What is proof of funds and accommodation for entry?

How the money and accommodation check works

This is an affordability and intent test rather than a tax on travel: the officer is asking whether the visit is paid for and whether the traveller has a settled reason to go home afterwards. The money and the bed are only part of that picture, and they sit alongside other requirements on the same route.

In the United Kingdom, a Standard Visitor must be able to show that they will leave the UK at the end of the visit, that they will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK their main home, and that they hold a passport or travel document valid for the whole stay. [1] In Canada, a visitor visa applicant must convince an immigration officer of ties — such as a job, home, financial assets or family — that will take them back to their home country, and must convince the officer that they will leave Canada at the end of the visit. [2]

What does the UK require from a Standard Visitor?

The UK requirement is expressed as an ability, not as a published sum. A Standard Visitor must be able to show that they are able to support themselves and their dependants during the trip, or that they have funding from someone else to support them, and that they are able to pay for the return or onward journey, or that someone else will pay for it. [1] The same page also confirms the onward-ticket side of the test separately: the visitor must leave the UK at the end of the visit. [1]

The check can happen even when no visa is needed. Visitors who do not need a visa must still meet the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements, and may be asked questions at the UK border about their eligibility and the activities they plan to do. [1] The route also has a priced application: as of 18 October 2026, a Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months, and the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. [1] Standard Visitor entry is usually for up to 6 months. [1]

What does Canada require from a visitor visa applicant?

Canada puts the money point in its list of basic requirements for a visitor visa: the applicant must have enough money for their stay. [2] The same list requires a valid travel document such as a passport, good health, and no criminal or immigration-related convictions. [2]

Accommodation is built into how the amount is judged. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says the amount of money needed depends on how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. [2] A host can also sit behind the paperwork: applicants may need a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada, and may also need a medical exam. [2]

Exceptions and limits

• Third-party funding. In the UK, the support and the journey cost can both come from someone else; the requirement is to show the funding exists, not that the visitor holds it personally. [1]
• Staying with people rather than in a hotel. In Canada, staying with friends or relatives is one of the two accommodation situations that shape how much money is required. [2]
• Visa-free does not mean document-free. The UK says visitors who do not need a visa must still meet the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements and may be questioned at the border. [1]
• Previous refusals and criminal records. The UK advises that people who have previously been refused entry to the UK, or who have a criminal record, may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa even if they do not need one. [1]
• Other grounds run alongside money. Canada can find a person inadmissible for security, health or financial reasons, so evidence of funds is not the only financial question an officer can raise. [2] The UK visitor also cannot claim public funds. [1]

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to show a set amount of money to enter the UK as a Standard Visitor?

The UK guidance sets out an ability to support yourself and your dependants during the trip, or to have funding from someone else, rather than a stated sum. [1] You must also be able to show you can pay for the return or onward journey, or that someone else will pay. [1]

Does it matter where I stay in Canada?

Yes. The amount of money you need depends on how long you will stay and whether you will stay in a hotel or with friends or relatives. [2]

Can a friend or relative pay for my trip or host me?

In the UK, funding from someone else can cover your support during the trip and your return or onward journey. [1] In Canada, you may need a letter of invitation from someone who lives in Canada. [2]

Can I be asked about money at the border if I do not need a visa?

In the UK, yes: visitors who do not need a visa must still meet the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements and may be asked questions at the UK border about their eligibility and planned activities. [1]

Related pages

Keep reading on the entry side of a trip: passport validity and the entry check, onward ticket requirement, entry permission types and digital arrival cards and entry forms. Browse the full glossary of frequent flyer terms.

Sources

Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Only the UK Standard Visitor route and the Canada visitor visa route are covered here; other countries' visitor and transit routes are not.

1. Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor: Overview (GOV.UK), checked 18 October 2026
2. Eligibility to apply for a visitor visa (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada), checked 18 October 2026