Family and Friends Visit
Travel to the UK to spend time with relatives and friends, attend family events and enjoy short visits of up to 6 months.
- Screening A few questions about your work, your family and your plans.
- Documents A checklist built around your route and who is coming with you.
- Expert review A qualified adviser reads every document before anything is filed.
- Application Every answer is checked against the published rules for your route.
- Submission Filed, with everything that went with it kept in one place.
- Arrival We stay with you through the crossing and the first steps after.
Application fee
£135
GOV.UK, Standard Visitor visa
Maximum stay per visit
Up to 6 months
GOV.UK, holiday or seeing family
Long-term visa validity
2, 5 or 10 years
GOV.UK, long-term Standard Visitor
What is the Standard Visitor visa for seeing family or friends?
The Standard Visitor visa lets you come to the UK to see family or friends who live here. You must be a genuine visitor who will leave at the end of your trip, be able to support yourself or be supported by the person you're visiting, and you cannot work or claim public funds while you are here.
Who this route is for
The published rules are for someone genuinely coming to see people they know, who will leave again at the end of the trip. The visit can be funded by the visitor themselves, or by the family member or friend they are staying with, provided there is no work or access to public funds while in the UK.
Requirements
- Coming to see family or friendsThe published rules list seeing your family or friends as a permitted Standard Visitor activity.
- Genuine visitorYou must satisfy the decision maker that you are a genuine visitor coming to do a permitted activity.
- Leave the UK at the end of the visitYou must intend to leave the UK at the end of your trip.
- Not living in the UK through frequent or successive visitsYou must not be using repeated or successive visits to live in the UK for extended periods, or to make the UK your main home.
- Sufficient funds, your own or from someone elseYou must be able to support yourself and any dependants during the trip, either from your own money or with funding from someone else, such as the family member or friend you are visiting.
- Valid passport or travel documentYou must hold a passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay.
- Length of each visit on a long-term visaA long-term Standard Visitor visa lasts 2, 5 or 10 years, and you can stay for a maximum of 6 months on each visit.
Documents typically needed
- Passport or travel documentValid for the whole of your stay in the UK.
- Your UK family member's or friend's detailsName, address and passport number of any family members you have in the UK.
- Details of anyone paying for your tripThe name and address of anyone else who is funding your visit.
- Evidence of sponsor supportWhat support is being provided, how, and whether it covers any dependent family travelling with you, if someone else is paying.
- Evidence of fundsFor example bank statements that show the origin of the funds held, if you are supporting yourself.
- Certified translationsFor any document that is not in English or Welsh.
How to apply
Check if you need a visa
Depending on your nationality you may need to apply for a Standard Visitor visa, use an electronic travel authorisation, or travel without either.
Confirm your trip is a permitted visit and gather your evidence
Check visiting family or friends is covered by the permitted activities, then gather your passport, your UK family member's or friend's details, and evidence of funds or sponsor support.
Apply online
If you need a visa, apply online before you travel and book an appointment at a visa application centre. You can apply on behalf of a partner or child who cannot apply for themselves.
Prove your identity and give biometric information
Attend your appointment to have your fingerprints and photo taken and provide your supporting documents.
Wait for a decision
Keep your passport and documents available while your application is considered.
Fees & costs
- Standard Visitor visa (up to 6 months)
- £135
- Electronic travel authorisation (up to 6 months, where eligible)
- £20
- Extend your stay (up to a total of 6 months)
- £1,172
Fees are set by the Home Office and can change. Source: GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/visit-uk-holiday-family-friends
Processing times
- Apply outside the UK
- Usually within 3 weeks
- Extend your stay (standard service)
- Usually within 8 weeks
Standard service times published by the Home Office; a faster decision may be available for an extra fee.
What you can and can't do
Permitted
- See your family or friends in the UK
- Apply on behalf of your partner or child if they cannot apply for themselves
- Choose a long-term Standard Visitor visa (2, 5 or 10 years) if you visit regularly
Not permitted
- Do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person
- Claim public funds
- Live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits
- Marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of this
Duration and extending a stay
A family or friends visit is intended to be temporary, and permission is granted for a period covering the trip. Anyone who wants to stay longer than originally granted can apply to extend, provided the total time in the UK as a Standard Visitor stays within the route's overall limit and the published requirements continue to be met.
If the application is refused
A refusal letter sets out the reasons under the published rules. Standard Visitor refusals do not always carry a right of appeal, and the letter explains whether an appeal is available for that decision.
Common questions
Can I visit the UK to see my family or friends?
Can the family member or friend I'm visiting pay for my trip?
Do I need to give details of the family I'm staying with?
Can I apply for my partner or child if they can't apply for themselves?
How long can I stay when visiting family or friends?
Can I get married while visiting family or friends?
What happens if a family-visit application is refused?
Talk it through with one of our solicitors.
Book a consultation and one of our immigration solicitors will go through your situation, the documents involved, and what happens next.
Tourist Visit
Travel to the UK as a Standard Visitor for a holiday, sightseeing, or to see family and friends, for up to 6 months at a time.
Read the guide →Marriage Visitor Visa
Come to the UK to marry, form a civil partnership or give notice of one. You can stay up to 6 months, and it is not a route to settlement.
Read the guide →Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)
Digital permission to visit the UK for up to 6 months. Most travellers from Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia need one, not a visa.
Read the guide →