Documents you must provide to apply get a refund of the application fee if you

for your visa get a shorter visa or your application is

Applying for a
refused.
When you apply you will need to provide
a current passport or other valid travel For more information please visit
identification. You need a page in your www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa

UK Visit Visa
passport that is blank on both sides for
Extending your stay when you are in
your visa.
the UK
You must also provide additional
You may be able to extend your stay
documents if you are visiting for a
as long as the total time you spend in
specific reason, for instance private
the UK is no more than 6 months. The
medical treatment, to undertake a
maximum period of stay for visiting
permitted paid engagement, to marry
academics is 12 months, the maximum
or form a civil partnership. You can find
for private medical treatment is
further information in the supporting
11 months and the maximum for
documents guide at: www.gov.uk/
permitted paid engagements is
government/publications/visitor-visa-
one month.
guide-to-supporting-documents
If you remain in the UK after your
You can also provide other documents to
visa expires you can be banned from
support your application, for example:
returning to the UK. Those who remain
• evidence that you can support yourself in the UK illegally, without a valid visa,
during your trip, for example, bank are not permitted to work, rent private
statements or payslips property, hold a driving licence or
• details of where you intend to stay and access a wide range of publicly funded
your travel plans – you should not pay services and benefits.
for accommodation or travel until you For information on travelling to the
get your visa UK and crossing our border visit
• details of your employment or studies www.gov.uk/uk-border-control
where you are employed or are
studying
You will also need to provide a certified
translation of any documents that are not
Did you know?
in English or Welsh.
Long-term visit visas 88% of those who apply
for a visa get one.
If you are applying for a long-term visit
visa you must also provide evidence
to show that you can support yourself The UK currently processes
financially for the duration of your visa. 98% of non-settlement
15
You may be given a visa for a shorter DAYS visa applications within
period than requested if you do not do 15 working days.
this or for other reasons. You will not

01/2018
 Who needs a visa to enter the You will need to have your fingerprints
and photograph (known as ‘biometric
UK as a Visitor? information’) taken at the visa
Nationals of some countries require a application centre as part of your
visa to enter the UK. If you are unsure application. You may be able to get
whether you require a visa you can use your visa faster or use other services
the ‘check if you need a visa’ tool on our depending on what country you are in.
website at www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa
How long it will take
Who can apply? You can apply for a visa up to 3 months
You can apply for a visit visa if you are: before your date of travel to the UK
and should get a decision on your visa
• travelling to the UK to undertake within 15 working days. To find out how
any of the permitted activities in long getting a visa might take in the
Appendices 3, 4 or 5 to Appendix V of country you are applying from visit
the Immigration Rules for visitors www.gov.uk/visa-processing-times
• able to support yourself financially for
How long you can stay
the duration of your visit
You can usually stay in the UK for up to
The UK welcomes genuine visitors, and we continually improve • able to pay for your return or
6 months with a visit visa. You can also
onward journey
our visa system to make it as easy as possible for those who apply for a long-term visit visa if you can
• will leave the UK at the end of your visit
meet our requirements to gain entry to the UK. prove you need to make repeat visits
If you want to come to the UK regularly over a longer period. You can stay for a
You may wish to experience our world-class heritage, visit you could benefit from a long-term visit maximum of 6 months on each visit and
our beautiful countryside, shop or attend a sporting event. visa if: your visa can last for 6 months, 2, 5 or
10 years.
Whatever the reason, we hope this guide will help you apply for • you have a frequent and ongoing need
a visitor visa. to come to the UK What you can and cannot do
• You are likely to need to continue With a visit visa you cannot:
Further information on visas is available at to come to the UK to carry out a
• take paid or unpaid work, be self-
www.gov.uk/visas-immigration. You can plan your trip permitted visitor activity while your
employed or set up in business
visitor visa is valid
and find out more about the UK at www.visitbritain.com • study, except for up to 30 days
• you plan to leave the UK at the end of
each visit where this is not the main purpose
of your visit
What types of visit visa which enables you to visit the UK to The Application Process • have recourse to public funds
marry or form a civil partnership or
are there? give notice of this How do I apply for my visa? • live in the UK for long periods of time
There are four types of visit visa: through frequent or successive visits
• Visit (permitted paid engagements) You must apply online for a visit visa at
which enables you to visit the UK for a www.gov.uk/apply-uk-visa • marry or form a civil partnership,
• Visit (standard) which enables you to
month to do certain paid engagements unless you hold a marriage/civil
visit the UK for activities including a
such as examining students if you are After you have applied online, you will partnership visit visa.
holiday, attending business meetings,
a highly qualified academic need to make an appointment to attend
take part in sports and entertainment
one of our visa application centres.
events, have private medical treatment • Visit (transit) which enables you to
Find your nearest centre at www.gov.
• Visit (marriage and civil partnership) transit the UK
uk/find-a-visa-application-centre