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Skip to content The UK Academic Visitor Visa, which is part of the Standard Visitor visa category, allows foreign nationals to participate in academic activities in the UK. This visa is designed specifically for academics, senior doctors, and dentists.
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Foreign nationals are allowed to engage in specific academic activities for a maximum of six months under the UK’s Immigration Rules under the Standard Visitor visa. The formal name for this type of visa is “Academic Visitor,” yet this is a more informal word.
Individuals from foreign academic institutions can use the Standard Visitor visa to participate in official exchange programs with their UK counterparts or to conduct independent research while on sabbatical from their home facility. Participation in research is also open to senior dental and medical professionals. And if you’re a dentist or doctor, you can teach and practise in the UK as long as it’s not a permanent job.
Your country’s regulations for academic visitor visa applications will vary. Some foreigners can come to the UK as visitors without a visa, but others will need to get a visit visa first.
As long as their home country is on the UK’s list of visa nationals, they are considered visa nationals and need a visiting visa. People from countries that don’t need visas need to get entry clearance before they can visit the UK for less than six months or for any other reason. Therefore, in order to participate in academic pursuits while in the UK, they need to undergo the application process for an Academic Visitor visa.
Non-visa nationals, on the other hand, don’t usually need to get a visa to come to the UK as an academic if they plan to stay for less than 6 months. This means that their country isn’t on the list of visa-requiring countries. Even though non-visa nationals can stay in the UK for up to six months as visiting academics, they still need to apply for entry clearance when they get there.
This means that academic tourists from any country who want to stay for six to twelve months will need a Standard Visitor visa.
People from some countries that don’t need visas must now get permission through the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) system before they can visit the UK. The electronic travel authorisation (ETA) method is a new way to make sure that travellers are safe before they come to the UK. This means that once this system is fully in place, all foreigners who come to the UK for education will need either an Academic Visitor visa or an ETA.
Citizens of Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE must now apply for an ETA instead of an EVW under the new ETA system. All non-visa holders who can travel without a visa now will need an ETA by 2025.
To get an ETA online, you have to pay £10. Most of the time, decisions are made in three working days or less.
If you are approved, your ETA will be valid for two years, during which time you can visit the UK more than once. But because the authorisation will be directly linked to the passport you used to apply for, you will have to reapply before the ETA expires if your passport is only valid for two years.
