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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.
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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
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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

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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.
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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

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