If you’re planning to visit the UK for a temporary duration, you may need a Visitor visa. Read about coming to the UK as a Visitor and any restrictions.
A Visitor is someone who wishes to visit the UK for a temporary duration. Although this duration is normally for a period of six months, a 'Standard Visitor' can also apply for a Visitor visa with a two, five or 10 year validity period. Whilst such visas will allow for multiple entry, the maximum duration of each visit will be restricted to six months.
Although there are three different types of Visitor visa that you can obtain, the information on this page will focus on the activities permitted with a 'Standard Visitor visa'.
As a Standard Visitor, you are permitted to carry out a number of activities including tourism, visiting friends or family, or undertaking a short course of study. Read through our information to find out about a Visitor visa, including types of study and any restrictions.
What kind of study can you do as a visitor?
Last updated August 31, 2023
The Short-term study visa route is limited to those wishing to study on English language courses for a period of between six to 11 months. Please see the Short-term Student visa page for further details of this route.
As a Visitor, you are permitted to undertake the following types of study under this route:
Study must be at an accredited institution and not at a state-funded school or academy. You will be required to provide an acceptance letter from the institution or institutions with details of the courses you wish to study.
Visitors aged 16 years or above at the date of application must have obtained an Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate (ATAS) if your course of study will be at postgraduate level. Your course must also be listed in Appendix ATAS of the Immigration Rules. An ATAS certificate is valid for a period of six months and the earliest that you can apply for an ATAS certificate is up to nine months before the start date of your course. As obtaining an ATAS certificate can take some time to process, it is advisable to apply for your certificate in good time before your application as a Visitor. You will need to be in receipt of your certificate in order to submit this with your Visitor visa application or permission to enter application at the UK border. Nationals from the EU, EEA, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the USA are exempt from obtaining ATAS clearance.
The visitor guidance states that 'study' refers to one or more consecutive courses, or one or more courses taken at the same time, which must be completed within the duration of your visit.
You must be aged at least 16 years of age or above at the date of application;
You must be enrolled on a course of study abroad equivalent to at least degree level study in the UK;
Some students wish to study an elective course in the UK; these are modules alongside your core studies that give you an opportunity to expand your skills. To undertake an elective:
·You must be aged at least 16 years of age or above at the date of application;
·You must be enrolled on a course of study abroad equivalent to at least degree level study in the UK;
·Your main course of studies overseas must be in the subjects of either medicine, veterinary medicine and science, nursing, midwifery or dentistry;
·The UK higher education provider where you will be carrying out the electives, must confirm that the electives will be unpaid and not involve the treatment of any patients;
If you are studying a course overseas and you wish to complete a study abroad programme of less than six months, this can be done as a Visitor. The study abroad programme in the UK must make up part of your overseas course.
As a Visitor, you are permitted to undertake an entrance exam.
If you have a Student route visa and you are required to re-sit an exam or retake a module, if your attendance in the UK is no longer required, your Student sponsor will normally report this to the Home Office. The Home Office will then cancel your visa reducing your remaining stay in the UK to a period of 60 days. This will mean that you are required to return overseas within this 60-day period.
Should you need to return to the UK in order to re-sit your exam or to retake your module, you are permitted to do this as a Visitor. You should note however that as you will not be permitted to switch into the Student route (see Prohibited activities) as a Visitor, you will be required to return overseas in order to apply for entry clearance for a new Student route visa if you successfully pass your exam or module. See Student route: applying outside the UK.. We recommend you speak to an adviser at your educational institution for advice on what immigration option is best for your circumstances.
The viva must be part of a PhD qualification at a UK institution.
If you wish to study for a UK qualification overseas by distance learning, there may be some occasions where you are required to come to the UK as part of your course. For example, you may need to attend induction weeks or sit exams and assessments. If this is the case, you will be permitted to do so as a Visitor. As a Standard Visitor visa is only valid for a period of six months, you may find that you need to obtain a number of Visitor visas over the course of your studies to carry out each activity. Whilst this is permitted in order to complete a course by distance learning, it may be more appropriate in certain circumstances to obtain a Student visa. Please discuss this with your institution for further guidance.
