Overview
You can come to the UK as a Standard Visitor:
- for tourism, for example on a holiday or to see your family and friends
- for certain business activities, for example attending a meeting
- to do a short course of study
- to take part in research or an exchange programme as an academic
- for medical reasons, for example to receive private medical treatment
You may not have to apply for a visa. What you need to do depends on your nationality and what you plan to do in the UK.
Check if you need to apply for a UK visa.
Your application will not be accepted and you will not get a refund if you have the right of abode in the UK (for example you’re a British citizen). You need to apply for a certificate of entitlement instead.
What you can and cannot do
You can visit the UK to do certain activities, for example visiting friends and family or attending a conference.
You cannot:
- do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person
- live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent visits
- claim public funds (benefits)
- do a course of study that lasts longer than 6 months
- marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership. You’ll need a Marriage Visitor visa instead
Read the guidance for more information about what you can and cannot do with a Standard Visitor visa.
Eligibility
You’ll need to prove that you meet the eligibility requirements, for example that you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit.
How long you can stay
You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months (£95 fee).
You might be able to stay for longer if:
- you’re coming to the UK for private medical treatment – up to 11 months (£190 fee)
- you’re an academic and meet the eligibility requirements – you, your spouse or partner and your children may be able to stay for up to 12 months (£190 fee)
If you’re staying in the UK for longer than 6 months, you must collect your biometric residence permit when you arrive. You may also have to take a tuberculosis test as part of your application depending on where you come from.
If you need to visit the UK regularly
You can apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa that lasts 2, 5 or 10 years if you need to visit the UK regularly over a longer period. You can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.
If you’re under 18 years old when you apply, your long-term Standard Visitor visa will only be valid for up to 6 months after you turn 18. You cannot get a refund on the fee.
When to apply and how long it takes
If you need a visa, you must apply online before you come to the UK.
As part of your application, you’ll need to book an appointment at a visa application centre to prove your identity and provide your documents.
Allow time to attend your appointment, as the visa application centre could be in another country.
The visa application centre may keep your passport and documents while processing your application.
The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
Getting a decision
Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
Find out how to get your visa decision faster – this depends on what country you’re in.
Fees
A Standard Visitor visa costs £95.
The fee for a long-term Standard Visitor visa depends on its length:
- 2 years – £361
- 5 years – £655
- 10 years – £822
Extending your stay as a visitor
You cannot switch from a Standard Visitor visa to another type of visa.
You can only extend your stay for specific reasons, for example needing further private medical treatment.
If you want a visa to do something other than visiting, for example work or longer-term study, you’ll need to leave the UK and make a new application.
Documents you’ll need
You must provide a passport or travel document. Your passport should be valid for the whole of your stay in the UK and contain a blank page for your visa.
You’ll be told what other documents and information to provide when you apply online.
You must provide certified translations of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.
You’ll need to provide the following information:
- 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 (if known)
- how much you earn in a year (if you have an income)
- details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences you may have committed
- You might also need to provide:
- details of your travel history for the past 10 years
- 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
Providing documents for certain activities
You must provide specific documents if you’re applying to visit the UK to:
- do research as part of an overseas study course
- have private medical treatment
- be an organ donor
- take the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or sit the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE)
Read the full list of supporting documents for more information.
The above information which is from the government website can be accessed in full here.