Can I Apply for A UK Standard Visitor Visa?

For a holiday, family visit or business trip to the UK, some nationalities need a Standard Visitor Visa before they travel. Many others now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) instead. Below are the eligibility rules, permitted activities, documents and application steps.

What Is A Standard Visitor Visa?

The Standard Visitor route lets you come to the UK temporarily for tourism, visiting family or friends, certain business activities, short courses of study and other permitted activities. The rules are in Appendix V: Visitor and Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities of the Immigration Rules.

You can usually stay for up to 6 months per visit. You cannot work, claim public funds, or live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits. If you want to marry or give notice of marriage in the UK, you need a Marriage Visitor visa instead.

Who Needs It?

What you need depends on your nationality:

• Visa nationals (for example, nationals of India, China, Nigeria and Pakistan) must apply for a Standard Visitor visa before they travel.
• Non-visa nationals(for example, nationals of EU countries, the USA, Canada and Australia) do not need a visa for visits of up to 6 months, but most must get an ETA before travelling. An ETA costs £20, is usually decided within 3 working days, and lasts for 2 years or until your passport expires, whichever is sooner. You can make multiple visits while it is valid.
• British and Irish citizens, and people who already have permission to live, work or study in the UK, do not need an ETA.

Use the "Check if you need a UK visa" tool on GOV.UK to confirm. Whether you travel with a visa or an ETA, you must still meet the visitor requirements and may be questioned at the border. If you have previously been refused entry or have a criminal record, you may want to apply for a visa even if you do not need one.

Duration and Extensions

A standard visit visa allows stays of up to 6 months. If you visit regularly, you can apply for a long-term visit visa valid for 2, 5 or 10 years, but each stay must still not exceed 6 months. You may be given a shorter visa than you applied for, with no refund.

There are longer stays for some purposes: up to 11 months for private medical treatment and up to 12 months for eligible academics. Extensions from inside the UK are only possible in limited cases, such as continuing medical treatment, eligible academics, retaking the PLAB test, or where you were originally given less than 6 months (up to a total of 6 months). An extension application costs £1,172.

Basic Eligibility Requirements

You must show that you are a genuine visitor. In particular, you must be able to show that you:

• will leave the UK at the end of your visit;
• will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home;
• can support yourself and any dependants during the trip without working or claiming public funds (or have someone else funding you);
• can pay for your return or onward journey;
• will only do permitted activities.

Valid Passport or Travel Document

You need a passport or travel document that is valid for the whole of your stay in the UK.

Genuine Intention to Visit Temporarily

The decision maker will look at your circumstances as a whole, including your immigration history, the purpose of your trip and whether your plans are consistent with your finances and commitments at home. A clear explanation of why you are visiting, supported by evidence, is more persuasive than a large volume of documents.

Ability to Support Yourself Financially

There is no fixed minimum amount for visitors. You need to show that you can realistically pay for your trip, including accommodation, travel and living costs, without working or claiming public funds. The cost of the trip should make sense against your income and savings. A friend or relative can fund your visit, but they should show that they can afford to do so.

Arrangements for Accommodation

The application asks where you will stay. Evidence can include a hotel booking or a letter from the person you will stay with, confirming their address, their relationship to you and the dates of your stay. Avoid non-refundable bookings until you have your visa.

Assessing Your Intention to Leave The UK

Ties to Your Home Country

Evidence of your life at home helps show that you will return. It can include:

• Employment or study: a letter from your employer confirming your job, salary and approved leave, or a letter from your place of study;
• Family: evidence of close family who live with you or depend on you at home;
• Property and finances: property ownership, a tenancy, or ongoing financial commitments;
• Travel history: previous trips to the UK or elsewhere where you complied with the visa conditions.

Having family in the UK does not by itself count against you, but you should explain the purpose of the visit clearly.

Purposes of Visit Allowed

The main permitted activities are below. Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities has the full list.

Tourism and Leisure

You can come for a holiday, and you can take a recreational course (not English language training) of up to 30 days. You can volunteer for up to 30 days in total with a registered charity.

Visiting Family or Friends

You can visit family or friends. A letter from your host explaining the visit, their address and your relationship, together with evidence of their own immigration status in the UK, helps. If they are paying for your trip, include evidence that they can afford it.

Business Activities

If you are not paid by a UK-based organisation or client, you can, for example:

• attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars;
• negotiate and sign deals and contracts;
• attend trade fairs to promote your business (but not sell directly);
• carry out site visits and inspections;
• receive work-related training if you are employed overseas and the training is not available in your home country;
• deliver training or share knowledge on internal projects with UK employees of the company you work for overseas.

You cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person. Experts invited to do a permitted paid engagement, such as giving a lecture or acting as an examiner, can be paid, provided the engagement is completed within 30 days of arrival and the other requirements are met.

Short-term Study or Medical Treatment

You can study for up to 6 months at an accredited institution, including on an English language course. For English language courses of more than 6 months and up to 11 months you need a Short-term Study visa, and longer courses usually need a Student visa. Visitors can also do research relevant to an overseas degree, medical electives, sit exams such as PLAB or OSCE, and some other study-related activities.

You can visit for private medical treatment if you have arranged the treatment and can pay for it. You need a letter from your doctor or consultant confirming your condition, the likely cost and duration of treatment and where it will take place. Treatment lasting more than 6 months requires a visa regardless of nationality: a visa for up to 11 months costs £234.

Academics who are highly qualified (usually with a PhD) and employed by an overseas institution can come for up to 12 months to do research or a formal exchange. A 12-month academic visa costs £234.

Required Supporting Documents

The exact documents depend on your circumstances. You will usually need:

• your passport;
• evidence of your finances, such as bank statements and payslips, and evidence of any third-party funding;
• evidence of your employment or studies at home;
• details of your accommodation and travel plans;
• any evidence specific to your visit, such as an invitation letter, a letter from a UK business, or a doctor's letter;
• a tuberculosis test certificate if you are coming for more than 6 months from a country where the test is required.

The online form also asks for details such as your travel dates, where you will stay, the expected cost of the trip, your income and, in some cases, your travel history for the past 10 years. Documents not in English or Welsh need a certified translation.

Application Process Overview

1. Check whether you need a visa or an ETA using the tool on GOV.UK.
2. If you need a visa, apply online on GOV.UK. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
3. Pay the fee (see below).
4. Attend an appointment at a visa application centre to give your fingerprints and photo and provide your documents. You usually get your passport back on the same day.
5. Wait for a decision. Most decisions are made within 3 weeks. You may be able to pay for a faster decision in some countries.

You do not pay the Immigration Health Surcharge on a visit visa. You generally have no right of appeal against a visit visa refusal, so get the application right first time. You can reapply with better evidence.