The UK Standard Visitor visa — often called the UK visitor visa or tourist visa — is the primary route for people wishing to spend a short period in the UK. It covers a wide range of purposes, including tourism, visiting relatives or friends, certain business activities, short courses of study, and other approved reasons for travel. In most cases, this visa allows a stay of up to six months.
For applicants who travel to the UK on a regular basis, a long-term version of the Standard Visitor visa is also available, valid for 2, 5, or 10 years and permitting multiple entries. Even with a long-term visa, however, each individual visit is still capped at six months. Those coming specifically for approved business purposes apply through the same route, though this is generally referred to as a Business Visitor visa.
Before starting an application, it is worth checking on the Home Office website whether a visa is actually required for your trip, as nationals of certain countries can enter the UK for up to six months without one. At Migratia, we always suggest confirming this first, since it can save applicants unnecessary time and expense.
To qualify for a UK Visit visa, applicants must satisfy a number of eligibility conditions — for instance, showing a genuine intention to leave the UK once the visit ends, and demonstrating access to sufficient funds to cover the stay.
What Visitors Can and Cannot Do
Holders of a Standard Visitor visa may, for a period of up to six months, undertake activities such as:
- Tourism and holidays
- Getting married or forming a civil partnership (provided the couple intends to settle abroad afterwards)
- Visiting family or friends
- Volunteering with a registered UK charity for up to 30 days
- Transiting through the UK en route to another destination
- Attending certain business activities, such as meetings or interviews
- Taking part in a school exchange programme
- Short recreational courses of up to 30 days
- Studying, provided the course does not exceed six months
- Completing a work placement
- Sitting an exam
- Working in the UK in a professional capacity as an academic, senior doctor, or dentist
- Receiving medical treatment
What is not permitted under this visa includes:
- Undertaking paid or unpaid work
- Claiming public funds or benefits
- Settling in the UK through a pattern of repeated visits
- Marrying, entering a civil partnership, or giving notice of either (a Marriage Visitor visa is required for this)
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must satisfy the following core conditions:
- A genuine intention to leave the UK at the end of the visit
- Sufficient funds to support the stay, without needing to work or claim public funds
- The ability to fund onward travel
- No pattern of using visitor status to effectively live in the UK
- Compliance with general suitability rules — for example, no history of overstaying, no deception in earlier applications, no relevant criminal convictions, and no breach of immigration rules
Applicants coming to study, complete a placement, sit an exam, work as an academic or senior medical professional, or receive medical treatment may need to meet additional criteria specific to those categories. Migratia's guides on the short-term study visa, permitted paid engagement visa, and private medical treatment visa provide further detail on these routes.
Genuine intention to leave. Caseworkers assess this by looking at the stated purpose of the visit, prior immigration history, the frequency and length of past visits, and personal or economic ties to the applicant's home country.
Sufficient funds. There is no fixed minimum amount required. Instead, the Home Office weighs the likely cost of the trip — accommodation, food, and travel — against the funds available, alongside any existing financial commitments the applicant may have.
Not using the route to live in the UK. Caseworkers examine travel history, the stated reason for the visit, the length of the intended stay, how many times the applicant has visited in the past year (and for how long each time), the gap since the last visit, and whether more time has been spent in the UK than at home.
Supporting Documents
There is no single, universal checklist for a visitor visa application, since every applicant's circumstances differ. Documents exist to support the claims made in the application and to demonstrate that the requirements are met. At its core, the evidence submitted should establish three things:
- That the applicant is a genuine visitor coming for a permitted purpose
- That they have adequate funds and accommodation
- That they intend to leave the UK when the visit ends
Mandatory documents, required from every applicant:
- A valid passport or travel document with at least one blank page
- A completed online application form
- Payment of the visa fee
- Biometric information (fingerprints and photograph), taken at a visa application centre
Supporting documents, which vary by individual circumstances and generally fall under the following headings.
Purpose of Visit
Applicants should clearly set out why they are visiting and, where possible, back this up with evidence, such as:
- A travel itinerary or outline of planned activities (helpful, though not compulsory)
- An invitation letter from a host, if visiting family or friends
- Hotel or accommodation booking confirmations
- Registration or booking details for any event being attended
- A letter from a UK employer or host organisation, for business-related visits
- Evidence of any pre-arranged tours or excursions
Financial Evidence
Applicants must show they can afford the trip without needing to work or rely on public funds. Migratia advises that funds should be genuine, traceable, and consistent with the applicant's declared income, as caseworkers routinely scrutinise this for inconsistencies. Unexplained large deposits, or amounts that don't align with declared earnings, can raise concerns about the true source of funds. Useful evidence includes:
- Bank statements from the last three to six months, clearly showing the account holder's name, account number, and financial institution
- Recent payslips
- An employer's letter confirming job title, salary, and length of employment
- Evidence of savings, investments, or other assets
- Pension statements, where relevant
Where a third party is sponsoring the trip, additional evidence should confirm the sponsor's financial standing and willingness to provide support:
- A letter from the sponsor confirming they will cover travel, accommodation, and living costs
- The sponsor's own bank statements, showing sufficient funds
- Evidence of the relationship between applicant and sponsor
- Proof that the sponsor is lawfully resident in the UK (e.g., a British passport, biometric residence permit, or settled status document)
Ties to the Home Country
Demonstrating a genuine intention to return home is one of the most important elements of a successful application. Relevant evidence may include:
- An employer's letter confirming employment, salary, and approved leave
- Business registration documents or recent invoices, for self-employed applicants
- A letter from a university or college, for students
- Evidence of property or other assets held in the home country
- Evidence of family responsibilities, such as children's birth certificates
- Previous passports showing travel history and compliance with earlier visa conditions
Accommodation
Applicants should show where they intend to stay. This might be an invitation letter from a host confirming the arrangement and address, or a hotel booking confirmation.
Travel History
A solid record of previous international travel — particularly to the UK or other visa-required countries — helps demonstrate a track record of compliance with visa conditions. Copies of previous passports showing prior visas and entry stamps can support this.
Business Visitors
Those visiting for business should provide evidence specific to the activities planned. It's worth noting that business visitors cannot work for a UK employer or be paid from a UK source. Relevant documents include:
- A letter from the overseas employer confirming the applicant's role, the purpose of the trip, and continued employment on return
- Letters from the UK organisations being visited
- Details of meetings, conferences, trade fairs, or negotiations to be attended
- Evidence that costs are being covered by the overseas employer or host organisation
Extending a Visitor Visa
A Standard Visitor visa is designed for short stays, but it can sometimes be extended — up to a maximum of six months in total — if it was originally granted for a shorter period. Extensions beyond six months are only available in specific circumstances: for medical treatment, academic purposes, or for graduates who need to retake the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or complete a clinical attachment. The current fee for a visitor visa extension is £1,172.