Standard Visitor Visa UK

Standard Visitor visa for tourism, business meetings, private medical treatment and family visits: 6-month stay, permitted activities and the 2025 ETA scheme.

Wesbridge Associates is an IAA-regulated UK immigration law firm. Our advisers support individuals, families and UK sponsors with skilled worker visas, sponsor licences, family routes, settlement (ILR), British citizenship, appeals and compliance — combining experienced legal advice with AI-powered self-service tools.

Reviewed by Wesbridge Associates' IAA-regulated immigration advisers. Last updated: July 2026.

The Standard Visitor visa is the main short-stay route for tourism, family visits, permitted business activities, private medical treatment and some limited study of up to 6 months. It does not allow paid work, access to public funds, or living in the UK through frequent successive visits. Wesbridge Associates prepares Standard Visitor applications, business-visitor evidence bundles and long-term visit visas for regular travellers.

Who qualifies

You must show the entry clearance officer that (a) you are a genuine visitor who will leave the UK at the end of your stay, (b) you will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home, (c) you have enough funds to cover your trip and any dependants without working or claiming public funds, and (d) your planned activities fall within the Permitted Activities list in Appendix V (tourism, visiting family and friends, attending meetings, conferences, interviews, negotiating contracts, giving up to 30 days of paid engagements in your area of expertise, receiving private medical treatment, or short courses of up to 6 months at an accredited institution). Nationals of visa-national countries must apply for entry clearance before travelling; non-visa-nationals (including EEA, US, Japanese, Australian and many others) can normally enter as visitors on arrival but from 2025 must obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).

Length of stay and long-term visit visas

A Standard Visitor visa is normally granted for up to 6 months per visit. Long-term Standard Visitor visas can be issued for 2, 5 or 10 years for people who visit the UK regularly (each stay still capped at 6 months per visit). Academics, senior doctors and dentists undertaking specified activities can be granted 12 months, and private medical patients can request an initial 11 months. Marriage and civil-partnership ceremonies require the separate Marriage Visitor visa — you cannot marry in the UK on a Standard Visitor visa.

How it works with Wesbridge

Step 1 — purpose and permitted-activity mapping: we identify the correct visa category (Standard Visitor, Marriage Visitor, Permitted Paid Engagements, Academic) and confirm your activities sit inside Appendix V. Step 2 — evidence pack: proof of finances, ties to home country (employment, property, family), travel history, invitation letters, itinerary, business correspondence and — where relevant — treatment plans or academic invitations. Step 3 — online application (£127 for 6-month single/multi-entry, £475 for 2-year, £848 for 5-year, £1,059 for 10-year) and biometrics at a Visa Application Centre. Step 4 — decision (standard 3 weeks; priority 5 working days, super-priority next-working-day where available). Step 5 — arrival: passport control officers can and do question visitors about their intentions — carry your evidence bundle in hand luggage, especially for repeat visits.

What you cannot do as a visitor

You cannot take employment (paid or unpaid, other than the specific Permitted Paid Engagements exemption of up to 30 days for invited experts), fill a role or take a work placement, set up or run a business, produce goods or provide services in the UK, marry or register a civil partnership, study for more than 6 months (or on courses not delivered by an accredited institution), access NHS non-emergency treatment, or claim public funds. Marrying, working or living permanently as a visitor is a serious immigration breach and normally leads to refusal of future applications.

Frequently asked questions

Can I marry my UK partner on a Standard Visitor visa?

No. Marrying or registering a civil partnership in the UK requires a Marriage Visitor visa (if you intend to leave after the ceremony) or a Fiancé(e) visa (if you intend to switch to a spouse visa and settle). Marrying on a Standard Visitor visa and then trying to switch in-country is refused as a matter of policy.

How long can I stay in the UK as a visitor over 12 months?

There is no fixed maximum, but the Home Office and border officers scrutinise anyone who spends more than about 6 months of a rolling 12-month period in the UK. Long-term visit visas do not change this — each visit is still capped at 6 months and the intention must remain to visit, not to live here.

Do I need an ETA if I don't need a visa?

From 2025 onward the Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme is being rolled out to all non-visa nationals, including EEA, US, Canadian, Australian and other passport holders. If you are a non-visa national you will need an ETA (currently £16, valid 2 years for multiple 6-month visits) instead of a visa. Visa nationals continue to apply for entry clearance.

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