UK Immigration · Visit & Short-Term Visas
UK Visit and Short-Term Visas
You can visit the UK for up to six months for tourism, family, business or short study. Whether you need a visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorisation depends on your nationality, not the purpose of your trip.
This guide provides an overview of the UK visit and short-term visa routes, whether you need a visitor visa or an ETA, and how to apply.
Standard Visitor Visa
Read the standard visitor visa guideMarriage Visitor Visa
Read the marriage visitor guideBusiness Visitor
Read the business visitor guidePermitted Paid Engagement
Read the permitted paid engagement guideTransit Visa
Read the transit visa guideElectronic Travel Authorisation
Read the ETA guide- Visa or ETA is the first question. Visa nationals need a visitor visa before travelling; many other travellers need only an ETA, which is a travel authorisation rather than a visa.
- The visit route is set by the purpose. Tourism, family, business, marriage, paid engagements and transit each map to a specific short-term route.
- The standard limit is six months. Most visit visas allow a stay of up to six months, with long-term visit visas valid for longer overall.
- A visitor cannot work or settle. Paid work for the UK labour market, public funds and living in the UK by frequent visits are not permitted on a visit route.
- Leaving at the end of the visit is part of the test. A visitor must be a genuine visitor who will leave the UK when the visit ends.
- Evidence supports the visit. A visit visa is granted on documents that show the purpose of the trip, the funds available and ties to the home country.
What is a UK visit visa?
A UK visit visa is permission to come to the UK for a short, temporary stay. It covers visitors who come for tourism, to see family and friends, for business activities, for short courses of study, or to pass through the UK on the way somewhere else.
A visit visa is a temporary permission, not a route to living in the UK. The visitor must intend to leave at the end of the trip, cannot work for the UK labour market, and cannot rely on public funds. Most short-term routes sit within Appendix V of the Immigration Rules, the part that governs visitors.
A visit visa is different from the family, work and study routes that lead to longer stays and settlement. A person who wants to live, work or study in the UK for the long term applies under a different route, because a visit cannot be turned into long-term residence by repeated visits or by switching in most cases.
Do you need a visa or an ETA to visit the UK?
Whether a person needs a visa to visit the UK depends on their nationality. Visa nationals must apply for and be granted a visitor visa before they travel. Non-visa nationals do not need a visitor visa for a short visit, but most now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, known as an ETA.
An ETA is a digital travel authorisation linked to a passport, not a visa. It permits a person to travel to the UK for a short visit, and the decision to admit them is still made at the border. The ETA scheme has been rolled out progressively to non-visa nationalities, so the requirement depends on the traveller's nationality and the date of travel (as of June 2026).
The practical effect is a two-step check. The traveller first confirms whether their nationality makes them a visa national or a non-visa national, then applies for a visitor visa or an ETA accordingly. British and Irish citizens, and people who already hold a UK visa or status, do not need an ETA.
The UK visit and short-term routes
The visit route a person needs depends on why they are coming to the UK. The standard visitor visa covers most short visits, while separate routes cover marriage, certain paid engagements and transit. The table below maps the purpose of the trip to the route that fits it.
| The purpose | The route | Visa or authorisation |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism, family, business or short study | Standard Visitor Visa | Visitor visa (visa nationals) or ETA (non-visa nationals) |
| Marrying or forming a civil partnership in the UK | Marriage Visitor Visa | Visitor visa for all nationalities |
| Permitted business activities while visiting | Standard Visitor Visa (business) | Visitor visa or ETA |
| Paid for a specific invited engagement | Permitted Paid Engagement | Visitor visa or ETA |
| Passing through the UK to another country | Transit Visa | Transit visa where required |
| Short visit by a non-visa national | No visa required | Electronic Travel Authorisation |
The standard visitor visa is the main route, and the business visitor and permitted paid engagement options are part of the visitor framework rather than separate work routes. A person who intends to marry or register a civil partnership in the UK needs a marriage visitor visa whatever their nationality, because that purpose is not covered by an ETA.
