How do I qualify to travel to the UK as a visitor?

You must be able to show that:
» You want to visit the UK for no more than six months
» You intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit, and
» You have enough money to support yourself and live in the UK without working or needing any help from public funds.

What is a visa?

A visa is a certificate that is put into your passport or travel document at a British mission overseas. The visa gives you permission to enter the UK.
If you have a valid UK visa we will not normally refuse you entry to the UK unless your circumstances have changed, or you gave false information, or did not tell us important facts when you applied for your visa.
When you arrive in the UK, an Immigration Officer may ask you questions, so take all relevant documents in your hand luggage.

Do I need a visa to visit the UK?

You will need a visa if you:
» Are a national of one of the countries listed at the end of this guidance
» Are stateless (you do not have a nationality)
» Hold a non-national travel document (a travel document which does not give you the nationality of the country that issued it), or
» Hold a passport issued by an authority that is not recognised in the UK.

How long will my visa be valid for?

With a visit visa you can usually enter and leave the UK any number of times while it is still valid. The ECO may occasionally limit a visa so it is valid for only one entry. You cannot stay for longer than six months on each visit. Visit visas can be valid for 6 months, one year, two years, five years or ten years. You can apply for a visa valid for any of these periods. The ECO may decide to make your visa valid for a shorter time than you have asked for, for example if are not a regular traveller or have never visited the UK before.

How do I apply for a visa?

You will need to fill in a visa application form (VAF1 – non-settlement). You can download the form from this website, or get one free of charge from your nearest British mission overseas where there is a visa section.
You can apply for a visit visa at any full service visa-issuing office. For all other types of visa, you should apply in the country of which you are a national or where you legally live.
You can apply in a number of ways, for example by post, by courier, in person and online. The visa section will tell you about the ways in which you can apply.

What do I need to make my application?

You will need the following.
» Which you have filled in correctly.
» Your passport or travel document.
» A recent passport-sized (45mm x 35mm), colour photograph of yourself. This should be:
»» Taken against a light coloured background
»» Clear and of good quality, and not framed or backed
»» Printed on normal photographic paper, and
»» Full face and without sunglasses, hat or other head covering unless you wear this for cultural or religious reasons.
» The visa fee. This cannot be refunded, and you must normally pay it in the local currency of the country where you are applying.
» Any supporting documents.

What supporting documents should I include with my application?

You should include all the documents you can to show that you qualify for entry to the UK as a visitor. If you do not, we may refuse your application.
As a guide, you should include:
» Bank statements, payslips, or some other evidence to show that you can pay for the trip and that you have enough money to support yourself and any dependants without working or getting any help from public funds, and
» Evidence that you intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit (for example, a letter from your employer).
If you are visiting family or friends you will need:
» A letter from your sponsor (the person you are visiting) explaining your relationship with them and the purpose of your visit.
If your sponsor will be supporting you during your visit, or paying for the cost of the visit, you will need:
» Payslips, bank statements, or some other evidence to show that they have enough money to support you.
We will refuse your application if we find that any documents are forged.

What will happen when I make my application?

The Entry Clearance Officer will try to make a decision using your application form and the supporting documents you have provided. If this is not possible, they will need to interview you.
Please check your visa when you get it. You should make sure that:
» Your personal details are correct
» It correctly states the purpose for which you want to come to the UK, and
» It is valid for the date on which you want to travel. (You can ask for it to be post-dated for up to three months if you do not plan to travel immediately.)
If you think there is anything wrong with your visa, contact the visa section immediately.

Can I appeal if you refuse my visit visa?

If we refuse you a visa to visit a close relative, you can appeal against our decision.
The Entry Clearance Officer will tell you if you can appeal.

What are public funds?

Under the Immigration Rules, if you want to travel to the UK as a visitor you must be able to support yourself and live without claiming certain state benefits.

Can I carry out any business during my visit?

As a visitor, you can:
» Go to meetings and trade fairs, buy goods, and negotiate and complete contracts with UK businesses
» Go to conferences and seminars as a delegate
» Find out about, check the details of or examine goods, and
» Get training as long as it is classroom-based instruction or limited to observation only.
In limited circumstances you can also enter the UK as a visitor if you are:
» Delivering goods from abroad
» A representative of a foreign company coming to service, repair or install their products
» An adviser, consultant, trainer or other kind of specialist who is employed abroad either directly or under contract by the same company or group of companies
» A guest speaker or expert speaker at a conference or seminar or you are running a conference or seminar for no more than five days, or
» A sportsperson or entertainer for trials or auditions, or personal appearances that do not involve performances.
You cannot:
» Take paid or unpaid work
» Produce goods or provide services in the UK, or
» Sell goods and services to members of the public.
If a UK company has invited you to visit the UK you should provide a letter from the company explaining what you will be doing and the purpose of the trip. If your company or the UK company is paying for the trip this should also be confirmed in the letter.
Whether you are visiting the UK for business or social reasons, you can only stay for a maximum of six months. If you often visit the UK, you can apply for a visa that is valid for one, two, five or ten years. You can then visit the UK as often as you like while your visa is still valid, but you can only stay for up to six months on each visit.

