Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor
You can visit the UK as a ‘Standard Visitor’ for travel, study, business, and other permitted activities (see below) for a period of up to 6 months. You may be able to apply to stay for longer in certain circumstances.
To be allowed entry to the UK as a Standard Visitor, you must:
- intend to visit the UK for no more than 6 months
- have enough money to support yourself during your stay
- have a valid reason for visiting the UK, such as tourism, business, studying, or visiting family or friends
- have a valid passport or travel document
- not have a criminal record or have breached any UK immigration laws
- not have intentions of making the UK your main home
- If you’re under the age of 18, you will need written consent from a parent/guardian and have made suitable travel and accommodation arrangements.
- You will need to provide contact details of both your parent/guardian and the person who will be looking after you while in the UK
The following is a non-exhaustive list of some of the main things you can and cannot do as a Standard Visitor to the UK:
| You can | You cannot |
|---|---|
| Visit for tourism, or to see family and friends | Do paid or unpaid work for a UK company |
| Volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity | Work as a self-employed person |
| Transit through the UK to another country | Claim public funds (such as benefits) |
| Attend a meeting or interview | Effectively live in the UK with frequent or successive visits |
| Do a school exchange or short-term course [up to 30 days] | Get married or register a civil partnership, or give notice to do so |
If you are intending to travel to the UK as a Standard Visitor to study, as an academic, for medical reasons or as a senior doctor or dentist, other eligibility criteria may apply.
Visiting the UK to study as a Standard Visitor
You have the option to travel to the UK for a maximum of six months to engage in various study-related activities.
Approved activities include:
- studying at an accredited institution (including courses in the English language)
- conducting research relevant to acourse you’re doing overseas
- participating in an elective placement if you are studying medicine, veterinary medicine and science, nursing, midwifery or dentistry
- sitting entrance exams, retaking exams/modules, or doing PhD oral exams (viva)
- completing an unpaid clinical attachment if you are a graduate from a medical, dental or nursing school
- taking OSCE or PLAB tests
Learn more about visiting the UK to study as a Standard Visitor here.
Visiting the UK as a Standard Visitor (academics, senior doctors and dentists)
If you are visiting the UK as a Standard Visitor as an academic, you are allowed to take part in formal exchange arrangements with UK counterparts and carry out your own research during a sabbatical.
If you are a senior doctor or dentist, you can also take part in research, teach (as long as it’s not a permanent position) and undertake non-permanent clinical practice.
If you want to visit the UK as an academic for more than 6 months, you will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa that can grant you permission to visit for up to 12 months.
You must also prove your academic background to be granted a 12-month visa. You need to be highly qualified in your field of expertise (usually PhD or higher) and be working in that field at an academic institution overseas at the time of applying. You cannot fill a permanent teaching post while on this visa.
You can learn more about visiting the UK as an academic here.
Visiting the UK for medical reasons as a Standard Visitor
If you are visiting the UK as a Standard Visitor for medical reasons, you can visit for up to 6 months to:
- have private medical treatment at a medical facility or hospital
- You must be able to prove that you have a medical condition that needs to be treated or assessed in the UK, have made plans for the consultation or treatment, have enough money to cover all the costs, intend to leave the country once your treatment is finished (or before your visa expires), and that you are not a danger to public health.
- have treatment at an NHS hospital, as long as the care is covered by your own government under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement
- donate an organ to a family member or close friend, or beassessed for donor match suitability
If any of the above-mentioned medical reasons require you to stay longer than 6 months, you will need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa.
You can learn more about visiting the UK for medical reasons here.
Visiting the UK on business as a Standard Visitor
You have the option to travel to the UK as a Standard Visitor to engage in some business-related activities for a maximum of six months .
Such activities include attending seminars, trade fairs, meetings, training, or site visits, and providing service or advice on equipment that is suppliedto a UK-based business byyour overseas company.
For further details about visiting the UK on business as a Standard Visitor, as well as guidance on approved business-related activities, click here.
Regardless of your reason for visiting the UK, you will still need to meet the basic eligibility requirements for a Standard Visitor.
Do you need a visa to visit the UK as a Standard Visitor?
Whether or not you need a visa to visit the UK depends on your own personal circumstances. Citizens of some countries can enter the UK without a visa for a short period of time, while citizens of other countries need to apply for a visa before they travel.
