Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Standard Visitor Visa - GOV
Standard Visitor Visa - GOV
StandardVisitorvisaGOV.UK
GOV.UK
StandardVisitorvisa
NOTES
1.Overview
YoucanapplyforaStandardVisitorvisaifyouwanttovisittheUK:
forleisure,egonholidayortoseeyourfamilyandfriends
forbusiness,ortotakepartinsportsorcreativeevents
foranotherreason,egtoreceiveprivatemedicaltreatment
CheckifyouneedthisvisaifyourevisitingfromoutsidetheEuropeanEconomicArea(EEA)orSwitzerland.
YoumightnotneedaStandardVisitorvisaifyouqualifyforBritishcitizenship.Readtheguidanceonrightofabode
(ROA)tofindoutwhatyoushoulddoinstead.
TheStandardVisitorvisahasreplacedthe:
FamilyVisitorvisa
GeneralVisitorvisa
ChildVisitorvisa
BusinessVisitorvisa,includingvisasforacademics,doctorsanddentists
SportsVisitorvisa
EntertainerVisitorvisa
ProspectiveEntrepreneurvisa
PrivateMedicalTreatmentVisitorvisa
ApprovedDestinationStatus(ADS)visa
IfyouvisittheUKonbusiness
YoucanapplyforaStandardVisitorvisaifyouwanttovisittheUKforbusinessrelatedactivities,eg:
yourecomingtotheUKforaconference,meetingortraining
youwanttotakepartinaspecificsportsrelatedevent
youreanartist,entertainerormusicianandcomingtotheUKtoperform
youreanacademicandaredoingresearchoraccompanyingstudentsonastudyabroadprogramme
youreadoctorordentistandarecomingtotheUKtotakeaclinicalattachmentorobserverpost
youwanttotaketheProfessionalandLinguisticAssessmentBoard(PLAB)testorsittheObjectiveStructuredClinical
Examination(OSCE)
youwanttogetfundingtostart,takeover,joinorrunabusinessintheUK
CheckthetheVisitorRulestofindthefulllistofbusinessrelatedactivitiesyoucandowithaStandardVisitorvisa.
Whatyoucanandcantdo
Youcan:
takepartinanyofthebusinessrelatedactivitiesmentionedintheVisitorRules
studyforupto30days,aslongasitsnotthemainreasonforyourvisit
takepartinanexchangeprogrammeoreducationalvisit(ifyoureunder18)
convertyourcivilpartnershipintoamarriage
Youcant:
dopaidorunpaidwork
liveintheUKforlongperiodsoftimethroughfrequentvisits
getpublicfunds
marryorregisteracivilpartnership,orgivenoticeofmarriageorcivilpartnership
ReadtheguidanceformoreinformationaboutwhatyoucanandcantdowithaStandardVisitorvisa.
Howlongitwilltake
Youcanapplyforavisaupto3monthsbeforeyourdateoftraveltotheUK.
Youshouldgetadecisiononyourvisawithin3weeks.
https://www.gov.uk/standardvisitorvisa/print
1/5
10/15/2015
StandardVisitorvisaGOV.UK
Checktheguideprocessingtimestofindouthowlonggettingavisamighttakeinthecountryyoureapplyingfrom.
Howlongyoucanstay
YoucanusuallystayintheUKforupto6months.
Youmightbeabletostayforlongerif:
youapply(andpayanextrafee)foralongtermvisitvisaandyoucanproveyouneedtovisittheUKregularlyovera
longerperiod
yourecomingtotheUKforprivatemedicaltreatmentupto11months
youreanacademiconsabbaticalandcomingtotheUKforresearchyou,yourspouseorcivilpartnermaybeabletostay
forupto12months
IfyourestayingintheUKasanacademicortoreceiveprivatemedicaltreatmentforlongerthan6months,youmustapply
forabiometricresidencepermit.
Youmightbeabletogetavisitvisaforupto30daysifyoureavisitorundertheApprovedDestinationStatus(ADS)Agreement.
Fees
AStandardVisitvisacosts85.
Longtermvisitvisas
IfyoucanproveyouneedtovisittheUKregularlyoveralongerperiod,youcanapplyforavisathatlasts1,2,5or10years.You
canstayforamaximumof6monthsoneachvisit.
Theresanextrafeetopay,whichdependsonthelengthofthevisa:
1year324
2years324
5years588
10years737
Ifyoureunder18yearsoldwhenyouapply,yourlongtermvisitvisawillonlybevalidforupto6monthsafteryouturn18.
