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Apply for a Standard Visitor visa: step by step (https://www.gov.uk/apply-standard-visitor-
visa)

Standard Visitor visa

1. Overview
You can apply for a Standar d Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK:

for leisure, for example on holida y or to see your family and friends
for business, or t o take part in spor ts or creative events
for another r eason, for example t o receive private medical tr eatment

Check if you need this visa (https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa) if you’re from outside the European Economic
Area (EEA) (https://www.gov.uk/eu-eea) or Switzerland.

Your application will not be accepted a nd you will not get a r efund if you have the right of abode in the
UK (https://www.gov.uk/right-of-abode) (for example y ou’re a British citiz en). You need to apply for a
certificate of entitlement (https://www.gov.uk/right-of-abode/apply-for-a-certificate-of-entitlement) instead.

The Standar d Visitor visa has r eplaced the:

Family Visitor visa

General Visitor visa
Child Visitor visa
Business Visit or visa, including visas for academics, doct ors and dentists
Sports Visitor visa
Entertainer Visit or visa
Prospective Entrepreneur visa
Private Medical T reatment Visit or visa
Approved Destination Status ( ADS) visa

If you visit the UK on business

You can apply for a Standar d Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK for busines s-related activities, for
example:

you’re coming to the UK for a conf erence, meeting or tr aining

you want to take part in a specific spor ts-related event
you’re an artist, enter tainer or musician and coming t o the UK to perform
are an academic and ar e doing research or accompanying students on a study abr oad programme
you’re a doctor or dentist and ar e coming to the UK to take a clinical attachme nt or obser ver post
you want to take the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Boar d (PLAB) test or sit the Objectiv e
Structured Clinical Examination ( OSCE)
you want to get funding t o start, take over, join or run a business in the UK
Check the Visitor Rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor-rules) to
find the full list of business-r elated acti vities you can do with a Standar d Visitor visa.

What you can and cannot do

You can:

take part in any of the business-r elated activities mentioned in the Visitor Rules
(https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor-rules)
study for up t o 30 days (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/permitted-study-when-visiting-the-uk), as
long as it’s not the main r eason for y our visit
take part in an exchange programme or educational visit (if y ou’re under 18)
convert your civil par tnership int o a marriage (https://www.gov.uk/convert-civil-partnership)
pass through the UK in tr ansit (on your way to another countr y)

You cannot:

do paid or unpaid work

live in the UK for long periods of time th rough frequent visits
get public funds (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-funds--2)
marry or register a civil par tnership, or g ive notice of marriage or civil par tnership

Read the guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visit-guidance)for more information about what

you can and cannot do with a Standar d Visitor visa.

How long it will tak e

The earliest y ou can apply is 3 months before you travel.

Example You can apply fr om 16 Mar ch if you plan to travel on 15 June.

You should get a decision on y our visa within 3 weeks.

Check the guide processing times (https://www.gov.uk/visa-processing-times) to find out how long getting a visa
might take in the countr y you’re applying fr om.

How long you can stay

You can usually sta y in the UK for up t o 6 months.

You might be able t o stay for longer if:

you’re coming to the UK for priv ate medical treatment - up t o 11 months (£186 fee)
you’re an academic on sabbatical and coming t o the UK for r esearch - you, your spouse or civil par tner
may be able to stay for up to 12 months (£186 f ee)

If you’re staying in the UK as an academ ic or to receive private medical tr eatment for longer than 6
months, you must apply for a biometric r esidence permit (https://www.gov.uk/biometric-residence-permits).

You might be able t o get a visit visa for up to 30 days if you’re a visitor under the Approved Destination
Status (ADS) Agreement (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visit-guidance).
If you need to visit the UK r egularly
If you need to visit the UK r egularly over a longer period, y ou can apply for a long-term Standar d Visitor visa
that lasts 2, 5 or 10 y ears. You can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.

If you’re under 18 y ears old when y ou apply (https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/if-youre-under-18), your long-

term Standar d Visitor visa will only be v alid for up t o 6 months after y ou turn 18.

