UK VISA

1. Overview

You can apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK:

• for leisure, eg on holiday or to see your family and friends
• for business, or to take part in sports or creative events
• for another reason, eg to receive private medical treatment

Check if you need this visa if you’re visiting from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.

You might not need a Standard Visitor visa if you qualify for British citizenship. Read the guidance on right of abode (ROA) to find out what you should do instead.

The Standard Visitor visa has replaced the:

• Family Visitor visa
• General Visitor visa
• Child Visitor visa
• Business Visitor visa, including visas for academics, doctors and dentists
• Sports Visitor visa
• Entertainer Visitor visa
• Prospective Entrepreneur visa
• Private Medical Treatment Visitor visa
• Approved Destination Status (ADS) visa

If you visit the UK on business

You can apply for a Standard Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK for business-related activities, eg:

• you’re coming to the UK for a conference, meeting or training
• you want to take part in a specific sports-related event
• you’re an artist, entertainer or musician and coming to the UK to perform
• you’re an academic and are doing research or accompanying students on a study abroad programme
• you’re a doctor or dentist and are coming to the UK to take a clinical attachment or observer post
• you want to take the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or sit the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
• you want to get funding to start, take over, join or run a business in the UK

Check the the Visitor Rules to find the full list of business-related activities you can do with a Standard Visitor visa.

What you can and can’t do

You can:

• take part in any of the business-related activities mentioned in the Visitor Rules
• study for up to 30 days, as long as it’s not the main reason for your visit
• take part in an exchange programme or educational visit (if you’re under 18)
• convert your civil partnership into a marriage

You can’t:

• do paid or unpaid work
• live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits
• get public funds
• marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership

How long it will take

You can apply for a visa up to 3 months before your date of travel to the UK.

You should get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.

How long you can stay

You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months.

You might be able to stay for longer if:

• you apply (and pay an extra fee) for a long-term visit visa and you can prove you need to visit the UK regularly over a longer period
• you’re coming to the UK for private medical treatment - up to 11 months
• you’re an academic on sabbatical and coming to the UK for research - you, your spouse or civil partner may be able to stay for up to 12 months

If you’re staying in the UK as an academic or to receive private medical treatment for longer than 6 months, you must apply for a biometric residence permit.

You might be able to get a visit visa for up to 30 days if you’re a visitor under the Approved Destination Status (ADS) Agreement.

Fees

A Standard Visit visa costs £85.

Long-term visit visas

If you can prove you need to visit the UK regularly over a longer period, you can apply for a visa that lasts 1, 2, 5 or 10 years. You can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.

There’s an extra fee to pay, which depends on the length of the visa:

• 1 year - £324
• 2 years - £324
• 5 years - £588
• 10 years - £737

If you’re under 18 years old when you apply, your long-term visit visa will only be valid for up to 6 months after you turn 18.

2. Eligibility

You must always show that:

• you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit
• you’re able to support yourself and any dependents for the duration of your trip
• you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey and any other costs relating to your visit
• any business or other activities you want to do in the UK, as allowed by theVisitor Rules

If you’re applying for a long-term visit visa

You must prove that:

• you have a frequent and ongoing need to come to the UK
• the reason why you need to come to the UK is unlikely to change while your visitor visa is valid
• you plan to leave the UK at the end of each visit

You may be given a visa for a shorter period than requested if you don’t do this. You won’t get a refund of the application fee if you get a shorter visa or your application is refused.

Your visa may be cancelled and you may get a long-term ban on visiting if your travel history shows you’re repeatedly living in the UK for extended periods.

If you’re applying as an academic

You can stay in the UK for 12 months if you’re applying as an academic. You must prove you’re highly qualified within your field of expertise, on sabbatical leave from your home institution and visiting to either:

• take part in a formal exchange with a UK counterpart
• carry out your own research
• take part in someone else’s research, teaching or clinical practice - as long as this doesn’t involve filling a permanent teaching post

If you’re applying to visit for private medical treatment

You must prove that you:

• have a medical condition that needs private consultation or treatment in the UK
• have made or paid for arrangements for consultations or treatment
• have enough money to pay for your treatment, support yourself without using public funds and pay for your return or onward journey
• will leave the UK once your treatment is completed, or when your visa expires
• are not a danger to public health if you’re suffering from an infectious disease, eg leprosy.

3. Documents you must provide

When you apply you’ll need to provide:

• a current passport or other valid travel identification
• one passport sized colour photograph

You need a page in your passport that’s blank on both sides for your visa.

You should also provide evidence that you can support yourself during your trip, eg bank statements or payslips from the last 6 months.

You’ll also need to provide a certified translation of any documents that aren’t in English or Welsh.

You might need to provide additional documents if you’re visiting the UK:

• for private medical treatment
• to apply as an organ donor
• as an academic on sabbatical and want to stay for 12 months
• as a prospective entrepreneur
• to take the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or sit the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)

Other information you’ll need

You’ll need to provide the following:

• the dates you’re planning to travel to the UK
• details of where you’ll be staying during your visit
• how much you think your trip will cost
• your current home address and how long you’ve lived there
• your parents’ names and dates of birth
• how much you earn in a year

You might also need:

• details of your travel history for the past 10 years (as shown in your passport)
• your employer’s address and telephone number
• your partner’s name, date of birth, and passport number
• the name and address of anyone paying for your trip
• the name, address and passport number of any family members you have in the UK
• details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences you have committed