As a Visitor, you are permitted to take part in educational exchanges or visits to the UK if the purpose of your visit is for leisure or tourism. The institution however must be a state-funded school, academy or an independent school. You must be in full-time education in your home country to take part in such an exchange and any accompanying teachers or adults must be employed overseas.
You are also permitted to attend recreational courses (not English language training), for a maximum period of 30 days, if the purpose of your visit is for leisure or tourism. The institution offering the recreational course must not be a state-funded school or academy. Unlike those wishing to study for a period of six months, those wishing to attend a recreational course, are not required to provide an acceptance letter from the relevant institution.
If you are below the age of 18 at the time of your application, and wish to study under any of the provisions outlined above as a Visitor, there are some additional requirements that you will need to meet as below:
Suitable arrangements must have been put in place for your travel to the UK, reception in the UK, and care while you are in the UK; and
If you will be travelling unaccompanied without your parent or legal guardian who is responsible for your care, they must consent to these arrangements;
If you are travelling unaccompanied with an entry clearance visa, your visa must also state that you are unaccompanied;
If you are travelling with an entry clearance visa and are accompanied by an adult, your entry clearance visa must state that you will be accompanied, and it must identify the adult that will be accompanying you.
Genuineness
Last updated August 31, 2023
All visitors to the UK must satisfy the genuine visitor requirements. This means that:
You will leave the UK at the end of your visit;
You must not intend to live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits. You must also not intend to make the UK your main home. The visitor guidance lists factors such as the number of visits that you have made over the last twelve months, including the length of stay on each occasion in assessing whether or not your visits to the UK are frequent and successive;
You must be genuinely seeking to enter the UK for a purpose and activity permitted as a visitor;
You must not undertake any of the prohibited activities for a Visitor. See Prohibited activities;
You must have enough money to support yourself whilst you are in the UK. This includes the cost of your return or onward journey, and any permitted activities that you have planned. You will not be able to work or access public funds in order to support yourself. In assessing this requirement, the visitor guidance states that your income and savings will be looked at minus any financial commitments that you have. The remaining sum must be sufficient to meet the likely costs that you will incur in the UK, and also your reasonable expenditure. Please see Prohibited activities for further details. You can rely on another person to help you demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to cover your travel, maintenance, and accommodation whilst in the UK. You must have a genuine professional or personal relationship with this person however, and they cannot be in breach of any immigration laws at the time the decision on your application is made, or by the time you wish to enter the UK as a Visitor. This person must also be able to support you for the duration of your visit;
Any funds that you wish to rely upon must be held in a financial institution permitted under FIN 2.1 in Appendix Finance;
In assessing genuineness, the visitor guidance confirms that caseworkers will be looking at factors such as your personal circumstances, and your travel and immigration history. Failure to comply with another country's immigration history in the past, for example, is given as one reason for doubting the genuineness of an application to the UK as a Visitor.
As well as satisfying the general genuine visitor requirements, if you wish to study in the UK as a Visitor, you must also meet the genuine study requirements. This means that the proposed course of study that you wish to do must be credible and genuine. The visitor guidance sets out some of the factors that caseworkers may look at in assessing whether or not your proposed course of study is genuine. These factors include, the length of time you intend to study in the UK, and how this will impact upon your personal circumstances in your home country. Whether or not the course is also available elsewhere, and whether it is available online are also other factors that caseworkers will consider.
Prohibited activities
Last updated August 31, 2023
As a Visitor you are not permitted to work in the UK. Work includes:
Working for an organisation or business in the UK;
Conducting business activities in the UK. This includes running or setting up a business as a self-employed person;
Doing a work placement or internship (including as part of a course of study);
Providing goods and services;
Direct selling to the public.
You will not be permitted to access public funds during your stay in the UK as a Visitor. 'Public funds' are defined in paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules as a list of specific benefits available. As you will be unable to work during your stay in the UK, you must demonstrate that you have sufficient funds to maintain and support yourself without having to claim any of these benefits also.
