How to get a visitor visa quickly and without refusals
The UK Standard Visitor visa allows foreign nationals to make short trips to the United Kingdom. In other words, the standard visitor visa allows people from all corners of the world to experience the rich cultural heritage, scenic beauty and business opportunities of the UK first-hand.
This category of visa is usually issued for 6 months, or for two, five or 10 years if your circumstances meet all the necessary requirements. In exceptional circumstances a tourist visa can be extended in-country. For example, when a course of treatment in an English private hospital takes longer than planned or when you cannot stop research.
The British Standard Visitor visa combines several of its predecessor short-term categories to become a versatile tool for short trips to the UK for a variety of purposes.
What purposes are suitable for a standard visitor visa?
The most common reason to apply for a visitor visa to the UK is to:
- Take a tourist trip.
- To visit friends or relatives living in the UK.
- To come on business. For example, to hold negotiations or take part in an industry exhibition.
- Undertake short-term training courses (up to 6 months).
- Go to hospital for a medical check-up or treatment.
1. Tourism and recreation
The British Kingdom is a popular tourist destination offering visitors a unique blend of historical sites, cultural attractions and the opportunities of today’s vibrant cities.
2. Visiting friends and family
A visitor visa is for visiting family members or friends living in the UK.
3. Business visit
If the UK Standard Visitor visa is for business travel, you will be able to travel for 6 months:
- take part in negotiations, conclude deals and sign contracts;
- conduct interviews, organise meetings, participate in conferences, seminars and exhibitions (without being able to sell anything);
- sharing expertise with the UK staff of your overseas company;
- liaise with British businesses, from site inspection visits to maintenance of equipment supplied to Britain.
4. Short-term training course
Of course, visitor visa can be used for travelling to the UK for short-term (up to 6 months) studies. For example, you are taking a British vocational training course at a distance, and you are travelling to the United Kingdom for the final exams. Or, when you have the opportunity to combine business with pleasure – to improve your level of English on a short course during a tourist trip to England.
In short, your studies in the UK:
- should not take too long, otherwise you will need a Short-term study visa, Student visa or Child Student visa;
- must take place at an officially accredited educational institution;
- may be optional, an unpaid internship, a short research paper, a credit, a test or an examination.
5. Medical examination and treatment
A visitor visa can be used to allow you to travel to the UK for:
- undergoing an examination and treatment at a private clinic;
- for similar procedures in a National Health Service facility if your examination and treatment is paid for by your state under a relevant international reciprocal health care agreement;
- organ donation to a relative or close friend (the applicant must meet the relevant medical requirements).
What other grounds might there be for a standard visitor visa to the UK?
Of the previously untouched purposes of a short visit to the British kingdom are:
- volunteering for up to 30 days;
- transit – travelling to another country through Britain;
- participation in a short-term school exchange programme;
- taking training courses of no more than 30 days for recreational purposes;
- academic and research activities in the status of scientist, senior doctor or dentist.
How long is the UK Standard Visitor visa valid for?
The standard visitor visa to the UK is valid for up to 6 months. This period applies to most of the categories discussed earlier – tourists, visiting employees and businessmen on business, relatives and friends of British residents, and those undergoing short-term training or medical treatment.
If you need to visit the UK regular intervals over a long period of time, you can apply for a Long-term Visitor visa for 2 years, 5 years or 10 years. Whichever Long-term Standard Visitor visa you apply for, remember that all the requirements of this visa category apply to you for the duration of your visa. For example, this category prohibits you from making the UK your home, which implicitly means that you cannot spend more than 180 days in the country in any consecutive 12-month period.
Those who need to travel to the United Kingdom for treatment at a private hospital can be granted a visitor visa for 11 months. To do this, you must provide immigration authorities with a letter from a doctor with your medical conditions and proof of full payment for the treatment.
Professors, researchers and academics can spend a sabbatical in the British Isles by applying for a Standard Visitor visa for up to 12 months. To do this, they only need to provide documents from their place of work abroad and from the institution they plan to visit in the UK.
What requirements apply to a UK visitor visa applicant?
You will need a passport or equivalent identity document to travel to the UK. It must be valid for at least the planned period of your stay in the country.
In addition, UK visa officers must ensure that:
- You have no reason to stay in the UK after your visa expires.
- You have substantial ties to your country of residence and will leave the UK as soon as you have achieved the aims of your visit.
- You have enough money to support yourself and your dependants (if they are also applying for a visitor visa and travelling with you) during the trip, and to pay for return tickets or transit to another country.