Can I study in the UK?

As a visitor, you can study during your stay. You can only apply to stay longer than six months if you are accepted on a course of study at degree level or above, or you entered the UK with a student or prospective student visa.

Can I get married in the UK?

If either you or your future husband or wife are not EEA (European Economic Area) or Swiss nationals, you can visit the UK together to get married, as long as you intend to leave the country within six months.
» Everyone coming to the UK to get married (except EEA and Swiss nationals) must get a ‘visit for marriage’ entry clearance or visa.
» You can get married in any in any location licensed for the purpose of marriage, but you will need to give official notice of your marriage at a designated register office.

Can I get medical treatment in the UK?

You can apply for a visit visa to travel to the UK for private medical treatment. You must be able to show that you:
» Have made suitable arrangements for the necessary consultation or treatment
» Have enough money to pay for the treatment
» Have enough money to support yourself and live without working or getting any help from public funds while you are in the UK, and
» Intend to leave the UK at the end of your treatment.
We may also ask you to provide the following.
» A doctor’s letter giving details of your medical condition and the treatment you need.
» Confirmation that you have made suitable arrangements for the consultation or treatment and how long the treatment will last.
» Evidence that you can afford to pay for the consultation and treatment. We may also ask you to give an undertaking (in other words, a formal agreement) that you will pay for the consultation and treatment.

Can I stay more than six months for medical treatment?

If you need to stay longer than six months to complete your medical treatment you can apply to the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to extend your stay, once you are in the UK. Their contact details are at the end of this guidance.
You are not allowed to enter or stay in the UK to receive treatment on the National Health Service (NHS). You must make sure that you have enough medical insurance for the whole of your stay.

Does the UK have any health-care arrangements with my country?

The UK has health-care arrangements with a number of foreign governments so that their nationals can be referred to the UK for free hospital treatment under the NHS. You can get information about these arrangements from the Department of Health website (www.doh.gov.uk), or from your nearest British mission overseas with a visa service.

Do I need a visa if I am passing through the UK on my way to another country?

If you are a visa national you will need a visa to enter the UK even if you are passing through the UK on your way to another country (known as ‘in transit’). Use the "Do I need a UK visa?" questionnaire on the website to find out more.
If you will be staying in the UK for less than 48 hours before you continue your journey, you will need to obtain a ‘visitor in transit’ visa. If you want to stay in the UK for longer than 48 hours you will need to apply for a visit visa.
An Immigration Officer may decide to let you travel through the UK without holding a ‘visitor in transit’ visa. This is known as the ‘transit without visa concession’ (TWOV).
If you are a visa national transiting the UK by sea and land on your way to Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man you will need a visit visa for the UK.
If you are a visa national transiting the UK by sea and land on your way from Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man to another country you will need a visitor in transit or a visit visa for the UK.

Do I qualify for the TWOV concession?

To qualify you must:
» Arrive on a cruise ship and leave on the same ship within 24 hours
» Arrive and leave by air within 24 hours, and have no intention of staying in the UK (you can travel by rail or road between two airports), or
» Hold a confirmed booking on a flight or ship that will leave within 24 hours of your arrival in the UK.
You must also:
» Have the documents you need to enter the country you are travelling to, and
» Have the documents you need for any other country that you may pass through on your journey.

Are any nationalities excluded from the TWOV concession?

This concession does not apply to certain visa nationals who must have a visa to pass through the UK on their way to another country, even if they are not entering the UK or changing airports. This is known as a ‘direct airside transit’ visa (DATV). If you are a national of one of the countries in the link below, you will need to have a valid UK DATV:
Direct Airside Transit Visa (DATV) Nationals
If you have a DATV, you will not be able to pass through UK immigration control. You will not usually be allowed to stay in the UK overnight to wait for a connection to continue your journey.
If you are a direct airside transit (DAT) national and passing through the UK on your way to or from the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, you need a visit visa for the UK, unless you are exempt from the DAT requirement.

How do I apply for a ‘visitor in transit’ visa?

If you want to apply for a 'visitor in transit' visa, you must be able to show that you:
» Have the necessary visa for the country you are travelling to
» Are travelling to a country outside the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Irish Republic
» Can and intend to go straight to another country
» Will be allowed to entry to another country, and
» Meet the Immigration Rules as a visitor.

Can I use my ‘visitor in transit’ visa more than once?

Your ‘visitor in transit’ visa will usually be valid for six months. You can use it to travel through the UK as many times as you like during that time, as long as your passport and visa for the country that you are travelling to will still be valid after the transit visa runs out. The visa will only be valid for entry to the UK if you meet these conditions each time you travel through the UK.

How do I apply for a ‘direct airside transit’ visa?

If you want to apply for a DATV you will need to show that you:
» Have booked an onward ticket from the UK for travel within 24 hours of your arrival
» Will not need to change airport in the UK
» Have all the correct documents you will need to be allowed to enter the country you are travelling to, and
» Will not need to pass through the UK’s immigration control.
You can use your DATV as many times as you like while it is valid.