You are also not permitted to access medical treatment in the UK other than private medical treatment (see medical insurance).
You are not permitted to switch into the Student route from the Visitor route in the UK. You will need to apply for entry clearance in order to do this. Please refer to Student route: applying outside the UK for further details. You will also be prohibited from switching into most working routes in the UK - see Working after studies.
Extending your stay as a Visitor is also prohibited. Two exceptions to this however include Visitors in the UK who wish to re-sit the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board Test. Overseas medical, dental, or nursing school graduates who intend on undertaking unpaid clinical attachments or dental observer posts in the UK, are also permitted to extend their stay in the UK.
Marrying, forming a civil partnership or wishing to give notice to marry or form a civil partnership are also prohibited as a Visitor. If you wish to do any of these activities, you must have prior entry clearance specifically endorsed for one of these purposes.
Receipt of payment for any activity carried out in the UK is also prohibited as a Visitor. Whilst there are limited exceptions to this, which include the receipt of reasonable expenses in certain circumstances, this is generally prohibited.
Dependents
Last updated October 04, 2023
The Immigration Rules do not allow Visitors to bring family members to the UK. The only exception to this is for academic visitors who are permitted to bring an accompanying partner or child.
If you are applying as a Standard Visitor and you have a spouse, partner, child, or other person who wants to come with you to visit the UK, they must also apply to come to the UK in their own right as a Standard Visitor.
As a Standard Visitor, the same rules on permitted and prohibited activities will also apply to your family members. As such, they must also meet the genuineness requirements, and will not be permitted to work in the UK. They will however be able to study as outlined above.
Do I need to apply in advance, for entry clearance?
Last updated September 11, 2024
Firstly, you will need to establish whether or not you are a ‘visa national’ or a ‘non-visa national’. To do this, check whether the country you are a citizen of appears on the visa national list. If you see an asterisk next to your country, open up the next heading, 'Exceptions to the list of visa nationals' to see if you fall into any of the exceptions listed there, for example, the one for passports issued by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or the Macao Special Administrative Region, or Taiwan passports that show identification card numbers.
If you are a visa national then you must apply for, and be granted, entry clearance as a Visitor before you travel to the UK.
It is a good idea to carry with you all of the documents that you submitted with your entry clearance application when you travel to the UK. The Border Force Officer may ask to see these documents when you arrive in the UK.
If you are a child visa national (below the age of 18), your entry clearance must clearly state either that you will be accompanied and travelling with an adult identified in the entry clearance, or confirm that you will be travelling unaccompanied.
Entry clearance as a Visitor can be applied for from within any country outside of the UK (it does not have to be the country where you normally live).
If you are a non-visa national it is not compulsory to apply for entry clearance before you travel to the UK, should you wish to come to the UK to study as a Visitor. If you choose not to apply for entry clearance, then you can apply to enter the UK as a Visitor on arrival at the airport should you travel by air, or at the UK immigration control in France should you choose to travel by Eurostar.
If you do not obtain entry clearance before you travel, you will need to produce all the documents to support your application to enter the UK as a Visitor to the Border Force Officer when you arrive at either the airport, or at UK immigration control in France should you choose to travel by Eurostar. This includes your acceptance letter from your institution confirming the study that you wish to do in the UK as a Visitor, an ATAS certificate (if applicable), and evidence of your finances in order to satisfy the genuineness requirement.
If you are a child Visitor and you wish to travel unaccompanied without either a parent or legal guardian, your parent or legal guardian must consent to your travel to, reception and care in the UK. If requested by a Border Force Officer, this consent must be given in writing. Therefore, if you are a non-visa national child Visitor wishing to travel unaccompanied, it is advisable to also travel with a letter of consent in writing confirming this.
An Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), is a requirement for non-visa nationals who wish to travel to the UK for either the purpose of entering as a Visitor, or under the Creative Worker route. An ETA provides an individual with permission to travel to the UK and must be obtained in advance of travel. It is important to note that an ETA only provides permission to travel to the UK and is not a visa. Once you have successfully obtained an ETA, you will be required to apply to enter the UK as a Visitor on arrival in the UK at either the airport, or UK immigration control in France should you take the Eurostar.
