Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to apply for a UK Standard Visitor visa
UK Standard Visitor visa is the entry permission that lets a visa national come to the United Kingdom for tourism, business, study on courses of up to six months and other permitted activities, usually for a stay of up to six months. It costs £135 for up to six months, and the earliest you can apply is three months before you travel. [1] [3]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- The route covers tourism, business visits, study on courses of up to six months and other permitted activities, and a visitor can usually stay in the UK for up to six months. [1]
- Not every traveller needs one: depending on nationality you either apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling, apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), or visit for up to six months without either. [1] [2]
- A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to six months. [1]
- Visitors cannot take paid or unpaid work with a UK company or work as a self-employed person, except through a permitted paid engagement or event, and cannot claim public funds. [1]
Do you need a UK Standard Visitor visa?
Nationality decides which of three outcomes applies. Some travellers must apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling; some need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which allows a visit of up to six months without a visa; and some can visit for up to six months without a visa or an ETA. [1] [4] Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa. [5]
Where no visa is required, the Standard Visitor eligibility rules still apply, and border staff may ask questions about eligibility and about what the visitor plans to do. [1] A traveller who has previously been refused entry to the UK, or who has a criminal record, may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa even when one is not required. [1] Travel from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man may be subject to different rules on what is needed to enter the UK. [1]
What can you do on a Standard Visitor visa?
The published list of permitted activities is wider than a simple holiday. Alongside tourism, family visits, certain business activities such as attending a meeting or an interview, study, a placement or an exam, and recreational courses of up to 30 days, visitors may volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity, take part in a school exchange programme, come for certain Erasmus+ placements, carry out a permitted paid engagement as an expert in their profession, travel as an academic, senior doctor or dentist, pass through the UK in transit, or visit for medical reasons. [1] [2]
| Allowed | Not allowed |
|---|---|
| Tourism, holidays and visiting family or friends [1] | Paid or unpaid work for a UK company, or self-employment, unless it is a permitted paid engagement or event [1] |
| Volunteering for up to 30 days with a registered charity [2] | Claiming public funds (benefits) [1] |
| Certain business activities, for example attending a meeting or an interview [1] | Living in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits [2] |
| A recreational course of up to 30 days, such as a dance course [2] | Marrying or registering a civil partnership, or giving notice of one — a Marriage Visitor visa is needed instead [1] |
What must a visitor show to be eligible?
A traveller needs a passport or travel document valid for the whole of the stay, and must be able to show that they will leave the UK at the end of the visit, that they can support themselves and any dependants during the trip (or have funding from someone else to do so), and that they can pay for a return or onward journey (or have funding for it). [3] They must also show they will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK their main home. [3] Extra eligibility requirements can apply to visits for study, a placement or an exam, to visits by academics, senior doctors or dentists, to Erasmus+ placements, to permitted paid engagements and to visits for medical reasons. [3]
How long can you stay and what does it cost?
A Standard Visitor can usually stay for up to six months, and may be able to apply to stay for longer in certain circumstances, for example to receive medical treatment. [1] Someone who visits the UK regularly can apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa instead of a visa for a single short visit. [1]
| Visa | Fee |
|---|---|
| Standard Visitor visa, up to 6 months | £135 [1] |
| Visitor in Transit visa | £74.50 [1] |
Passing through the UK to another country is possible on a Standard Visitor visa, but where transiting is the only reason for coming, a Visitor in Transit visa is the cheaper choice. [1]
How do you apply for a UK Standard Visitor visa?
Applications are made online before travelling, and the fee is paid as part of that process. [1] [5] The usual steps are:
- Check which route applies and whether the planned activities are allowed, using the GOV.UK checking tools. [1] [4]
- Gather the evidence: usually a valid passport or travel document, supporting documents, and certified translations of any document that is not in English or Welsh. [5] Further evidence may be required, such as a tuberculosis test result or evidence of English language ability. [5]
- Apply online, submit the evidence and pay the fee. [5]
- Provide biometrics — fingerprints and a photograph. [5]
- Wait for the decision, which usually takes between 3 and 12 weeks. [5]
Travel should not be booked before the decision arrives: UK Visas and Immigration will not reimburse travel costs or other expenses if an application is refused or takes longer than expected. [5] The earliest you can apply for a visit visa is three months before the planned travel date. [1] [5]
Exceptions and limits
- Longer stays. The six-month stay is not absolute: an extension may be possible in certain circumstances, such as medical treatment. [1]
- Transit-only trips. A traveller whose only reason for coming is to pass through the UK can apply for a Visitor in Transit visa at £74.50 instead of a Standard Visitor visa. [1]
- Marriage. Marrying, registering a civil partnership or giving notice of one falls outside the route, and a Marriage Visitor visa is required instead. [1]
- Nationals who need no visa. The Standard Visitor eligibility conditions continue to apply even where no visa or ETA is needed. [1] Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa. [5]
- Detailed rules. The Immigration Rules index, updated on 8 October 2026, includes Appendix V: Visitor, Appendix Visitor: Permitted Activities, the visa national list and the ETA national list, which carry the full rules behind the GOV.UK guidance. [6]
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a visa to visit the UK?
It depends on nationality: some visitors must apply for a Standard Visitor visa, some need an ETA, and some need neither. [1] GOV.UK's visa checking tool shows which option applies. [4]
How much does a UK Standard Visitor visa cost?
A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to six months. [1] A Visitor in Transit visa, for travellers whose only reason for coming is to pass through the UK, costs £74.50. [1]
How long can I stay in the UK as a Standard Visitor?
Usually up to six months, with the possibility of applying to stay longer in certain circumstances such as medical treatment. [1]
Can I work in the UK on a Standard Visitor visa?
Not for a UK company or as a self-employed person, whether the work is paid or unpaid, unless the trip is a permitted paid engagement or event. [1] Claiming public funds is also prohibited. [1]
How far in advance can I apply, and how long does a decision take?
The earliest application date for a visit visa is three months before travel, and a decision usually takes between 3 and 12 weeks. [1] [5]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers the UK Standard Visitor route as published by GOV.UK and the Home Office Immigration Rules index; other UK routes such as Student, Skilled Worker and family visas, and the visitor rules of other countries, are not covered.
- GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor, checked 18 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Standard Visitor visa overview page, checked 18 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Standard Visitor eligibility requirements, checked 18 October 2026
- GOV.UK: Check if you need a UK visa, checked 18 October 2026
- GOV.UK: How to apply for a visa to come to the UK, checked 18 October 2026
- Home Office: Immigration Rules index, including Appendix V: Visitor, checked 18 October 2026