Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor
Apply for a Standard Visitor visa
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.
You must meet the eligibility requirements and only do permitted activities.
Depending on your nationality, you may not need a visa to visit the UK. If you do not need a visa, you’ll either:
- have to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which allows you to visit the UK for up to 6 months
- be able to visit the UK for up to 6 months without needing a visa or an ETA
You can check if you need a visa before you apply.
Visa fees
You can apply for a Standard Visitor visa, or if you visit the UK regularly you can choose to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa instead.
| Fee | Maximum length of stay | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Visitor visa | £115 | 6 months |
| Standard Visitor visa for medical reasons | £200 | 11 months |
| Standard Visitor visa for academics | £200 | 12 months |
| 2 year long-term Standard Visitor visa | £432 | 6 months per visit |
| 5 year long-term Standard Visitor visa | £771 | 6 months per visit |
| 10 year long-term Standard Visitor visa | £963 | 6 months per visit |
Apply online
Once you’ve started your application you can save your form and complete it later.
If you’re applying with family members, each person must have their own application and pay the fee. They need to attend their own appointment at a visa application centre.
You can apply on behalf of your partner and child, if they cannot apply for themselves.
Your application will not be accepted and you will not get a refund if you have the right of abode in the UK (for example you’re a British citizen). You need to apply for a certificate of entitlement instead.
Continue your application
You can sign back into your application if you’ve saved it.
Find out how to sign in to your account.
Long-term Standard Visitor visas
You can choose to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa if you visit the UK regularly. This visa lasts 2, 5 or 10 years. You can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.
If you’re under 18 years old when you apply, your long-term Standard Visitor visa will only be valid for up to 6 months after you turn 18. You cannot get a refund on the fee.
You may be given a shorter visa than requested if UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) believe you cannot meet the eligibility requirements for the duration of the visa you applied for.
You will not get a refund of the application fee if you get a shorter visa or if your application is refused.
Your visa may be cancelled if your travel history shows you are repeatedly living in the UK for extended periods.
Documents and information you’ll need to apply
You must have a passport or travel document that is valid for the whole of your stay in the UK. There must be a blank page in your passport for your Standard Visitor visa.
You’ll need to provide the following information in your online application:
- 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
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
- a certificate proving that you’ve had a tuberculosis (TB) test if you’re visiting for more than 6 months
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
You must provide certified translations of any documents that are not in English or Welsh.
Proving your identity and providing your documents
As part of your online application, you need to book an appointment at a visa application centre. Allow time to attend your appointment, as the visa application centre could be in another country.
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
The visa application centre may keep your passport and documents while processing your application.
How long it takes to get a decision
Once you’ve applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents, you’ll usually get a decision on your visa within 3 weeks.
You can check to see if you can get your visa decision faster.
You’ll get an email when the Home Office has made a decision on your application. This will explain what you need to do next.
If you need to change or cancel your application
If you need to change something in your application after you’ve sent it, contact UKVI.
You can ask to cancel your application. You’ll only get your fee refunded if the application has not been processed yet.