UK visitor visas
Visit the UK for tourism, business, medical treatment, or to see family. Expert assistance with all types of UK visitor visa application.
- 6 months
- Maximum length of each visit
- £135
- Standard Visitor visa fee, from 8 April 2026
- 3 weeks
- Usual processing time
- Up to 10 years
- Long-term visitor visa validity
Types of visitor visa
Three routes cover most short visits to the UK.
Standard Visitor visa
Visit the UK for tourism, to see family and friends, for medical treatment, or for short-term business activities. Stay up to 6 months, including short courses and conferences.
Business Visitor
Come to the UK for permitted business activities: meetings and conferences, negotiating deals, site visits and inspections, training and fact-finding. No work for a UK company is allowed.
Fiancé(e) visa
Come to the UK to marry or enter into a civil partnership with your British or settled partner. Valid for 6 months, you must marry within the visa period, you can switch to a spouse visa in the UK, and children can come as dependants.
What a visitor visa allows
Permitted activities under the visitor rules.
Tourism
Enjoy holidays, sightseeing, and visiting tourist attractions throughout the UK.
Family visits
Spend time with family and friends who are UK residents or citizens.
Business activities
Attend meetings, conferences, and conduct permitted business activities.
Medical treatment
Receive private medical treatment at UK healthcare facilities.
Short courses
Take courses lasting up to 6 months, or 11 months for English language courses.
Academic activities
Attend conferences, seminars, and interviews as an academic visitor.
What you cannot do
The visitor rules are restrictive, and the limits matter.
- Work or undertake employment
- Study for extended periods (over 6 months)
- Access public funds or benefits
- Marry without appropriate visa
- Register a birth or death
- Remain in the UK beyond visa expiry
Overstaying carries a long ban
What you need to show
To apply for a UK visitor visa, you'll typically need to demonstrate:
Valid passport
A valid passport or travel document covering the period of your visit.
Proof of funds
Evidence that you can support yourself during your visit without working or accessing public funds.
Accommodation
Details of where you plan to stay, together with your travel itinerary.
Return travel
Return travel arrangements and evidence of your intention to leave the UK at the end of your visit.
Ties to home country
Evidence of business or family ties in your home country, such as employment, property or family commitments.
No intention to work
A genuine purpose of visit consistent with the permitted activities, and no intention to work in the UK.
Fees and processing
- Standard Visitor visa — up to 6 months
- £135
- Long-term visitor visa — 2 years
- £506
- Long-term visitor visa — 5 years
- £903
- Long-term visitor visa — 10 years
- £1,128
- Marriage Visitor visa
- £135
- Visitor in Transit visa (valid 48 hours)
- £74.50
- Direct Airside Transit visa
- £41.50
- Usual processing time
- 3 weeks
The fees above apply from 8 April 2026. You also pay for the visa application centre, biometric enrolment, and any priority services. There is no Immigration Health Surcharge for visitor visas, but you must have travel insurance.
How we help
A visitor application is decided on the evidence, so that is where the work goes.
- 1Step 1
Confirm the right route
We check your nationality, purpose of visit and planned activities against the visitor rules, so the application is made under the correct category.
- 2Step 2
Build the evidence
Financial documents, employment or business evidence, accommodation and itinerary, invitation letters and certified translations are assembled and checked for consistency.
- 3Step 3
Address the risk points
We deal with the reasons applications are refused — intention to leave the UK, ties to your home country and travel history — before the application is submitted.
- 4Step 4
Submit and follow up
The application is submitted with biometrics booked, and we track it through to decision.
- 1Step 1
Confirm the right route
We check your nationality, purpose of visit and planned activities against the visitor rules, so the application is made under the correct category.
- 2Step 2
Build the evidence
Financial documents, employment or business evidence, accommodation and itinerary, invitation letters and certified translations are assembled and checked for consistency.
- 3Step 3
Address the risk points
We deal with the reasons applications are refused — intention to leave the UK, ties to your home country and travel history — before the application is submitted.
- 4Step 4
Submit and follow up
The application is submitted with biometrics booked, and we track it through to decision.
Related
Other routes worth checking
Skilled Worker visa
You cannot work on a visitor visa. This is the main route into UK employment with a licensed sponsor.
Read moreApplication assistance
Preparation and submission of the application itself, with the evidence checked before it goes in.
Read moreDocument preparation
Assembling financial evidence, invitation letters and certified translations into a coherent bundle.
Read moreReady when you are
Ready to move forward?
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