UK · Pentonville Prison · Secure video calls · Last checked: September 2026
IMB: 55 applications about letters, visits and phones (2025–26)
Source: IMB annual report, HMP Pentonville, 2025–26 · Last checked: August 2026
Visiting someone in prison
- You must be on the prisoner’s visitor list before you can book.
- Getting on the visitor list can take up to 2 weeks. At least one visitor must be 18 or over.
- Bring acceptable photo ID. Expired ID is not accepted.
- If you get certain benefits you may be able to claim help with travel, overnight stay and meals.
- Each prison sets its own visiting times and local rules.
- You can email using Email a Prisoner (Unilink). Staff print the email and give it to them.
- Secure video calls use Prison Video or Purple Visits. Which app depends on the prison — check that prison’s GOV.UK page.
What families reported
“First visit took around 17 days.”
First visit · 2–3 weeks · 1w ago
“First visit after about 2 days.”
First visit · 2 days · 1w ago
“First visit took around 24 days.”
First visit · 3–4 weeks · 3w ago
“Some of our family member got removed from the visitor list including 11 Years old sister of the prisoner. This was utterly disappointing as nobody could tell us what was the reason behind it!”
Visit rules · 4w ago
“Four emails arrived together. Some were more than a week old. A letter posted on Tuesday arrived on Thursday.”
Email delivery · 8 days · 1mo ago
What to do next
What this actually means
Nobody can book a visit until the prisoner has added you to their visitor list. That list is a security process, not a reception desk favour.
First visits are often slower than later ones. Once you are approved, booking is usually the constraint — not the relationship.
Dress codes and ID rules are local and strictly applied. Read the prison’s own page the night before. Do not improvise.
Video calls are a visit, not a PIN phone. The Official page names Prison Video or Purple Visits. We only show an app when that prison’s GOV.UK page names it.
How visits actually workQuestions families ask
- One family has reported this at HMP Pentonville (17 days). Not enough reports yet for a typical wait. 3 family reports. Last report 21 October 2026. Reports vary. Official: Mon–Sun, times vary by day. You must be on their visitor list before you can book. IMB: 55 applications about letters, visits and phones, 2025–26. What people inside asked the board.
- First visits are often slower than later ones. The range above is what families typed in — not the booking diary.
- Photo ID, the Official dress list, and time to get through security. Open the first visit checklist for HMP Pentonville. Lockers usually need change. The visitor-list wait is a separate clock.
- Check Can I wear this? for hoodies, jeans, and trainers against the Official list where we have one. Staff can still refuse on the day.
- Mon–Sun, times vary by day. Open visiting times for the booking line and visitor centre.
- Use Email a Prisoner (Unilink). Staff print it and give it to them. How long that then takes is what families report.