In order to apply you can either use the UK ETA app or apply online on the gov.uk website. Applications are automated, electronically linked to your passport, and cost £10 per applicant. Please note that each eligible individual must obtain their own ETA including children and babies.
The requirement to obtain an ETA initially only applied to Qatari nationals from 25 October 2023, who wished to travel to the UK on or after 15 November 2023. The requirement was then extended to nationals from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia from 1 February 2024, who wished to travel to the UK on or after 22 February 2024. For further details, you can check whether or not you need to apply for an ETA here.
EGates at UK airports and the Brussels and Paris Eurostar terminals includes the use by nationals from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea and the United States of America. Although nationals from these countries are non-visa nationals and therefore have a choice whether or not to apply for entry clearance, or to apply for permission to enter as a Visitor as outlined above, nationals of these countries are also permitted to use eGates.
The use of eGates to enter the UK as a Visitor will mean that you do not receive a stamp endorsed in your passport as you do not have to see a Border Force Officer in order to use one. However, following using the eGates, you will be permitted to enter the UK as a Visitor for a period of six months. In order to use an eGate, your passport must have a biometric symbol on the cover, and you must be above the age of 10 in order to use one. Visitors between the ages of 10 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
It is important that you retain some form of evidence of your date of arrival in the UK if you use the eGates. Acceptable evidence includes an e-ticket, paper or electronic boarding pass. This will help you to remember the exact duration of your six month stay, and also provide you with appropriate documentation to produce to your institution as proof of your arrival date in the UK.
Nationals from the EU, EEA and Switzerland are also non-visa nationals if wishing to visit the UK for a period of six months or less. If you are a national from one of these countries, you have the choice whether or not to apply for prior entry clearance as a Visitor, or for permission to enter as a Visitor at either a UK airport, or UK immigration control in France should you choose to travel by Eurostar.
Nationals from the EU, EEA and Switzerland are also permitted to use the eGates in order to enter as a visitor for a period of six months or less. The use of an eGate is dependent on having a biometric passport, so if you wish to travel to the UK using your national identity card and not a passport, you will not be able to use an eGate or request to see a Border Force Officer.
If you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national and want to travel without a passport and enter as a Visitor, you must make an entry clearance application in advance
If you are 18 or below and studying at a school or educational institution in France which is registered with the French Ministry of Education, you are not required to apply in advance for entry clearance, regardless of your nationality. You must be entering the UK in a school party of five or more pupils which is organised by the school or the institution. You will be permitted to either enter using an eGate (depending on your age and nationality), or you can apply to enter the UK as a Visitor on arrival in the UK at either the airport, or at UK immigration control in France should you choose to travel using the Eurostar.
Applying in advance for entry clearance as a Visitor
Last updated October 04, 2023
Your application must include:
The completed application form. In every country apart from North Korea, you have to fill this in online.
An acceptance letter confirming that you will be studying at an accredited institution if the purpose of your visit is to study (this does not apply to those visiting the UK for tourism or leisure who wish to attend a recreational course);
The current application fee in local currency is £115 for a six month visitor visa. The fee for a long-term visitor visa is £400 for a two-year visa, £771 for a five-year visa and £963 for a ten-year visa;
A valid travel document;
Evidence that you have enough money to support yourself while you are in the UK. You need to show that you can pay for any applicable tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses. There are no specific requirements which state the amount of money you must show when you apply for a Visitor visa. However you must show that you have enough money to cover your course fees plus accommodation and living expenses. Using the Student maintenance figures as a guide only, it would be reasonable to show that you have the equivalent of £1,023 per month, or £1,334 per month if studying in London, for the duration of your studies. If you will be staying with friends or family while in the UK, which will decrease your living costs, you can include evidence of this;
You must submit original documents. You will also need to provide a translation of any documents which are not already in English. Please refer to the Home Office's information on supporting documents for further details.
