Visiting the UK as a foreign national requires careful planning to comply with UK immigration and border control rules. Whether you’re travelling for tourism, business, medical treatment, short-term study, or to visit family and friends, you must hold the correct visa (if required) and meet all entry conditions before travel. The rules apply both to visa nationals (who must apply in advance for a Visitor Visa) and non-visa nationals (who may be able to enter without a visa for short stays, subject to border control).

Visa Duration and Extension

• A standard visit under the Standard Visitor visa allows a stay of up to 6 months per visit.

• For those coming for private medical treatment, the stay may extend to up to 11 months.

• For academic visitors or researchers, stays may be granted for up to 12 months.

• If you visit regularly you may apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa valid for 2, 5 or 10 years — but each individual visit under that visa is still generally limited to 6 months.

• Extensions beyond the permitted stay are not normally allowed, except in very limited cases such as ongoing medical treatment or exceptional circumstances.

Eligibility Requirements

You must meet the following:

• Be travelling to the UK for a permitted purpose — tourism, visiting friends or family, short-term study, business meetings, private medical treatment, etc.

• Show that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit and you will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits.

• Have sufficient funds to cover your travel, accommodation and living costs for the duration of your trip and your return or onward journey – without recourse to public funds.

• Meet any visa-specific requirements, depending on your reason for visit (for example, if visiting for medical treatment or as an academic).

• Note: If you are a national of a country that requires a visa (a “visa national”), you must apply in advance. If you are a non-visa national, you may be able to enter without a visa for up to six months but still need to meet the visitor rules at the border.

Documents Required

You should prepare:

• A valid passport or travel document—with at least one blank page for the visa (if applicable).

• Evidence of your travel plans: dates, where you’ll stay and how much the trip will cost.

• Proof of your current home address, length of residence there, employment and income (if applicable).

• Depending on your situation: travel history, details of anyone paying for your trip, any family members in the UK.

• If documents are not in English or Welsh, you must submit a certified translation.

What You Can and Cannot Do

You can:

• Visit the UK for tourism, to see friends or family, attend business meetings, short-term study or receive private medical treatment (within the permitted stay) under the Standard Visitor visa.

You cannot:

• Use the Standard Visitor visa to work (paid or unpaid), make the UK your main home, stay longer than permitted, or switch into another visa category from within the UK.

• You cannot access public funds or rely on UK benefits during your stay.

• You must not stay longer than the period granted and must not attempt to live in the UK via frequent or successive visits.

Processing Times and Eligibility for Priority Service

• An application from outside the UK is usually decided within 3 weeks.

• Note: availability of priority or super-priority services may vary by country and centre

• If you are applying from inside the UK (in rare circumstances where this visa type applies), longer decision times may apply

Home Office fees

Tourist Visa