🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Standard Visitor visa
UK Standard Visitor visa — requirements, fee and processing
The UK Standard Visitor visa covers tourism, family visits and most short business trips for up to 6 months. The fee for the 6-month visa is £115, you apply online at gov.uk and give biometrics at a visa application centre, and UKVI's published standard for visitor decisions is around 3 weeks after your biometric appointment.
| who needs it | Nationals of countries not on the UK's visa-national exemption list. Check gov.uk's 'check if you need a visa' tool — it is definitive. |
| government fee | £115 — 6-month Standard Visitor visasource: gov.uk — Standard Visitor visa · verified 2026-07 |
| processing | around 3 weeks after your biometric appointmentUKVI's published standard — peak seasons run longer; priority services exist at extra cost · source: gov.uk visa processing times · verified 2026-07 |
| length of stay | Up to 6 months per visit. Long-term visit visas (2, 5, 10 years) allow repeat 6-month stays. |
documents you will need
- Passport with a blank page, valid for your whole stay
- Bank statements showing you can fund the trip without working
- Employment or business evidence (letter, payslips, trade licence)
- Accommodation and travel plan (bookings, invitation letter if visiting family)
- Evidence of ties: employment, property, family responsibilities
how the process runs
- 01Complete the online application on gov.uk and pay the fee
- 02Book and attend a biometric appointment at a VAC
- 03Upload supporting documents (or use the VAC's assisted service)
- 04Wait for the decision email; collect your passport or use courier return
why applications get refused
- Officer not satisfied you are a genuine visitor who will leave (paragraph V 4.2 refusals)
- Unexplained large deposits or third-party funds without documentation
- Inconsistencies between your form, documents and stated purpose
- Previous immigration history issues left unaddressed
questions we actually get
- Can I convert a visitor visa into a work visa inside the UK?
- No. Visitors cannot switch into work or study routes from inside the UK in almost all cases — you would apply from your home country.
- Is an invitation letter required?
- No, but if you are visiting family or friends it strengthens the application when paired with the host's status documents.
- How much bank balance do I need?
- There is no published minimum. UKVI looks for funds proportionate to your trip and consistent with your income history.
rules change. we verify before we act.
This guide reflects the official sources as of 2026-07 (matrix 2026.Q3). For a decision about your own case, that is not enough — talk to a licensed advisor.
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