United Kingdom · Visitor

Standard Visitor visa

Standard Visitor visa is issued by UK Visas and Immigration. VisaAI tracks 16 official requirements for it, each traced to the government page that states it.

Last verified against the official source on .

VisaAI is not a government body and does not issue visas. It cannot decide, predict or guarantee the outcome of an application, and this page is not legal or immigration advice.

Requirements change. Confirm every item on UK Visas and Immigration’s own page before you apply.

Conditions you must meet

  • Hold a passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay
  • Show that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit
  • Show that you can support yourself and your dependants during the tripGOV.UK accepts funding from someone else in place of your own money, and publishes no fixed threshold on this page.
  • Show that you can pay for your return or onward journey
  • Show that you will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
  • Do only the activities permitted for a Standard VisitorGOV.UK also states that as a Standard Visitor you cannot claim public funds (benefits), cannot live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits, and cannot marry, register a civil partnership or give notice of either — that needs a Marriage Visitor visa.
  • Stay no longer than 6 months, unless a longer stay is allowed in your circumstances

Documents you must provide

  • Passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay in the UK
  • Extra details some applicants must give, depending on circumstancesGOV.UK lists these under "depending on your circumstances, you might also need to provide": details of your travel history for the past 10 years; your employer's address and telephone number; your partner's name, date of birth and passport number; the name and address of anyone paying for your trip; the name, address and passport number of any family members you have in the UK. The page states no rule for which of these applies to whom, so VisaAI shows the list rather than guessing.
  • Tuberculosis (TB) test certificateGOV.UK ties this to a visit of more than 6 months.
  • Additional documents if you are visiting to study, as an academic, for a permitted paid engagement, or for medical reasonsGOV.UK states the additional documents exist but lists them on separate sub-pages that are not registered sources, so their contents are not extracted here.
  • Certified translations of documents not in English or Welsh

Steps in the process

  • Apply online before you travel, and book an appointment at a visa application centreThe UK publishes no application form number for this route — the application exists only as an online service. GOV.UK also states you can save the form and finish it later, that each family member needs their own application and fee, and that you can apply on behalf of a partner or child who cannot apply for themselves.
  • Give the required information in your online applicationGOV.UK lists: the dates you're planning to travel to the UK; where you'll be staying during your visit; how much you think your trip will cost; your current home address and how long you've lived there; your parents' names and dates of birth (if known); how much you earn in a year (if you have an income); details of any criminal, civil or immigration offences you may have committed.
  • Prove your identity and give biometrics at a visa application centreGOV.UK notes the visa application centre could be in another country, that your passport is returned the same day, and that the centre may keep some of your other documents while the application is processed.

Government fees

  • Standard Visitor visa application feeGOV.UK publishes six tiers. The short visit is GBP 135 for up to 6 months; medical-reasons and academic visits cost GBP 234; the long-term visitor visas cost GBP 506 (2 years), GBP 903 (5 years) and GBP 1,128 (10 years), each allowing a maximum stay of 6 months per visit. Each person applying pays their own fee, and there is no refund if a shorter visa is granted or the application is refused.

Official sources

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