Please note that if you are invited to the UK by one of your friends, family members, you still need to prove that you have the necessary financial means for this trip, even if the inviting party is willing to fully sponsor you.
It is also important to confirm the purpose of your visit to Britain, especially if you are travelling for business, medical treatment, medical examinations or study. Even those travelling to England to see relatives need to provide a letter from their host country.
The process of obtaining a standard visitor visa to the UK
You can apply for a tourist visa up to three months before the date of your trip. Start preparing early if you plan to attend a specific event in England, such as a conference or a concert by your favourite band. It will be much easier to apply for a UK visa if you hire an experienced immigration consultant.
The procedure for obtaining a visitor visa can be divided into several consecutive steps.
Step 1: Check that you meet the immigration requirements
The British Standard Visitor Visa is only required for nationals of those countries who do not need to show a passport or obtain an ETA – electronic travel authorisation – to cross the borders of the British kingdom.
ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) – electronic travel authorisation, which from 5 March 2025 became mandatory for citizens of a significant number of countries that previously had visa-free travel with the UK.
If need a visa for a short-term visit to the British Isles, check the requirements of the British authorities for applicants with the same purpose as you (tourism, family visit, business trip, medical treatment, etc.).
Step 2: Collect the necessary documents
The minimum list of supporting documents includes:
| Papers | Requirements |
| Valid passport |
The validity of the document is sufficient to visit Britain. There’s a free page in your passport for a visa. |
| Online visa application | All items must be completed. It is necessary to pay attention to thoroughly fill in all items, including information about your income and expenses. This information must be supported by the necessary financial documents. |
| Evidence of ties to the homeland |
Letter from your place of employment. Documents proving that you, for example, care for someone in your country of residence. Property documents in the country of residence are not a strong factor for this visa and it is not necessary to attach them. |
| Evidence of availability of necessary funds | Up-to-date bank statements. For the last six months, showing your income receipts, such as wages or other types of income. Payroll documents showing wages or other sources of income, such as your business registration certificate and bank statements showing business income and transfers from the business to your personal accounts. |
| Travel details | Airline tickets, UK hotel bookings. Do not need to be provided at the time of application. Only if these bookings have already been made. You can also include a letter describing your plans for the UK. |
| History of previous journeys | Copies of passport pages with visas and stamps of border authorities. |
| Documents for the purpose of travelling |
If travelling for treatment – Letter from the clinic confirming the appointment and full prepayment of the treatment. If it is a business trip – details of your visit, exhibition invitation, business traveller’s certificate, etc. If visiting relatives or travelling for scientific purposes, a letter of invitation from the host country. If studying – course information documents, tuition fee documents, etc. |
Step 3. Fill in the application form and pay the visa fee
You must apply online at the official UK government website. Try to be as accurate as possible when completing the application form for a standard visitor visa.
Once you have completed the form and checked that there are no errors and that absolutely all the necessary information has been provided, you will need to pay the visa fee as the final step in completing the form. The amount of the fee depends on the validity of the visa and any additional services you may require (e.g. expedited processing).
| Category of visitor visa | Visa fee | Visa length |
| Standard | £115 | 6 months |
| Standard for medical examination and treatment | £200 | 11 months |
| Standard for researchers, teachers, senior doctors and dentists | £200 | 12 months |
Step 4: Plan your trip to the visa application centre
After paying the visa fee, you will get access to the Visa Application Centre Website in your country, where you will need to book an appointment to submit your biometric data. Please note that in some cases slots for such appointments may not be available immediately and available slots will be available after some time.
When choosing a date and time, consider your availability, especially if the visa centre is located in another country.
When booking your appointment you will have the opportunity to select an option where you can upload all your documents yourself into the system. If this option is not available or you are not comfortable with it, you will be required to bring all your supporting documents to the visa application centre.
Step 5: Visit a UK visa application centre
You must arrive at the visa application centre on the appointed date and time without delay. You must have your passport, application form and supporting documents with you, unless you have chosen the option of uploading the documents yourself.
You will be asked to be fingerprinted and have your photograph taken.
You will normally leave your passport at the visa application centre until a decision is made on your application. In most cases there will be an additional service available for you to take your passport with you, for example if you need to travel while waiting for a decision. This service is available if you do not book an urgent application. In this case you will have to bring your passport to the visa application centre again when the decision on your application is made in order to have your visa stamped in your passport.
