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.
- 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
6 months
GOV.UK, Standard Visitor rules
Visa validity
2, 5 or 10 years
Long-term visitor visa option
Decision time
Usually 3 weeks
Standard service, from outside the UK
Paid work allowed
No
Visitors cannot work in the UK
What is the Standard Visitor visa for tourism?
The Standard Visitor visa lets you come to the UK on holiday, for example for sightseeing or a short break. You must be a genuine visitor who will leave at the end of your trip, can support yourself and pay for your return journey, and does not work or claim public funds while visiting.
Who this route is for
The published rules are for someone genuinely coming for a temporary visit who will leave again at the end of the trip. A tourist must be able to show they can support themselves and any dependants for the whole visit, and that they can pay for the journey home, without working or claiming public funds while they are in the UK.
What a tourist can and cannot do
As a Standard Visitor, a tourist can travel around the country, stay with people they know, and take part in the ordinary leisure activities that come with a holiday, including leaving and re-entering the UK during the trip. The route does not allow paid or unpaid work, claiming public funds, or settling in the UK through repeated or extended visits, and it cannot be used to marry or give notice of marriage — a different visa covers that.
Requirements
- Coming to the UK for tourism or a holidayTourism, including a holiday or vacation, is 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 for the tripYou must have enough money to cover all reasonable costs of the visit, including the return or onward journey and any dependants travelling with you, without working or claiming public funds.
- Valid passport or travel documentYou must hold a passport or travel document valid for the whole of your stay.
Documents typically needed
- Passport or travel documentValid for the whole of your stay in the UK.
- Your planned travel datesThe dates you intend to travel to the UK.
- Accommodation detailsWhere you'll be staying during your visit.
- Estimated cost of your tripHow much you expect the visit to cost.
- Evidence of fundsFor example bank statements that show the origin of the funds held.
- 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 tourism is covered by the permitted activities, then gather your passport, travel dates, accommodation details and evidence of funds.
Apply online
If you need a visa, apply online before you travel and book an appointment at a visa application centre.
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
- 2 year long-term Standard Visitor visa (6 months per visit)
- £506
- 5 year long-term Standard Visitor visa (6 months per visit)
- £903
- 10 year long-term Standard Visitor visa (6 months per visit)
- £1,128
- Extend your stay (up to a total of 6 months)
- £1,172
- Super priority service (extension)
- Extra £1,000
Fees are set by the Home Office and can change. Source: GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/standard-visitor
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
- Visit the UK for tourism, for example on a holiday or vacation
- Enter and leave the UK more than once within the validity of your entry clearance, unless it is endorsed as single or dual entry
- 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 tourist 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 just for a holiday?
How long can a tourist stay in the UK?
Can I get a visa that covers more than one holiday?
Can I leave the UK and come back during my trip?
Can I work while I'm visiting as a tourist?
Do I need a visa for a UK holiday?
What happens if a tourist visa 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.
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.
Read the guide →Recreational Visit
Take a short course purely for leisure while you visit the UK, such as pottery or riding, for up to 30 days of your stay.
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 →