UK Standard Visitor Visa: Rules, Fees and How to Apply

Anyone planning a trip to Britain tends to have the same three questions: do I need a visa, what am I allowed to do once I'm there, and how long will it take? The answers are spread across several sections of the GOV.UK guide Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor, so I've pulled them into one place, in plain English, with every amount taken from that guide.

Visa, ETA or neither: which one applies to you

It depends on your nationality. GOV.UK says you'll fall into one of three groups: you'll have to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you travel, you'll have to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), which lets you visit for up to 6 months without a visa, or you'll be able to visit for up to 6 months without needing a visa or an ETA.

Here's the part people skip. Even if you don't need a visa, you must still meet the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements, and you may be asked questions at the UK border about your eligibility and what you plan to do. GOV.UK also says that if you've been refused entry to the UK before or you have a criminal record, you may want to apply for a Standard Visitor visa even though you don't need one. The rules can be different if you're travelling from Ireland, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.

What a Standard Visitor can and can't do

GOV.UK calls these 'permitted activities'. As a Standard Visitor you can come:

• for tourism, such as a holiday or to see family and friends
• to volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity
• to pass through the UK on your way to another country
• for certain business activities, such as attending a meeting or an interview
• for certain paid engagements or events as an expert in your profession
• for certain Erasmus+ placements or a school exchange programme
• to do a recreational course of up to 30 days, for example a dance course
• to study, do a placement or take an exam as an academic, senior doctor or dentist
• for medical reasons

You can't do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless it's a permitted paid engagement. You can't claim public funds (benefits), and you can't live in the UK for long periods through frequent or successive visits. You also can't marry, register a civil partnership or give notice of either: that needs a Marriage Visitor visa instead.

To be eligible you need a passport or travel document that's valid for your whole stay, and you must be able to show that you'll leave at the end of your visit, that you can support yourself and any dependants (or someone else will fund you), and that you can pay for your return or onward journey.

Standard Visitor visa fees and how long each one lasts

These are the fees GOV.UK lists for each version of the visa, as of Nov 2026:

Visa	Fee	Maximum length of stay
Standard Visitor visa	135 pounds	6 months
Standard Visitor visa for medical reasons	234 pounds	11 months
Standard Visitor visa for academics	234 pounds	12 months
2 year long-term Standard Visitor visa	506 pounds	6 months per visit
5 year long-term Standard Visitor visa	903 pounds	6 months per visit
10 year long-term Standard Visitor visa	1,128 pounds	6 months per visit

If passing through the UK is your only reason for coming, GOV.UK says you can apply for a Visitor in Transit visa instead, for 74.50 pounds. The long-term visas suit people who visit regularly: they last 2, 5 or 10 years, but each visit is still capped at 6 months. If you're under 18 when you apply, a long-term visa is only valid until 6 months after you turn 18.

The refund rules worth knowing before you pay

This is where GOV.UK is blunter than most people expect, and it's where money gets lost. If you have the right of abode in the UK, for example because you're a British citizen, your application won't be accepted and you won't get a refund. You need a certificate of entitlement instead.

Long-term visas carry their own catch. UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) may give you a shorter visa than you asked for if it believes you can't meet the eligibility requirements for the full length, and GOV.UK says you won't get any of the fee back if that happens, or if you're refused. Your visa may also be cancelled if your travel history shows you're repeatedly staying in the UK for extended periods. And if you change your mind after applying, you can ask to cancel, but you'll only get the fee back if the application hasn't been processed yet.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check that what you plan to do is a permitted activity and that you meet the eligibility requirements.
2. Apply online. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel, and you can save the form and finish it later. Each family member needs their own application and pays their own fee, though you can apply for your partner and child if they can't apply themselves.
3. Fill in your details: your travel dates, where you'll stay, how much you think the trip will cost, your home address and how long you've lived there, your parents' names and dates of birth (if known), how much you earn in a year if you have an income, and any criminal, civil or immigration offences.
4. Add anything your situation calls for. GOV.UK says that might include your travel history for the past 10 years, your employer's address, details of whoever is paying for your trip, family members in the UK, and a tuberculosis (TB) test certificate if you're visiting for more than 6 months. Documents that aren't in English or Welsh need certified translations.
5. Book and attend an appointment at a visa application centre, which could be in another country. You'll prove your identity, have your fingerprints and photo taken and hand over your documents. You'll get your passport back the same day.
6. Wait for the decision. You'll usually hear within 3 weeks, by email from the Home Office.
7. Set up your eVisa. If you're successful you'll get an eVisa, a digital record of your status. You create a UKVI account, confirm your identity and link the account to the eVisa, which usually works straight away but can take up to 24 hours.