Fees
A Standard Visitor visa costs £93.

The fee for a long-term Standar d Visitor visa depends on its length:

2 years - £350
5 years - £636
10 years - £798

2. Eligibility
You must alwa ys show that:

you’ll leave the UK at the end of y our visit

you’re able to suppor t yourself and any dependents for the dur ation of your trip
you’re able to pay for your return or onw ard journey and any other costs r elating to your visit
you have proof of any business or othe r activities y ou want to do in the UK, as allowed by the Visitor
Rules (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/immigration-rules/immigration-rules-appendix-v-visitor-rules)

If you’re applying for a long-term Standar d Visitor visa

You must pr ove that:

you’ll only ever need to come to the UK to visit, for example t o go on holida y, see family or attend a
meeting
you plan to leave the UK at the end of e ach visit

You may be given a visa for a shor ter period than r equested if y ou do not do this. Y ou will not get a r efund of
the application f ee if you get a shor ter visa or y our application is r efused.

Your visa ma y be cancelled and y ou may get a long-term ban on visiting if y our travel history shows
you’re repeatedly living in the UK for ex tended periods.

If you’re applying as an academic

You can stay in the UK for 12 months if y ou’re applying as an academic. Y ou must pr ove you’re highly
qualified within y our field of exper tise, on sabbatical lea ve from your home institution and visiting t o either:

take part in a formal ex change with a UK counterpar t

carry out your own research
 take part in someone else ’s research, teaching or clinical pr actice - as long as this does not inv olve
filling a permanent teaching post

If you’re applying to visit for priv ate medical tr eatment

You must pr ove that you:

have a medical condition that needs priv ate consultation or tr eatment in the UK
have made or paid for arr angements fo r consultations or tr eatment
have enough mone y to pay for your treatment, suppor t yourself without using public funds and pa y for
your return or onwar d journey
will leave the UK once y our treatment is completed, or when y our visa expir es
are not a danger t o public health if y ou’re suffering from an infectious disease, such as lepr osy

If you’re applying as an or gan donor

You can only visit the UK t o donate or gans to:

a family member who y ou’re genetically r elated to (for example y our sibling or par ent)
someone y ou have a close personal r elationship with (for example y our spouse or friend)

You must pr ove that the person y ou’re donating an or gan to is legally allowed to be in the UK.

3. Documents you must provide

When you apply you’ll need to provide a current passpor t or other v alid travel identification.

You need a page in y our passpor t that’s blank on both sides for y our visa. Your passpor t must be v alid for
the whole of y our stay in the UK.

You’ll also need t o provide a cer tified translation of any documents that ar e not in English or W elsh.

Read the full list of suppor ting documents (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visitor-visa-guide-to-

supporting-documents) you can provide.

You might need t o provide additional documents if y ou’re visiting the UK:

for private medical tr eatment

to apply as an or gan donor
as an academic on sabbatical and want t o stay for 12 months
as a prospective entrepreneur
to take the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Boar d (PLAB) test or sit the Objectiv e Structured
Clinical Examination ( OSCE)
in transit (https://www.gov.uk/transit-visa) to a countr y outside the UK, Ir eland, Isle of Man and the Channel
Islands

Where to send your documents

You’ll be told where to send your docum ents when you apply (https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/apply).

Any original documents y ou submit as part of your application will be sent back t o you.
Other information y ou’ll need
You’ll need to provide the following:

the dates y ou’re planning t o travel to the UK

details of wher e you’ll be staying during your visit
how much y ou think your trip will cost
your current home addr ess and how lon g you’ve lived there
your parents’ names and dates of bir th
how much y ou earn in a y ear

You might also need:

details of y our travel history for the past 10 y ears (as shown in y our passpor t)
your employer’s address and telephone number
your partner’s name, date of bir th, and passpor t number
the name and addr ess of anyone paying for your trip
the name, addr ess and passpor t number of any family members y ou have in the UK
details of any criminal, civil or immigr ation offences you have committed

4. If you're under 18
You can apply for a standar d visitor visa if you’re under 18 and:

you’ve made suitable arr angements for your travel and stay in the UK
you have consent fr om your parent or guardian to travel to the UK
you’re able to pay for your return or onw ard journey
you have enough mone y to suppor t yourself without working or getting help fr om public funds, or y ou
have family and friends that can suppor t you

Travelling alone
You can travel to the UK without an adult (someone o ver the age of 18).