What you can and cannot do as a visitor
A visitor can do a wide range of permitted activities, but cannot work for the UK labour market or treat a visit as a way of living in the UK. The permitted activities are set out in Appendix V, and they define the edge of what a visit visa allows.
A visitor may come as a tourist, stay with or visit family and friends, attend meetings, conferences and interviews, take part in permitted business activities, and study for a short period. A standard visitor may study for up to six months at an accredited institution. Permitted paid engagements allow a specific, invited and paid activity for a named expert in their field.
A visitor must not do paid or unpaid work for a UK business, fill a role in the UK labour market, run a business as a self-employed person, or receive public funds. A visit route must not be used to live in the UK through frequent or successive visits, because a visitor must be genuinely seeking entry for a temporary stay. An application that does not show a genuine visit may be refused.
How long you can stay on a visit visa
A standard visit visa allows a stay of up to six months in the UK. The six-month limit applies to the standard visitor route whether the visa is granted as a single-entry or multiple-entry visa.
Long-term visit visas are valid for two, five or ten years, and they allow repeated visits across that period. A long-term visit visa does not extend the length of any single stay, which remains capped at six months per visit. It removes the need to apply again for each trip, which suits a person who visits the UK regularly.
A visitor must not make the UK their main home through frequent or long visits. A pattern of back-to-back visits, or spending most of the year in the UK, is inconsistent with being a genuine visitor, and a further visit may be refused. The principle is that a visit is temporary, and the visitor's main home remains outside the UK.
How to apply for a UK visit visa
A visit visa is applied for online from outside the UK, before travelling. The applicant completes the application, pays the fee, and books a biometric appointment at a visa application centre in their country to enrol fingerprints and a photograph.
The application is supported by documents that show the purpose of the visit, the funds available to cover it, and the applicant's ties to their home country. A visitor must satisfy the decision-maker that they are a genuine visitor who will leave the UK at the end of the trip, so the supporting evidence is built around the specific purpose of the trip.
An ETA, by contrast, is applied for through a short online process or the official app, and is usually decided quickly. A grant is linked to the traveller's passport electronically, so there is no visa label or card to collect.
Visit visa fees and processing times
A visit visa carries a Home Office application fee, which differs by the length of the visa and is payable per applicant at the point of application. An ETA carries a smaller authorisation fee. Visitors are not generally required to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge, because the visit route does not grant residence.
Processing times depend on the route and the country of application. A standard visitor visa is often decided within three weeks of the biometric appointment, with priority services available for a faster decision where offered. An ETA is usually decided within a few working days.
What happens if a visit visa is refused
A refused visit visa application can usually be addressed with a fresh application, once the refusal reason is understood. The refusal notice sets out the ground, which is the starting point for the next step.
Common grounds turn on whether the applicant has shown they are a genuine visitor. These include doubts about the purpose of the trip, the funds available, or the applicant's intention to leave at the end of the visit. Many of these are answered by a better-evidenced fresh application that addresses the specific concern.
The fresh application is built to present the purpose of the visit, the available funds and the ties to the home country in a clear and documented way. The right next step depends on the specific ground in the refusal notice, and on the applicant's circumstances.
Cost and timeline in practice
The examples below show how a visit application tends to come together. They are anonymised and indicative, given as ranges, and are not a quote for any individual application.
A traveller from a non-visa nationality planned a two-week holiday in the UK. The traveller did not need a visitor visa, applied online for an Electronic Travel Authorisation, and received the authorisation within a few days, linked to the passport. The decision to admit was made at the border on arrival.
A visa national applied for a standard visitor visa to attend a family wedding. The applicant evidenced the purpose of the trip, the funds for the stay and the ties to their home country, and the visa was decided within roughly the standard three-week service window.
