How to visit the UK as a Standard Visitor

Who needs a UK visitor visa or ETA?

Nationality determines whether you must apply for a Standard Visitor visa before travelling, need an ETA instead, or can visit for up to six months without either. [1] An ETA allows a visit of up to six months without a visa. [1] Travellers should check whether they need a visa before applying. [1]

If you need a Standard Visitor visa, you must apply online before you travel to the UK. [1] The visa costs £135 for up to six months, and you can apply no earlier than three months before your trip. [1] People who visit the UK regularly can instead apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa. [1]

Passing through the UK to another country is possible on a Standard Visitor visa. [1] If transit is the only reason for coming to the UK, a Visitor in Transit visa is available for £74.50. [1]

What can you do as a Standard Visitor?

Tourism, holidays, visiting family or friends, volunteering for up to 30 days with a registered charity, transit to another country, and certain business activities such as attending a meeting or interview are allowed. [1] The route also covers school exchange programmes, Erasmus+ placements, recreational courses of up to 30 days, study courses of up to six months, placements and exams, and visits as an academic, senior doctor or dentist. [1] Visitors may also come for medical reasons or for certain paid engagements or events as an expert in their profession, such as giving lectures or performing. [1]

The route does not allow paid or unpaid work for a UK company or self-employed work, unless the visitor is doing a permitted paid engagement or event. [1] Visitors cannot claim public funds, live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits, or marry or register a civil partnership, including giving notice, on this route. [1] A Marriage Visitor visa is required for marriage or civil partnership. [1]

Additional eligibility requirements may apply when the purpose is study, a placement or exam, an academic or senior doctor or dentist visit, an Erasmus+ placement, a permitted paid engagement, or medical treatment. [1]

What documents do you need for UK entry?

The Standard Visitor eligibility rules require a passport or travel document, and it should be valid for the whole of your stay. [1] At border control, an identity document such as a passport or identity card is checked, and it should also be valid for the whole stay. [2]

You must be able to show that you will leave the UK at the end of the visit, that you can support yourself and any dependants during the trip or have funding from someone else, and that you can pay for the return or onward journey or have funding for it. [1] You must also show that you will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home. [1]

Depending on nationality, you may also need a visa or ETA to come into or travel through the UK. [2] Travellers can check which documents they need before departure. [2] If you have previously been refused entry to the UK or have a criminal record, you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa even if you do not otherwise need one. [1]

What happens at UK border control?

On arrival at a UK port or airport, your identity document is checked to make sure you are allowed to come into the country. [2] If you do not need a visa, you may still be asked questions at the border about your eligibility and the activities you plan to do. [1]

There are also customs declarations to make. [2] You must declare anything above your duty-free allowance, banned or restricted goods, goods you plan to sell, and more than €10,000 or its equivalent in cash if you are coming from outside the EU. [2] You and your baggage may be checked for anything that must be declared. [2]

Exceptions and limits

• Visitors can usually stay for up to six months, but may be able to apply to stay longer in certain circumstances, such as medical treatment. [1]
• The rules on what you need to enter the UK may be different if you are travelling from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. [1]
• A Standard Visitor cannot marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of either; a Marriage Visitor visa is needed instead. [1]
• Someone previously refused entry to the UK, or with a criminal record, may choose to apply for a Standard Visitor visa even if their nationality does not normally require one. [1]
• If transit is the only reason for the trip, the Visitor in Transit visa is the specific option rather than the Standard Visitor visa. [1]

Frequently asked questions

How much does a UK Standard Visitor visa cost?

As of 18 October 2026, it costs £135 for a visa for up to six months, while a Visitor in Transit visa costs £74.50. [1]

How early can you apply for a UK Standard Visitor visa?

You can apply online no earlier than three months before you travel to the UK. [1]

Can you work in the UK on a Standard Visitor visa?

No, paid or unpaid work for a UK company or self-employed work is not allowed, unless you are doing a permitted paid engagement or event. [1]

Can you study in the UK as a Standard Visitor?

Yes, study courses of up to six months are within the route, and study, placements and exams are listed as permitted activities. [1] Extra eligibility requirements may apply. [1]

Do you need a visa if you only transit through the UK?

You can pass through the UK to another country on a Standard Visitor visa; if transit is your only reason, you can apply for a Visitor in Transit visa instead. [1]

Related pages

Frequent flyer glossary · Travel loyalty terms · Points and miles glossary · Programme terminology

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. This page covers the UK Standard Visitor route and UK border control for visitors; other UK immigration routes are not covered.

1. GOV.UK: Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor, checked 18 October 2026
2. GOV.UK: Entering the UK, checked 18 October 2026