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.
Each requirement below is written in plain English by VisaAI. The indented text beneath it is quoted from UK Visas and Immigration’s own page, so you can check what we say against what they say. Where a quotation shows “ ... ”, text has been left out.
Conditions you must meet
- Hold a passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay
You must have a passport or travel document to enter the UK. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.
- Show that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit
You must be able to show that: you’ll 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.
you’re able to support yourself and your dependants during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you)
- Show that you can pay for your return or onward journey
you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else to pay for the journey)
- Show that you will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
you’ll not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home
- 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.
You cannot: do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless you’re doing a permitted paid engagement or event
- Stay no longer than 6 months, unless a longer stay is allowed in your circumstances
You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months. You might be able to apply to stay for longer in certain circumstances, for example to get medical treatment.
Documents you must provide
- Passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay in the UK
You must have a passport or travel document that is 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.
Depending on your circumstances, you might also need to provide: details of your travel history for the past 10 years
- Tuberculosis (TB) test certificateGOV.UK ties this to a visit of more than 6 months.
a certificate proving that you’ve had a tuberculosis (TB) test if you’re visiting for 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.
You need to provide additional documents if you’re visiting the UK: to study ... as an academic ... for certain paid engagements or events (a ‘permitted paid engagement’ ... for medical reasons
- Certified translations of documents not in English or Welsh
You must provide certified translations of any documents that are 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.
If you need a Standard Visitor visa, you must apply online before you travel to the UK and attend an appointment at a visa application centre. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
- 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.
You’ll need to provide the following information in your online application: the dates you’re planning to travel to the UK
- 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.
At your appointment, you’ll need to: prove your identity with your passport or travel document ... have your fingerprints and a photo (biometric information) taken ... provide the required documents that show you’re eligible for a Standard Visitor visa
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.
Fee Maximum length of stay Standard Visitor visa £135 6 months Standard Visitor visa for medical reasons £234 11 months Standard Visitor visa for academics £234 12 months 2 year long-term Standard Visitor visa £506 6 months per visit 5 year long-term Standard Visitor visa £903 6 months per visit 10 year long-term Standard Visitor visa £1,128 6 months per visit
Official sources
- How to apply — How to apply, UK Visas and Immigration
- Online application on the UKVI visa service (no paper form identifier is published on the official guide) — Official form, UK Visas and Immigration
- Official page — Official page, UK Visas and Immigration