If you’re a citizen of the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland, you can enter the UK without a visa for up to 6 months.
If you’re a citizen of a country outside of the EU, EEA, or Switzerland, you may need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa before you travel to the UK.
If you would normally be eligible to visit the UK as a Standard Visitor without a visa but have a criminal record or have previously been refused entry to the UK, you may want to apply for a visa in advance to ensure you’ll be allowed entry upon arrival in the UK.
If you are only intending to pass through the UK en route to another country, either directly at the airport or after a stay of less than 48 hours in the UK, you may need to apply for a Transit Visa.
Whether you’re entering the UK on a visa or not, you may still be questioned by border control officers upon arrival at the UK border and could be asked to prove your eligibility before entry to the UK is permitted.
How much does it cost to visit the UK as a Standard Visitor?
There are no costs associated with visiting the UK as a Standard Visitor if you meet the eligibility requirements for visiting without a visa. However, if you need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa for a stay in the UK of up to 6 months, the cost is £115. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you expect to travel to the country.
If you have been granted a visa for up to 6 months and want to extend it up to 11 months while in the UK, there’s an additional fee of £1000 to apply for the extension. You will need to apply before your current visa expires.
If you are applying for the Standard Visitor Visa as an academic and intend to stay longer than 6 months, the fee is £200 if you apply before entry to the UK. This will allow you to stay in the UK for a total of up to 12 months.
If you have been granted a visa for up to 6 months and want to extend it up to 12 months while in the UK, there’s an additional fee of £1000 to apply for the extension. You will need to apply before your current visa expires.
If you are applying for the Standard Visitor visa for medical reasons and intend to stay longer than 6 months, the fee is £200 if you apply before entry to the UK. This will allow you to stay in the UK for a total of up to 11 months.
For visits for medical reasons, there’s no limit on how many times you can extend your visa, but you will still need to pay the fee of £1000 every time you extend your stay.
Travel to the UK as a Standard Visitor – Checklist
- Ensure that the reasons for your visit to the UK are permitted as a Standard Visitor
- Check that you meet the appropriate eligibility criteria for your reason for visiting the UK
- Check if you need to make an application for a Standard Visitor visa or are eligible to travel as a Standard Visitor without a visa
- If you visit the UK often, you can apply for a Long-term Standard Visitor visa instead
Demetris Demetriou
Demetris is a dual-qualified lawyer in the UK (Solicitor) and Cyprus (Advocate) with 10+ years of experience in UK immigration. He completed his legal studies at University College London and City University London. Over the course of his career, he held key roles as Head of Immigration at Legal 500 firms and within the Big4, overseeing teams of 15+ fee earners handling 2000+ applications annually.
Demetris went on to co-establish his firm in London and continues to offer innovative solutions and strategic immigration planning to multinationals, SMEs, and private clients.
He personally represented 1500+ clients in 30+ visa routes including investors, entrepreneurs, innovators, sole representatives, students, family visas, global talent, UK ancestry, administrative reviews and appeals. Demetris has managed corporate relocations, conducted immigration law training and implemented post-Brexit immigration policies for corporate clients.
Demetris has been featured in various events and publications focusing on UK immigration, notably at the Cambridge Network, the Westminster Policy Forum and most recently at DGEMS, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.
If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.
Tatiani Preifelt
Tatiani has a wealth of expertise in global mobility and corporate immigration. Her ample skills were acquired within leading immigration practices including three out of the Big4 firms in both the UK and Sweden. Tatiani went on to co-establish her firm in London where she continues to advise clients predominantly in corporate, business and skilled work migration.
Having personally relocated to 10 different countries, Tatiani understands the importance of an expedient and successful immigration process and takes pride in delivering a seamless experience to her clients as well.
Over the course of her career, she has assisted over 500 individuals and businesses to obtain the appropriate visa permits in the UK.
Her awarded academic work at The University of Oxford, The London School of Economics, and at The Geneva University is in the fields of Political Science, International Human Rights Law, and Global Migration Governance.
She regularly provides immigration training and has recently participated as a speaker and panellist at DGEMS 2023, a global mobility summit hosted by Forbes India.
If you would like to discuss your UK immigration matter or have any questions about your options for immigrating to the UK, you can book a consultation here.