Your parent or guar dian will need t o provide their:

written consent for y ou to travel to the UK

full contact details

They’ll also need t o provide proof that you have somewher e suitable t o live during your stay in the UK,
including:

the name and date of bir th of the person that y ou will be sta ying with
an address where you will be living
details of y our relationship t o the person who ’ll be looking after y ou
consent in writing so the y can look afte r you during y our stay in the UK

Travelling with an adult

When travelling to the UK with an adult (someone o ver the age of 18), y ou’ll need to identify them in y our
visa application.
If the person y ou’re travelling with is no t your parent, you’ll need to provide specific information about them
in your application.

Their name will appear on y our visa, an d you’ll be refused entr y to the UK if y ou arrive in the UK without
them.

You can identify up t o 2 adults in y our visa application, and y our visa will only be v alid if you travel with at
least one of them.

The adult can apply for a visa at the same time, but y ou must each complete separ ate applications.

5. Apply

Apply from outside the UK online

You must apply online. As par t of your online application, y ou need to book an appointment at a visa
application centr e (https://www.gov.uk/find-a-visa-application-centre). You’ll have your fingerprints and phot ograph
(known as ‘biometric information ’) taken at your appointment.

You may be able to get your visa faster or other ser vices depending on what countr y you’re in - check with
your visa application centr e.

Apply now (https://visas-immigration.service.gov.uk/apply-visa-type/visit)

Apply from within the UK

You might be able t o extend your visa (https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/extend-your-visa) if you’re already
in the UK.

Apply from North Korea

You cannot apply online if y ou’re from North Korea. You must instead:

download the form (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-for-uk-visa-to-visit-or-for-short-term-

stay-form-vaf1a) and guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-applying-for-uk-visa-to-
visit-or-for-short-term-stay)
read the instructions (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea-apply-
for-a-uk-visa) on how to apply

6. Extend your visa

You may be able to extend your visa as long as the t otal time you spend in the UK is less than 6 months. F or
example if y ou apply for a 3 month visa , you can apply t o extend it for 3 mor e months.

Read the guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/visit-guidance)to find out if y ou can extend y our

visa.

You should apply befor e your current visa expir es.

If you’re receiving private medical tr eatment in the UK

You can apply t o extend your visa for a fur ther 6 months if y ou:

have paid for any tr eatment you’ve already had in the UK

can and will pa y the fur ther costs of y our treatment
continue to meet the eligibility requirements (https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor-visa/eligibility)

You must also get a medical pr actitioner or NHS consultant who ’s registered in the UK t o provide:

proof of arrangements for y our private medical consultation or tr eatment

a letter saying how long y our treatment is likely to take
details of the pr ogress of your treatment, if it’s already star ted

Eligibility
You must apply while y ou’re still in the U K.

How to extend your visa

You can:

download the form and guidance (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/application-to-extend-stay-in-

the-uk-flrir) and apply b y post - the addr ess is on th e form
download the form and apply in person at a premium ser vice centre (https://www.gov.uk/ukvi-premium-
service-centres)

Fees
You must pa y:

£993 if you apply to extend your visa by post

£1,603 if you apply in person

How long it tak es

A decision will be made:

within 8 weeks for postal applications

usually on the same da y if you use the pr emium ser vice

You’ll be contacted if y our application is complex and will tak e longer, eg:

if your suppor ting documents need t o be verified

if you need to attend an inter view
because of y our personal cir cumstances (for example if y ou have a criminal conviction)

Once you’ve applied y ou can stay in the UK until y ou’ve been given a decision, as long as y ou applied
before your last visa expir ed.