A calm, guided walkthrough of the official application process — check if you need a visa, calculate your fee, tick off your documents, and follow the exact sequence UK Visas & Immigration expects.
Answer two quick questions. This mirrors the check GOV.UK asks before you're allowed to start a full application.
Every Standard Visitor application is assessed against the same core rules, regardless of your purpose of travel.
You must convince a caseworker you will leave the UK at the end of your visit and not settle through repeat trips.
You (or a sponsor) can support yourself and pay for accommodation, living costs, and your return or onward journey.
A valid passport or travel document is required for the entire length of your visit.
No relevant convictions, deception in past applications, or history of overstaying or breaching immigration rules.
Paid or unpaid work for a UK employer is prohibited, aside from narrow "permitted paid engagement" exceptions.
Frequent or successive visits that add up to making the UK your main home will breach visitor conditions.
Choose how long you'd like your visa to be valid for, then add a faster-decision service if you need one. Figures reflect current published Home Office fees.
Tick off each item as you gather it. There's no fixed universal list — but these cover what almost every applicant needs.
Must be valid for the whole of your intended stay, with at least one blank page.
A recent digital photo meeting UK visa photo requirements.
Recent bank statements or payslips (typically the last 3–6 months) showing you can support your trip.
Flight bookings or an outline of your planned dates and route in and out of the UK.
Hotel bookings, or an invitation letter from family/friends you're staying with.
A letter confirming your job/course and approved leave or holiday dates, showing ties back home.
E.g. a business invitation letter, conference details, or a letter from a UK clinic for medical treatment.
Only required if you're visiting for more than 6 months and are from a listed country.
Click any step to expand it. Mark steps complete as you go — your progress bar at the top of the page will fill in.
Breaching these conditions can lead to refusal at the border or trouble with future applications.
No paid or unpaid employment, including freelance or remote work for a UK client, aside from narrow permitted paid engagements.
Courses longer than 6 months require a Student visa, not a Standard Visitor visa.
You can't claim UK benefits or use the NHS beyond emergency or agreed private treatment.
Marrying, forming a civil partnership, or giving notice needs a Marriage Visitor visa instead.
Frequent or successive visits that amount to living in the UK will put your visa status at risk.
Each family member, including children, must submit and pay for their own separate application.