UK Visitor Visa for Tourism: Top 10 FAQs
In This Article
A Standard Visitor visa is the main route for visa nationals who wish to visit the UK for tourism, leisure or to see family and friends, usually for up to six months. Not every traveller needs a visa: many non-visa nationals must instead obtain an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA), while limited exempt travellers need neither. An ETA or visa does not guarantee entry, and every visitor must satisfy the requirements at the border.
The questions below explain the current eligibility requirements, permitted activities, evidence, costs, processing and options following refusal.
1. What Are the Eligibility Requirements for a UK Visitor Visa Application?
You must satisfy the requirements in Appendix V: Visitor and must not fall for refusal under Part Suitability. In broad terms, you must be a genuine visitor who will leave the UK at the end of the visit, will not make the UK your main home through frequent or successive visits, will undertake only permitted activities and has sufficient funds for all reasonable costs without working or accessing public funds.
A visa national must obtain a Standard Visitor visa before travel. A non-visa national will usually need an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) unless exempt. Before making plans, check whether you need a visa, an ETA or no advance permission.
2. What Can I Do as a Standard Visitor in the UK?
A Standard Visitor may come to the UK for tourism, to see family or friends and for other permitted activities. These include educational exchange programmes, recreational courses lasting no more than 30 days and volunteering for a registered charity for up to 30 days.
Specified business activities also fall within the Standard Visitor route; there is not a separate general business visitor visa. Some remote working for an overseas role may be permitted, but it must be secondary to the permitted purpose of the visit rather than the main reason for coming to the UK. A person coming to marry or form a civil partnership, or to transit in circumstances requiring permission, must meet the separate rules for that purpose.
3. What Does It Mean to Be a “Genuine Visitor”?
A genuine visitor is someone who will leave the UK at the end of the visit
UKVI considers the application as a whole. The stated purpose, proposed length, travel and immigration history, finances and the applicant’s family, social and economic circumstances should form a coherent account supported by relevant evidence.
4. Why Might a Caseworker Doubt That I Am a Genuine Visitor?
A caseworker may have concerns where the purpose or duration is not credible, statements by the applicant and sponsor are inconsistent, information cannot be verified, financial evidence does not match the proposed trip(s), or the applicant has limited personal or economic ties to their home country and strong connections in the UK.
Travel history is relevant but is not decisive. A first-time traveller should not be refused simply because they have no previous travel history; the remaining evidence must still be assessed. No single concern automatically determines the application, but any apparent discrepancy or unusual features to an application should be explained directly.
5. What Funds Do I Need to Show for a UK Visitor Visa?
There is no fixed minimum bank balance when applying as a visitor. The funds must be reasonable for the cost and length of the visit and must cover travel, maintenance, accommodation, any dependants and planned activities without working or claiming public funds. The money relied on must be genuinely available and held in a permitted financial institution.
A third party may pay for travel, maintenance or accommodation where there is a genuine personal or professional relationship and the sponsor can and will provide the promised support. The arrangement should be declared and evidenced. Sponsorship does not remove the need for the applicant to show their funds and that they are a genuine visitor who will leave the UK.
6. What Counts as Frequent or Successive Visits to the UK?
An ordinary visit is normally limited to six months. A two, five or ten-year long-term Standard Visitor visa permits repeated travel during its validity, but it does not permit a person to live in the UK or guarantee six months on every entry.
There is no rule that limits a visitor to six months in any twelve-month period. Instead, UKVI looks at the pattern of travel, including the purpose and length of visits, time spent in the UK during the preceding 12 months, time spent outside the UK, the applicant’s links to both countries (or more than two countries) and whether the UK is becoming their main home.
7. How Do I Make an Application for a UK Visitor Visa?
A Standard Visitor visa application is made online from outside the UK and can normally be submitted no earlier than three months before the intended travel date. The applicant will usually attend a visa application centre to prove identity, provide fingerprints and a photograph, and submit supporting documents. Specified documents not in English or Welsh normally need a certified translation.
Each family member typically needs a separate application and fee. Applicants who visit regularly may apply for a long-term visa valid for two, five or ten years, although each visit is normally limited to six months and UKVI may grant a shorter visa than requested without refunding the difference.
8. How Much Does It Cost to Make a UK Visit Visa Application?
The Home Office fees in force from 8 April 2026 are set out below. Fees and optional commercial visa application centre charges can change, so the current official fee should be checked before submission.
| Visa validity | Maximum ordinary stay | Home Office fee |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 6 months | 6 months | GBP 135 |
| Up to 2 years | 6 months per visit | GBP 506 |
| Up to 5 years | 6 months per visit | GBP 903 |
| Up to 10 years | 6 months per visit | GBP 1,128 |
Where available, the non-settlement priority service costs an additional GBP 500. Paying for priority does not guarantee that a decision will be made within the priority period, particularly in complex cases.
9. How Long Will It Take for My UK Visit Visa Application to Be Decided?
A Standard Visitor visa application made outside the UK is usually decided within three weeks after the applicant has proved their identity and provided the required documents. The priority service usually aims to provide a decision within five working days where it is available.
Either service can take longer where UKVI requires more information, verification or an interview. A service standard is not a guaranteed deadline, and applicants should ideally avoid relying on non-refundable travel arrangements before a decision is made.
10. What Happens if My Application for a UK Visitor Visa Is Refused?
The refusal notice should be reviewed carefully to identify the factual and legal reasons. A standard visitor visa refusal normally carries no right of appeal or administrative review unless the decision letter states otherwise. A properly made human-rights claim may create a right of appeal, but that is not the usual position in a tourism application.
Where the problem is missing, unclear or inconsistent evidence, a carefully prepared fresh application may be the appropriate response. Judicial review is also a possibility; this is concerned with whether the decision was unlawful, irrational or procedurally unfair. It is not a general appeal on the merits and must be considered promptly within the applicable time limit. If you receive a refusal, you may wish to seek legal advice regarding next steps.
11. Contact Our Immigration Barristers
For expert advice and assistance with a UK Standard Visitor visa application or a visitor visa refusal, contact our immigration barristers in London on 0203 617 9173 or complete our enquiry form.
Please note that the information provided in this article is for general guidance only and is based on the immigration rules and policies in force at the date of publication. Immigration law and Home Office policy can change frequently, and requirements may vary depending on individual circumstances. Legal advice should always be sought in relation to your specific situation.
