How to Apply for a Long-Term UK Visitor Visa

By Isabella Reynard - Immigration Barrister

25 Feb 2026

This guide explores the key considerations involved in applying for a UK long-term Visitor visa. We set out the application process step by step and share practical tips to help you strengthen your application and improve your prospects of success.

1. Overview of the UK Long-Term Standard Visitor Visa

When submitting an application for a Standard Visitor visa, applicants are able to indicate the desired length of the visa. Ordinarily, the Standard Visitor visa is chosen by individuals wishing to visit the United Kingdom for a temporary period of up to six months. However, it is also possible to apply for a long-term Standard Visitor visa, which allows for multiple entries to the United Kingdom for a period of two, five or ten years. 

Each entry to the United Kingdom is limited to a maximum of 6 months on any individual visit and there is a separate requirement to not intend to make the UK your home through frequent or successive visits. This route is desirable for those who have an ongoing need to visit the United Kingdom and seek to avoid making multiple entry-clearance applications.

2. Requirements for a Long-term Visitor Visa

Eligibility: Visa National vs Non-Visa National

To be eligible for a long-term Visitor visa, applicants need to demonstrate to UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI) that they are a visa national. Visa nationals require entry clearance prior to travelling to the United Kingdom as a visitor, whereas non-visa nationals can normally seek entry as a visitor on arrival at the UK border using their Electronic Travel Authorisation which you can apply for on the Government website. The list of nationalities which require entry clearance is set out in Appendix Visitor: Visa national list.

Suitability Criteria for Long-Term Visitor Visas

Those applying for entry clearance on a long-term Standard Visitor visa must not fall foul of refusal under Part Suitability of the Immigration Rules.

3. Demonstrating Genuine Visitor Intentions

For an application to succeed, the UKVI decision maker must be satisfied that an applicant is a genuine visitor. To meet this requirement, an applicant must show that they:

• Will leave the United Kingdom at the end of their visit;
• Will not live in the United Kingdom for extended periods of time;
• Are genuinely seeking entry for a purpose permitted by the visitor routes;
• Will not undertake any prohibited activities, and;
• Have sufficient funds to cover all reasonable costs in relation to their visit, without working or accessing public funds in the United Kingdom.

4. Demonstrating a Recurring Need to Visit the UK

When applying for a long-term Standard Visitor visa, the evidence submitted in support of these factors ought to demonstrate an ongoing need to visit the United Kingdom as a visitor. The risks of insufficiently demonstrating a recurring need to travel to the United Kingdom when making this application are outlined below.

The Home Office acknowledges that where a person holds a long-term Standard Visitor visa for two, five or ten years, their reason for visiting is likely to differ over time; this is permissible if the person intends to continue undertaking permitted visitor activities. For an in-depth look at what activities are permitted and what activities are prohibited on a Standard Visitor visa, please see our article UK Visit Visa: What Activities Are Permitted?

5. Factors UKVI Considers When Assessing Genuine Visitor Intentions

In assessing whether an applicant is a genuine visitor, UKVI caseworkers will refer to the Visit Guidance which lists a number of different factors, including:

• Immigration history in both the United Kingdom and other countries, and their record of compliance with immigration rules;
• Previous patterns of travel to the United Kingdom;
• Financial circumstances, as well as an applicant’s family, social and economic background;
• Personal and economic ties to their home country, and;
• The credibility of their intentions in light of their personal, family and economic circumstances.

See our previous article Visit Visas – Avoiding Refusal for Not Showing a ‘Genuine Intention to Visit’ for more information on the factors considered in the assessment of whether someone is a genuine visitor.

6. Common Red Flags That May Lead to Refusal

The Visit Guidance further provides a non-exhaustive list of factors which may lead a decision maker to doubt whether an applicant is genuine, including:

• A lack of family or economic ties to their home country and familial connections in the UK;
• Previous attempts to deceive the Home Office in an application made by the applicant, the sponsor or any other relevant party;
• Discrepancies in the statements made in an application;
• The information provided in an application cannot be verified;
• The reasons for the visit or the information submitted lacks credibility, or;
• A luggage search at the border reveals items which contradict their intention to visit.

7. Long-Term Visitor Visa Fees and Processing Times

Those applying for entry clearance as a long-term Standard Visitor must apply from overseas in a country where they have a right of residence using the specified online form, “Apply for a UK Visit visa”. The form allows applicants to select the length of the visa they wish to apply for.

The length of the visitor visa will determine the application fee. As of writing this article, the prices for Standard Visitor visas are listed as follows:

• 6 month Standard Visitor visa £127
• 2 year long-term Standard Visitor visa £475
• 5 year long-term Standard Visitor visa £848
• 10 year long-term Standard Visitor visa £1,059

Once the appropriate fee has been paid and the application has been submitted, applicants are able to upload all supporting documents online and book an appointment to enrol their biometrics. These appointments additionally require the provision of an identity document (ordinarily a passport) which confirms the applicant’s nationality and identity. Applications made for a Standard Visitor visa are typically decided within three weeks of attending a biometrics appointment. This is the current standard processing time and priority services may be available for an additional fee which can reduce this.

8. Risks of Long-Term Standard Visitor Visa Applications

It is important for applicants to be aware that there are several risks when applying for a long-term Visitor visa. 

Refusal and Limited Appeal Rights

As with the six-month Standard Visitor visa, there is a risk of an application being refused. In the event of a refusal, applicants are unlikely to have a legal right of appeal; a right of appeal is only possible where the visit engages human rights considerations. Applicants may otherwise be able to pursue judicial review proceedings as a remedy. You may wish to speak to one of our barristers for expert advice on making a fresh Visit visa application if your application has been refused.

Shorter Visas and Risk of Cancellation

If UKVI are not satisfied that an applicant meets the eligibility requirements for the duration of the visa applied for, they may alternatively be issued a shorter visa than was applied for. In this instance, the difference in the application fees will not be refunded. 

There is a chance that a long-term Standard Visitor visa might be cancelled if a caseworker has reason to believe that an applicant is using frequent and successive visits to make the United Kingdom their home. The use of a long-term Standard Visitor visa to make the United Kingdom one’s home could prompt a refusal in future visa applications. Visa nationals should carefully consider this possibility when travelling on a long-term Standard Visitor visa.

9. Contact Our Immigration Barristers

For expert advice and assistance with an application for a long-term Standard Visitor visa, contact our Immigration Barristers on 020 3617 9173 or complete our enquiry form below.

10. Frequently Asked Questions