2.Eligibility
Youmustalwaysshowthat:
youllleavetheUKattheendofyourvisit
youreabletosupportyourselfandanydependentsforthedurationofyourtrip
youreabletopayforyourreturnoronwardjourneyandanyothercostsrelatingtoyourvisit
anybusinessorotheractivitiesyouwanttodointheUK,asallowedbytheVisitorRules
Ifyoureapplyingforalongtermvisitvisa
Youmustprovethat:
youhaveafrequentandongoingneedtocometotheUK
thereasonwhyyouneedtocometotheUKisunlikelytochangewhileyourvisitorvisaisvalid
youplantoleavetheUKattheendofeachvisit
Youmaybegivenavisaforashorterperiodthanrequestedifyoudontdothis.Youwontgetarefundoftheapplicationfeeifyou
getashortervisaoryourapplicationisrefused.
Yourvisamaybecancelledandyoumaygetalongtermbanonvisitingifyourtravelhistoryshowsyourerepeatedly
livingintheUKforextendedperiods.
Ifyoureapplyingasanacademic
YoucanstayintheUKfor12monthsifyoureapplyingasanacademic.Youmustproveyourehighlyqualifiedwithinyourfieldof
expertise,onsabbaticalleavefromyourhomeinstitutionandvisitingtoeither:
takepartinaformalexchangewithaUKcounterpart
carryoutyourownresearch
takepartinsomeoneelsesresearch,teachingorclinicalpracticeaslongasthisdoesntinvolvefillingapermanent
https://www.gov.uk/standardvisitorvisa/print
2/5
10/15/2015
StandardVisitorvisaGOV.UK
teachingpost
Ifyoureapplyingtovisitforprivatemedicaltreatment
Youmustprovethatyou:
haveamedicalconditionthatneedsprivateconsultationortreatmentintheUK
havemadeorpaidforarrangementsforconsultationsortreatment
haveenoughmoneytopayforyourtreatment,supportyourselfwithoutusingpublicfundsandpayforyourreturnor
onwardjourney
willleavetheUKonceyourtreatmentiscompleted,orwhenyourvisaexpires
arenotadangertopublichealthifyouresufferingfromaninfectiousdisease,egleprosy
Ifyoureapplyingasanorgandonor
YoucanonlyvisittheUKtodonateorgansto:
afamilymemberwhoyouregeneticallyrelatedto(egyoursiblingorparent)
someoneyouhaveaclosepersonalrelationshipwith(egyourspouseorfriend)
YoumustprovethatthepersonyouredonatinganorgantoislegallyallowedtobeintheUK.
3.Documentsyoumustprovide
Whenyouapplyyoullneedtoprovide:
acurrentpassportorothervalidtravelidentification
onepassportsizedcolourphotograph
Youneedapageinyourpassportthatsblankonbothsidesforyourvisa.
Youshouldalsoprovideevidencethatyoucansupportyourselfduringyourtrip,egbankstatementsorpayslipsfromthelast6
months.
YoullalsoneedtoprovideacertifiedtranslationofanydocumentsthatarentinEnglishorWelsh.
Readtheguidanceforafulllistofsupportingdocumentsyoucanprovide.
YoumightneedtoprovideadditionaldocumentsifyourevisitingtheUK:
forprivatemedicaltreatment
toapplyasanorgandonor
asanacademiconsabbaticalandwanttostayfor12months
asaprospectiveentrepreneur
totaketheProfessionalandLinguisticAssessmentBoard(PLAB)testorsittheObjectiveStructuredClinicalExamination
(OSCE)
Wheretosendyourdocuments
Youllbetoldwheretosendyourdocumentswhenyouapply.
Anyoriginaldocumentsyousubmitaspartofyourapplicationwillbesentbacktoyou.
Otherinformationyoullneed
Youllneedtoprovidethefollowing:
thedatesyoureplanningtotraveltotheUK
detailsofwhereyoullbestayingduringyourvisit
howmuchyouthinkyourtripwillcost
yourcurrenthomeaddressandhowlongyouvelivedthere
yourparentsnamesanddatesofbirth
howmuchyouearninayear
Youmightalsoneed:
detailsofyourtravelhistoryforthepast10years(asshowninyourpassport)
youremployersaddressandtelephonenumber
yourpartnersname,dateofbirth,andpassportnumber
thenameandaddressofanyonepayingforyourtrip
thename,addressandpassportnumberofanyfamilymembersyouhaveintheUK
detailsofanycriminal,civilorimmigrationoffencesyouhavecommitted
https://www.gov.uk/standardvisitorvisa/print
3/5
10/15/2015
StandardVisitorvisaGOV.UK
4.Ifyou'reunder18
Youcanapplyforastandardvisitorvisaifyoureunder18and:
youvemadesuitablearrangementsforyourtravelandstayintheUK
youhaveconsentfromyourparentorguardiantotraveltotheUK
youreabletopayforyourreturnoronwardjourney
youhaveenoughmoneytosupportyourselfwithoutworkingorgettinghelpfrompublicfunds,oryouhavefamilyand
friendsthatcansupportyou
Travellingalone
YoucantraveltotheUKwithoutanadult(someoneovertheageof18).
