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Standard Visitor visa (United Kingdom)

✓ Checked against GOV.UK on 2026-07-13

According to gov.uk, the Standard Visitor route is for visiting the UK for tourism, seeing family or friends, certain business activities, study on courses of up to 6 months, and other permitted activities. The official guidance states that visitors can usually stay for up to 6 months, and that a Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months. Applications are made online before travelling, with an appointment at a visa application centre, and a decision usually arrives within 3 weeks.

Key requirements, as officially published

You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities.Source: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor

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.Source: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor

You must have a passport or travel document to enter the UK. It should be valid for the whole of your stay.Source: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor

You must be able to show that: you’ll leave the UK at the end of your visit; you’re able to support yourself and your dependants during your trip (or have funding from someone else to support you); you’re able to pay for your return or onward journey (or have funding from someone else to pay for the journey); you’ll not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits, or make the UK your main home.Source: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor

A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.Source: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor

Officially listed fees for other visitor visas: for medical reasons £234 (maximum stay 11 months); for academics £234 (maximum stay 12 months); long-term Standard Visitor visas £506 for 2 years, £903 for 5 years, £1,128 for 10 years, each with a maximum stay of 6 months per visit.Source: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor/apply-standard-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; claim public funds (benefits); live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits; marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership.Source: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor

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.Source: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor/apply-standard-visitor-visa

You may need to meet extra eligibility requirements if you’re visiting the UK: to study, do a placement or take an exam; as an academic, senior doctor or dentist; for a permitted paid engagement; for medical reasons.Source: https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor

Documents, as listed in the official guidance

A passport or travel document that is valid for the whole of your stay in the UK
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: 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
Certified translations of any documents that are not in English or Welsh
Additional documents if you’re visiting to study, as an academic, for a permitted paid engagement, or for medical reasons

Process steps, as officially published

Step 1: Check that what you plan to do in the UK is allowed as a Standard Visitor and that you meet the eligibility requirements.
Step 2: Check if you need a visa to visit the UK. Depending on your nationality, you may only need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), or nothing at all.
Step 3: Apply online before you travel - £135 for up to 6 months. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. Once you’ve started your application you can save your form and complete it later.
Step 4: Book and attend an appointment at a visa application centre. You’ll prove your identity with your passport, have your fingerprints and a photo (biometric information) taken, and provide the required documents. The centre could be in another country.
Step 5: Wait for 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.
Step 6: You’ll get an email when the Home Office has made a decision on your application, explaining what you need to do next.

Official sources

Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor - GOV.UKretrieved 2026-07-13

Apply for a Standard Visitor visa - GOV.UKretrieved 2026-07-13

Visiting to study - GOV.UKretrieved 2026-07-13

Check if you need a UK visa - GOV.UKretrieved 2026-07-13

Information checked against the official pages linked above on 2026-07-13. Requirements can change. Check the official links for the current version.

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