About the visa
The Volunteer Visit (within the UK Standard Visitor route, Appendix V) allows overseas nationals to carry out limited volunteering with a registered charity for up to 30 days during a visit of up to 6 months.
Volunteering must not exceed 30 days in total and must be with a registered charity. It must not amount to unpaid work that would normally be done by a paid employee. The charity must be registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland, or the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator.
Eligibility & key rules
You must satisfy the genuine visitor test and ensure your volunteering meets the specific conditions:
- Maximum 30 days of volunteering in total during the visit
- Volunteering must be with a registered charity
- Volunteering must be with a registered charity
- Must not fill a role that would otherwise be a paid position
- Sufficient funds for the visit without working
Important: If your primary purpose is volunteering, or if you wish to volunteer for longer than 30 days, you will need a Charity Worker visa (Temporary Worker) or another appropriate route. The visitor route only covers short volunteering of up to 30 days.
Permitted activities
Volunteer visitors may:
- Volunteer with a registered charity for up to 30 days total
- Help with charity events, community projects or fundraising activities
- Provide general assistance that does not replace a paid role
- Combine volunteering with tourism, visiting family or other permitted activities
What you can and cannot do
Permitted
- Volunteer with registered charity, max 30 days
- Combine with tourism, visiting family/friends
- General leisure activities during the visit
- Receive reasonable expenses from the charity
Not permitted
- Volunteer for more than 30 days
- Volunteer for non-registered organisations
- Fill a role that would normally be paid
- Receive payment beyond reasonable expenses
- Volunteer for longer than 30 days total
Fees, documents & process
Costs
- Standard (up to 6 months): £127
- 2-year long-term visa: £475
- 5-year long-term visa: £848
- 10-year long-term visa: £1,059
- No Immigration Health Surcharge for visitor visas
Required documents
- Valid passport or travel document
- Letter from the registered charity confirming: charity registration number, activities, dates, duration, and that the role is voluntary
- Details of the main purpose of your visit alongside the volunteering
- Proof of funds for the visit
- Accommodation details and travel plans
- Evidence of ties to home country
Processing
- Apply online at least 3 months before travel
- Attend a visa application centre for biometrics
- Decision usually within 3 weeks
Common refusal reasons
- Volunteering exceeds 30 days or appears to replace a paid role
- Charity is not properly registered with a UK charity regulator
- Role appears to replace a paid position (amounts to work)
- Duration of volunteering exceeds 30 days
- Insufficient funds or ties to home country