Step 6: Wait for a decision from the immigration authorities
The average processing time for your application is 15 working days. You can track the status of your application online using your application reference number. In some cases, if your application is complex or requires additional review or checks, the processing time may be extended to six to seven weeks.
If you’re in a hurry, priority and super priority review services are available for a faster resolution for an additional fee.
Please note the rules for applying for these services, when using the Priority Review service you will normally receive a response within 5 working days, however this is not always the case as this service means that your application will be placed at the front of the queue.
Super-priority processing of your visitor visa application will allow you to receive a response by the end of the next business day.
Cost of expedited visa application processing services
| Service | Amount |
| Priority consideration | £500 |
| Super-priority consideration | £1 000 |
We strongly recommend that you seek qualified immigration advice to minimise the risk of being refused.
Step 7: Get your visa!
When your application has been decided, you will be notified by email or SMS. You should re-visit the visa application centre to collect your visa passport and documents. Or they will be sent to you by post – depending on the method you have chosen.
Check that the visa sticker in your passport is filled in correctly (spelling of your name, type of visa, expiry date).
When travelling to England, along with your passport and visa, don’t forget to take your travel itinerary, as well as proof of accommodation and finances.
Limitations of the standard visitor visa to the UK
Whilst in the UK on a visitor visa, you cannot:
- Take a job with a UK firm or work in self-employed status, unless you are paid as a visiting ‘professional’ at an authorised paid event.
- Receive benefits and allowances from the state.
- Use a long term standard visitor visa to live in the British kingdom.
If you’ve been rejected
In some situations you may be refused a visa. This usually happens in cases where insufficient documents and information have been provided to prove your circumstances. In addition, providing incorrect information or false documents will result in a refusal, as well as a ban for up to 10 years. Unfortunately, if your tourist visa is refused, you do not have the right to request a review of the decision or to appeal.
However, a denial is not the end of the story. And you always have the right to reapply, in which you will need to provide all the necessary documents and explain the reasons for the original refusal.
Of course, we strongly recommend that if you receive a rejection, you contact a professional, immigration attorney to discuss your next steps, and prepare a new application that will allow you to get a downline.
Conclusions
If you want to visit Shakespeare’s homeland for tourism or any other short-term legitimate purpose and have enough money, obtaining a standard visitor visa will not be an insurmountable task. The main thing is to seek the help of experienced immigration consultants, so that the process of applying for entry documents to the UK is not marred by refusal or additional costs. Even if you have relied on your own resources and as a result have been refused, an experienced UK immigration lawyer will help you to correct all mistakes and reapply quickly!
FAQs about on the standard visitor visa to the UK
What document can confirm that a visitor visa applicant is travelling to a UK private hospital for treatment?
You will need a letter written by a GMC (General Medical Council) registered medical practitioner giving the following information:
- your medical condition that needs to be examined and treated;
- the estimated cost and likely duration of the course of treatment;
- the place of examination and treatment;
- Confirmation that the treatment has been paid in full.
Can I include family members in my application for a standard visitor visa to the UK?
No, this is only available if you are applying for a UK residence permit. To apply for a UK Standsrt Visitor Visa, each member of your family, including minor children, must make a separate application and provide all the necessary documents.
What is Permitted Paid Engagement?
A ‘Permitted Paid Employment’, also known as PPE, is a short-term assignment that the organisation inviting you has agreed in advance with the UK authorities. The task to be carried out with the help of a foreign visitor must be commensurate with their experience, professional qualifications and position.
On a standard visitor visa for ‘authorised paid events’, the British can only invite a limited range of professionals and only for certain types of one-off and/or short-term work.
Who is eligible to shed their standard visitor visa?
To write an application for a six-month visitor visa extension can:
- patients undergoing treatment in UK medical centres;
- Researchers, teachers and doctors who fulfil the qualification requirements;
- Medical graduates practising in an English hospital or retaking the PLAB test.
The renewal process costs £1,000 which is payable at the time of application.
How much will I need to pay for the visa fee in the process of obtaining a long term visitor visa to the UK?
The amount of the payment is directly related to the validity period of the Long-term Standard Visitor visa:
| Visa length | Visa fee |
| 2 years | £432 |
| 5 years | £771 |
| 10 years | £963 |
Can I change to a different visa category if I am currently in the UK on a standard visitor visa?
No, you cannot change to another visa category by coming to the UK on a UK Standard Visitor visa. The visitor visa holder must first return home and then apply for a different type of visa from abroad.