Yourparentorguardianwillneedtoprovidetheir:
writtenconsentforyoutotraveltotheUK
fullcontactdetails
TheyllalsoneedtoprovideproofthatyouhavesomewheresuitabletoliveduringyourstayintheUK,including:
thenameanddateofbirthofthepersonthatyouwillbestayingwith
anaddresswhereyouwillbeliving
detailsofyourrelationshiptothepersonwhollbelookingafteryou
consentinwritingsotheycanlookafteryouduringyourstayintheUK
Travellingwithanadult
WhentravellingtotheUKwithanadult(someoneovertheageof18),youllneedtoidentifytheminyourvisaapplication.
Ifthepersonyouretravellingwithisntyourparent,youllneedtoprovidespecificinformationabouttheminyourapplication.
Theirnamewillappearonyourvisa,andyoullberefusedentrytotheUKifyouarriveintheUKwithoutthem.
Youcanidentifyupto2adultsinyourvisaapplication,andyourvisawillonlybevalidifyoutravelwithatleastoneofthem.
Theadultcanapplyforavisaatthesametime,butyoumusteachcompleteseparateapplications.
5.Apply
ApplyfromoutsidetheUKonline
Fillinthevisaapplicationformonline.
Youllneedtohaveyourfingerprintsandphotograph(knownasbiometricinformation)takenatavisaapplicationcentreaspartof
yourapplication.
Youmaybeabletogetyourvisafasterorotherservicesdependingonwhatcountryyoureincheckwithyourvisaapplication
centre.
ApplyfromwithintheUK
YoumightbeabletoextendyourvisaifyourealreadyintheUK.
ApplyfromNorthKorea
YoucantapplyonlineifyourefromNorthKorea.Youmustinstead:
downloadtheformandguidance
readtheinstructionsonhowtoapply
6.Extendyourvisa
YoumaybeabletoextendyourvisaaslongasthetotaltimeyouspendintheUKislessthan6monthsegifyouapplyfora3
monthvisa,youcanapplytoextenditfor3moremonths.
Readtheguidancetofindoutifyoucanextendyourvisa.
https://www.gov.uk/standardvisitorvisa/print
4/5
10/15/2015
StandardVisitorvisaGOV.UK
Youshouldapplybeforeyourcurrentvisaexpires.
IfyourereceivingprivatemedicaltreatmentintheUK
Youcanapplytoextendyourvisaforafurther6monthsifyou:
havepaidforanytreatmentyouvealreadyhadintheUK
canandwillpaythefurthercostsofyourtreatment
continuetomeettheeligibilityrequirements
YoumustalsogetamedicalpractitionerorNHSconsultantwhosregisteredintheUKtoprovide:
proofofarrangementsforyourprivatemedicalconsultationortreatment
alettersayinghowlongyourtreatmentislikelytotake
detailsoftheprogressofyourtreatment,ifitsalreadystarted
Eligibility
YoumustapplywhileyourestillintheUK.
Howtoextendyourvisa
Youcan:
downloadtheformandguidanceandapplybyposttheaddressisontheform
downloadtheformandapplyinpersonatapremiumservicecentre
Fees
Youmustpay:
649ifyouapplytoextendyourvisabypost
1,049ifyouapplyinperson
Howlongittakes
Adecisionwillbemade:
within8weeksforpostalapplications
usuallyonthesamedayifyouusethepremiumservice
Youllbecontactedifyourapplicationiscomplexandwilltakelonger,eg:
ifyoursupportingdocumentsneedtobeverified
ifyouneedtoattendaninterview
becauseofyourpersonalcircumstances(forexampleifyouhaveacriminalconviction)
OnceyouveappliedyoucanstayintheUKuntilyouvebeengivenadecision,aslongasyouappliedbeforeyourlastvisa
expired.
Lastupdated:5October2015
CrownCopyright
HelpusimproveGOV.UK
Dontincludepersonalorfinancialinformation,egyourNationalInsurancenumberorcreditcarddetails.
Whatyouweredoing
Whatwentwrong
Send
https://www.gov.uk/standardvisitorvisa/print
5/5