You must submit your completed immigration application to your nearest UK visa application centre. You do not need to apply in the country where you live.
Medical insurance
Last updated August 31, 2024
Please refer to the page for England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland (depending on where you are going to stay in the UK), to see whether you will be entitled to free hospital treatment if you become ill during your visit to the UK.
As accessing medical treatment (other than hospital care as outlined above), is prohibited as a Visitor, you will need to ensure that you obtain private medical insurance for your visit. Your private medical insurance should be obtained from the beginning of your stay and should cover the whole length of your stay.
Holds a valid accreditation from Accreditation UK, the Accreditation Body for Language Services (ABLS), the British Accreditation Council (BAC), or the Accreditation Service for International Colleges (ASIC); or
Holds a valid and satisfactory full institution inspection, review or audit by Estyn, Education Scotland, the Independent Schools Inspectorate, Office for Standards in Education, the Office for Students, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education or the Education and Training Inspectorate Northern Ireland; or
An overseas higher education institution offering only part of its programmes in the UK.
A "state-funded school or academy" means:
a) In England: An “Academy” as defined by and established under the Academies Act 2010, as amended. This includes academy schools, 16-19 academies and alternative provision academies b) In England and Wales: A “school maintained by a local authority” being an institution defined in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 or the Education Act 1996, both as amended. This includes community schools, foundation schools, voluntary aided schools, voluntary controlled schools, community special schools, foundation special schools, pupil referral units, and maintained nursery schools. c) In Northern Ireland: A “grant-aided school” being a school to which grants are paid under the Education Orders as defined in the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1986. This includes controlled, maintained, grant-maintained integrated schools and voluntary grammar schools. d) In Scotland: A “public school” and a “grant-aided school”, both as defined in section 135 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 which defines a “public school” to mean “a school under the management of an education authority”. For the avoidance of doubt, these definitions include any such nursery schools and special schools. “Special school” has the meaning given in section 29(1) of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.
“Higher education provider” means a student sponsor which:
(a) in England, is an institution that is required to register with the Office for Students, because it is an “English Higher Education Provider”, as defined in the Office for Students Regulations and section 83 of the Higher Education and Research Act 2017; or (b) in Northern Ireland, is a higher education institution as set out in the Education and Libraries (Northern Ireland) Order 1993, or a body that provides higher education, and is recognised under the Further Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, with “in developmental” or “established provider” status; or (c) in Scotland, is an institution that provides higher education within the meaning of section 38 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 1992 and which is a post-16 education body within the meaning of section 35(1) of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005; or (d) in Wales, is an institution that offers higher education provision and is a “regulated institution”, as defined in the Higher Education (Wales) Act 2015 (for the purpose of the 2015 Act, higher education is defined as education provided by means of a course of any description mentioned in Schedule 6 to the Education Reform Act 1988).
“Independent School” means:
(a) a school in England or Wales (which is not an Academy, a school maintained by a local authority, or a non-maintained special school), at which full-time education is provided for:
(i) five or more pupils of compulsory school age (whether or not such education is also provided at it for pupils under or over that age); or
(ii) for at least one pupil of compulsory school age (whether or not such education is also provided at it for pupils under or over that age) for whom an education, health and care (EHC) plan or a statement of special educational needs is maintained, or who is looked after by a local authority (within the meaning of section 22 of the Children Act 1989); or
(b) a school in Scotland (which is not a public school or a grant-aided school), at which full-time education is provided for pupils of school age (whether or not such education is also provided for pupils under or over that age); or
(c) a school in Northern Ireland (which is not grant-aided), which has been registered with the Department of Education.
A recreational course means a course undertaken purely for leisure purposes that does not lead to a formal qualification, for example, a leisure course in pottery or horse riding.
Essential guide on maintaining your student visa status in the UK, covering everything from attendance requirements to visa renewals, ensuring your educational journey remains uninterrupted.
The EU Settlement Scheme offers EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, and their eligible family members, who were in the UK before the end of the transition period, the opportunity to protect their residence in the UK beyond the transition period.