A frequent business traveller applied for a long-term visit visa to avoid applying before every trip. The five-year visa allowed repeated visits, each capped at six months, and the applicant kept each stay well within the limit so that the pattern remained consistent with genuine visits.
Glossary
- Visit visa: permission to come to the UK for a short, temporary stay for tourism, family, business, short study or transit.
- Appendix V: the part of the Immigration Rules that governs visitors and sets the permitted activities and conditions.
- Visa national: a person whose nationality requires them to obtain a visitor visa before travelling to the UK.
- Non-visa national: a person who does not need a visitor visa for a short visit, but who usually needs an ETA.
- Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA): a digital travel authorisation linked to a passport, required by many non-visa nationals. It is not a visa.
- Genuine visitor: the test that the applicant intends a temporary visit and will leave the UK at the end of it.
- Long-term visit visa: a visitor visa valid for two, five or ten years that allows repeated visits, each capped at six months.
Frequently asked questions about UK visit visas
Do I need a visa to visit the UK?
It depends on your nationality. Visa nationals must apply for a visitor visa before travelling. Non-visa nationals do not need a visitor visa for a short visit, but most now need an Electronic Travel Authorisation, which is a digital travel authorisation rather than a visa. British and Irish citizens do not need either.
What is the difference between a UK visit visa and an ETA?
A visit visa is a visa that visa nationals must obtain before they travel to the UK. An ETA, or Electronic Travel Authorisation, is a digital permission linked to a passport that many non-visa nationals need instead. An ETA is not a visa, and the decision to admit the traveller is still made at the border.
Which UK visit route do I need?
The route depends on the purpose of the trip. The standard visitor visa covers tourism, family visits, business activities and short study. A separate marriage visitor visa is needed to marry or form a civil partnership in the UK, the permitted paid engagement route covers a specific invited paid activity, and a transit visa covers passing through the UK.
How long can I stay in the UK as a visitor?
A standard visit visa allows a stay of up to six months. Long-term visit visas are valid for two, five or ten years and allow repeated visits, but each individual stay is still capped at six months. A visitor must not use frequent visits to live in the UK.
Can I work in the UK on a visit visa?
No. A visitor cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK business, fill a role in the UK labour market, or run a business as a self-employed person. A visitor may attend meetings, conferences and interviews and take part in other permitted business activities, and the permitted paid engagement route allows one specific invited paid activity.
Can I study in the UK on a visit visa?
A standard visitor may study for up to six months at an accredited institution. A course longer than six months, or study that is the main purpose of a longer stay, needs a study route rather than a visit visa.
Can I get married in the UK on a standard visitor visa?
No. A person coming to the UK to marry or form a civil partnership needs a marriage visitor visa, whatever their nationality. The marriage visitor route is not covered by an ETA, so an ETA is not enough for that purpose.
Can a visit visa be extended or switched to another visa?
A visit visa cannot usually be extended beyond six months or switched into a work, study or family route from inside the UK. A person who wants to stay longer or for a different purpose generally applies for the relevant route from outside the UK.
What happens if my UK visit visa is refused?
A refusal can usually be addressed with a fresh application, once the refusal reason is clear. Many refusals turn on whether the applicant has shown they are a genuine visitor, which a better-evidenced application setting out the purpose, funds and ties to the home country can address.
How much does a UK visit visa cost?
A visit visa carries a Home Office application fee that differs by the length of the visa, payable per applicant, and an ETA carries a smaller authorisation fee. The current figures are set out on the fees guide.
How Whytecroft Ford can help
The Whytecroft Ford immigration team advises on the full range of visit and short-term routes, from the standard visitor visa to the marriage visitor, business visitor, permitted paid engagement and transit routes, as well as the Electronic Travel Authorisation. The firm helps travellers confirm whether they need a visa or an ETA, choose the right route, and present the supporting evidence correctly. This is the work that suits a visitor who wants their application handled properly the first time.
To discuss your visit application with our team, call 0208 757 5751 or use the contact form.
Sources
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