UK Standard Visitor Visa Guide
The Standard Visitor route covers tourism, business, short study and other permitted activities, and it now includes permitted paid engagements that used to sit on a separate visa. This guide covers what you can and cannot do, eligibility and the fee. Verified against gov.uk, October 2026.
The 15-second answer
You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months as a Standard Visitor. A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months, and the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
What the Standard Visitor route is for
You can visit the UK as a Standard Visitor for tourism, business, study (courses up to 6 months) and other permitted activities. You can usually stay for up to 6 months; you might be able to apply to stay for longer in certain circumstances, for example to get medical treatment.
What you can do (permitted activities)
- For tourism, for example a holiday or vacation.
- To see your family or friends.
- To volunteer for up to 30 days with a registered charity.
- To pass through the UK to another country (in transit).
- For certain business activities, for example attending a meeting or interview.
- For certain paid engagements or events (a permitted paid engagement) as an expert in your profession, for example to give lectures or perform.
- To take part in a school exchange programme.
- To do a recreational course of up to 30 days, for example a dance course.
- To study, do a placement or take an exam.
- As an academic, senior doctor or dentist.
- For medical reasons.
What you cannot do
- Do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless you are doing a permitted paid engagement or event.
- Claim public funds (benefits).
- Live in the UK for long periods of time through frequent or successive visits.
- Marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership — you need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa.
Eligibility
You must have a passport or travel document, valid for the whole of your stay. You must be able to show that you will leave the UK at the end of your visit, that you can support yourself and your dependants (or have funding), that you can pay for your return or onward journey, and that you will not live in the UK for extended periods through frequent or successive visits or make the UK your main home. Extra requirements may apply if you are visiting to study, as an academic or senior doctor/dentist, for a permitted paid engagement, or for medical reasons.
Do you need a visa?
Depending on your nationality, you will either have to apply for a Standard Visitor visa before you travel, apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) (which allows you to visit the UK for up to 6 months without a visa), or be able to visit for up to 6 months without a visa or an ETA. If you do not need a visa, you must still meet the Standard Visitor eligibility requirements, and you may be asked questions at the border. If you have previously been refused entry or have a criminal record, you may want to apply for a visa even if you do not need one.
The fee and how to apply
A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months. You must apply online before you travel, and the earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel. If you visit regularly, you can apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa instead. If transiting is your only reason for coming to the UK, you can apply for a Visitor in Transit visa for £74.50 instead.
Permitted paid engagement
A permitted paid engagement or event — giving lectures or performing as an expert in your profession — is now one of the Standard Visitor permitted activities. See the UK permitted paid engagement documents checklist and the UK visa documents checklist for the paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay as a Standard Visitor?
You can usually stay in the UK for up to 6 months. You might be able to apply to stay for longer in certain circumstances, for example to get medical treatment.
What can I do as a Standard Visitor?
Tourism, seeing family or friends, volunteering up to 30 days with a registered charity, transiting, certain business activities, certain paid engagements or events as an expert, a school exchange, a recreational course of up to 30 days, study or a placement, and medical treatment.
Can I work on a Standard Visitor visa?
No. You cannot do paid or unpaid work for a UK company or as a self-employed person, unless you are doing a permitted paid engagement or event.
How much does a Standard Visitor visa cost?
A Standard Visitor visa costs £135 for up to 6 months. The earliest you can apply is 3 months before you travel.
Can I get married on a Standard Visitor visa?
No. You cannot marry or register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership. You need to apply for a Marriage Visitor visa.
Do I need a visa to visit the UK?
Depending on your nationality, you either apply for a Standard Visitor visa, need an electronic travel authorisation (ETA), or can visit for up to 6 months without a visa or an ETA. Check before you travel.
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Source note: the up-to-6-month stay, the tourism/business/study purpose, the full permitted-activities list (including certain paid engagements or events as an expert), the cannot-do list (no work unless a permitted paid engagement, no public funds, no long-period living, no marriage), the eligibility requirements, the visa/ETA/no-visa nationality split, the £135 fee, the 3-month earliest application, the long-term option and the £74.50 Visitor in Transit visa are from the UK government page gov.uk/standard-visitor, checked October 2026.