UK Visitor Visa

What the UK Standard Visitor visa is — and what you can do on it

The Standard Visitor visa is the main visa for people coming to the UK for a short visit. It rolls several older visit categories into one, and you can normally stay for up to 6 months on a single trip.

It is a temporary visa, not a route to living in the UK. You must plan to leave at the end of your visit, and you cannot use repeated visits to make the UK your main home.

• Tourism and holidays, including sightseeing and travelling around the UK
• Visiting family or friends who live in the UK
• Business activities such as meetings, conferences, interviews and negotiating contracts
• Short courses and study of up to 6 months at an accredited institution
• Certain medical treatment and academic or research visits
• What you cannot do: take up paid or unpaid work for a UK business, claim public funds, marry (you need a different visa), or live in the UK long-term through frequent visits

The requirements and evidence you'll need

The Home Office decides applications mainly on whether you are a 'genuine visitor' — someone who will do what they say and leave when their visit ends. You also need to show you can pay for the trip. You apply online before you travel (up to 3 months ahead) and give your fingerprints and photo at a visa application centre.

• A valid passport or travel document for the whole of your stay
• Evidence you will leave the UK at the end of your visit — a job, studies, property or family ties in your home country
• Proof you can support yourself and any dependants, or that someone is funding you
• Bank statements or payslips showing you can cover travel, accommodation and living costs
• Your travel dates and where you'll be staying in the UK
• If someone is sponsoring or inviting you, their details
• Always check GOV.UK for the current application fee, as fees change

Common refusal reasons — and how to avoid them

Most visitor visa refusals come down to the caseworker not being satisfied you are a genuine visitor or that you can fund the trip. A clear, well-evidenced application makes a real difference, so knowing where applications usually fall down helps you put the right evidence in from the start.

• Weak ties to your home country, so the caseworker doubts you'll leave — show employment, study, family or property
• Unclear or unexplained finances, such as a sudden large deposit
• Funds that look too low to cover the whole trip
• Vague travel plans or no clear reason for the visit
• Inconsistencies between your application, documents and immigration history
• Previous overstays or refusals that aren't properly addressed

How Immigration Lawyers UK helps

Immigration Lawyers UK is a network of SRA-regulated immigration solicitors working on fixed fees across the UK. We help you present a genuine, well-documented visitor application so the Home Office can say yes with confidence.

Because the rules are strict and decisions are at the caseworker's discretion, having a regulated solicitor check your application before you submit can save you a refused application, a wasted fee and a delayed trip.

What to do next

If you're planning a visit to the UK and want to get your application right first time, the simplest next step is a free, no-obligation assessment. We'll look at your situation, flag any risks and explain your options in plain English.

Request a free call-back and an SRA-regulated solicitor will be in touch to talk through your visit and how best to evidence it.