Destinations / Visit visa
United Kingdom visit visa
The Standard Visitor visa covers almost every short trip to the UK: a holiday, a wedding, seeing your children or parents, a conference or a business meeting. You apply online, give your fingerprints at a visa application centre, and wait for the decision.
Visas07
United Kingdom
Standard Visitor visa
- Stay
- Up to 6 months
- Apply
- Online + biometrics
- Earliest
- 3 months before travel
Who it is for
- Holidays and sightseeing
- Visiting family or friends
- Business meetings, conferences and training
- A short course of up to 6 months
Documents for the file
This is the usual list. Yours is written for your case after the first assessment.
- Valid passport with at least one blank page, plus your old passports
- Bank statements that show your regular income and your savings
- Job letter and salary slips, or business registration and tax papers
- Your travel plan: dates, where you will stay and what you will do
- Invitation letter and your host's documents, if family or friends are hosting you
- Certified English translations of any document in another language
How the application goes
Profile check
We look at your job or business, your bank history and your travel history, and tell you plainly where the file is strong and where it is weak.
Online application
We fill the form on GOV.UK with you. Every answer has to match your documents, so we go through it line by line.
Biometrics appointment
We book your slot at the visa application centre. You attend in person for fingerprints and a photo.
Decision
Your passport comes back with the decision. If it is a refusal, we read the reasons with you and plan the next application.
How long it takes
UK Visas and Immigration says most visitor decisions arrive within about 3 weeks of the biometrics appointment. Busy months can be slower, so apply early: you can apply up to 3 months before you travel.
Good to know
- The officer looks hardest at two things: can you pay for this trip, and will you come home afterwards.
- There are long-term visitor visas for 2, 5 and 10 years. Each visit is still limited to 6 months.
- You cannot work in the UK on a visitor visa.
Questions about the United Kingdom visit visa
How much bank balance do I need for a UK visit visa?
There is no official minimum. The officer checks that the money matches your income, that it has been in the account for a while, and that it covers the trip you describe. A sudden large deposit raises more questions than a modest, steady account.
Can my relative in the UK sponsor my visit?
Yes. Your host can pay for your stay. Their documents then become part of your file: proof of their status in the UK, payslips or bank statements, and proof of address.
Start your United Kingdom visit visa
Send us the basics and we will tell you what your application will involve.