Coming for business, study, medical treatment or a paid event

Business visits

If you're not paid by a UK-based organisation or client, you can attend interviews, meetings, conferences and seminars, negotiate and sign deals, attend trade fairs to promote your business (but not sell), get work-related training if you're employed overseas, carry out site visits and share knowledge with UK colleagues of the company you work for overseas. GOV.UK says any other paid or unpaid work needs a work visa. If you're travelling for meetings, my business trip packing list covers what to bring.

Paid engagements and events

You can be paid for a 'permitted paid engagement' if you have a written invitation from a UK-based organisation or client, can show you're an expert in your profession and are 18 or over. That covers professional artists, entertainers and musicians, sportspeople, qualified lawyers representing a client, lecturers, conference speakers, academic examiners and air pilot examiners. You can stay up to 6 months, but the engagement must happen in the first month.

Study

You can study for up to 6 months at an accredited institution, including English language courses, or sit an exam such as the OSCE or PLAB test. The course can't run longer than 6 months unless it's distance learning. Longer study needs a different route, such as the Short-term study visa for English language courses up to 11 months, or a Student visa.

Medical treatment

You can come for private treatment, for NHS treatment paid for by your own government under a reciprocal healthcare arrangement, or to donate an organ to a family member or close friend. For private treatment you'll need a letter from a doctor or consultant setting out your condition, the estimated cost and how long treatment should take. Any medical visit lasting longer than 6 months needs a Standard Visitor visa whatever your nationality: GOV.UK lists one lasting up to 11 months for 234 pounds.

Extending a stay once you're in the UK

If you have permission to be in the UK for less than 6 months, you may be able to extend up to a total of 6 months. GOV.UK gives the example of someone who has been here for 3 months applying for 3 more. You must apply from inside the UK before your current permission runs out, and the fee is 1,172 pounds whatever your nationality, as of Nov 2026. Going beyond 6 months is only possible for medical patients, academics (up to 12 months in total), graduates retaking the PLAB test, or those doing a clinical attachment (up to 18 months in total).

A standard decision usually takes up to 8 weeks after your appointment at a UK Visa and Citizenship Application Services (UKVCAS) service point. The super priority service adds 1,000 pounds and brings a decision by the end of the next working day after a weekday appointment. Don't leave the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man while you wait: GOV.UK says your application will be withdrawn if you do.

My advice before you book flights

Check which of the three groups your nationality falls into first, on the GOV.UK page Visit the UK as a Standard Visitor, then match what you'll do here against the permitted activities before you pay anything, because the fee isn't coming back if you've picked the wrong route. If you need a visa, apply as close to the 3 month mark as you can, so you're not sweating the usual 3 week wait. And keep your return ticket and proof of funds handy at the border, even if you never needed a visa at all.

Once it's sorted, it's worth knowing your rights if things go wrong on the way: here's how flight delay compensation in the UK works, and my pick of travel backpacks if you're travelling light.

Frequently asked questions

How much is a UK Standard Visitor visa?

As of Nov 2026, GOV.UK lists the Standard Visitor visa at 135 pounds for up to 6 months. Long-term versions are 506 pounds for 2 years, 903 pounds for 5 years and 1,128 pounds for 10 years, with each visit capped at 6 months.

How long can I stay in the UK as a visitor?

Usually up to 6 months. Longer stays are only possible in set cases, such as medical treatment, academics, PLAB test retakes and clinical attachments.

How long does a UK visitor visa take?

GOV.UK says you'll usually get a decision within 3 weeks once you've applied online, proved your identity and provided your documents.

Can I work on a UK visitor visa?

No. You can't do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, apart from a permitted paid engagement or event, and certain business activities when you're not paid by a UK-based organisation or client.

Can I extend my visitor visa?

If your permission is for less than 6 months, you may be able to extend up to 6 months in total. You must apply from inside the UK before it expires, and the fee is 1,172 pounds as of Nov 2026.