Not Just Advice – Legal Strategy That Works
Visit the UK with Confidence by applying for a UK Visitor Visa Correctly
Whether you are planning a short holiday, attending a business meeting, or visiting family or friends, our SRA-regulated immigration solicitors prepare UK Visitor Visa applications in line with current Home Office requirements. We help you present genuine intent, appropriate financial evidence and clear compliance, reducing the risk of refusal.
Call us on 020 3384 4389 for tailored guidance.
- Featured In
- Excellent Reviews
- 5.0 rating
“I would recommend anyone to use SABZ Solicitors for the professional services they offer! Thank you to Mr Lakhbir Sohal for all your support and kind help and receiving a successful application today!”
Moira P.
- Excellent Reviews
4.7 (832 Reviews)
Visitor Visa UK Stressing You Out? Get Expert Help Now
No more confusion or wasted time. Tell us about your case, and we’ll provide an expert-backed, realistic plan to secure your UK visa.
If you plan to visit the UK for a short stay, you may need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa UK. This visa usually allows a stay of up to six months, depending on your nationality and the purpose of your visit. Some travellers may be eligible to enter the UK using an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) instead of a visa.
A UK Visitor Visa allows you to visit the UK for permitted purposes, such as tourism, visiting family or friends, attending business meetings, or participating in certain short-term academic activities. It does not allow employment, paid work, or long-term study, and visitors must leave the UK at the end of their authorised stay.
Maximum Stay in the UK
A Standard Visitor Visa allows up to six months in the UK for tourism, short study, business, or private medical reasons.
Who Needs It?
Most travellers who are not British or Irish citizens must apply for a Visitor Visa before travelling, unless eligible to enter the UK using an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA).
Eligibility
You must prove genuine intent to leave, sufficient funds, and strong ties to your home country.
What You Can Do
Attend meetings, short courses (up to 30 days), visit family or friends, or receive private medical care.
When applying for a Marriage Visitor Visa, you do not need to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge. This visa is for a short, single stay and does not grant access to the UK’s public healthcare system.
Public funds, long-term residence, or frequent re-entry to live in the UK.
When applying for a Spouse visa, you must pay the Immigration Health Surcharge to cover your healthcare costs while in the UK. Since February 2024, the surcharge has been £1,035 per year, following a 86% increase. For in-country application, it will be for 30 months and out-country application, it will be for 33 months.
Valid passport, travel plans, bank statements, sponsor letters (if any), and accommodation proof.
The Marriage Visitor Visa allows for a single stay of up to 6 months. This visa cannot be extended, and you must leave the UK at the end of this period.
Apply online via GOV.UK, pay the fee, book biometrics, and submit evidence.
This visa allows you to get married or register a civil partnership, but you cannot work, study, or live in the UK. You must use this visa solely to visit and get married.
Standard decision within three weeks; priority services available for an extra fee.
Visitor Visa refusals waste time, money, and opportunities. Our immigration experts understand how UK Entry Clearance Officers assess credibility under the Visitor Rules. We draft, review, and structure every application for clarity and compliance – giving you the confidence to travel legally and with proper preparation.
Benefits
Why We’re the Right Choice for Your UK Visitor Visa
Can you really afford to leave your Visitor Visa to chance? Our experienced, SRA-regulated solicitors provide clear, structured legal guidance to help you prepare a compliant application from the outset.
97.37%
Success Rate
37,573
Applications Approved
93.7%
Immigration Appeal Win Rate
4.9/5
Average Rating
From Consultation to Visa Approval
Our immigration specialists streamline your application process by clearly identifying which evidence and strategies will strengthen your case.
By aligning your unique circumstances with Home Office requirements, we help you focus on high-impact preparations while addressing any potential weaknesses in your application.
From Consultation to Visa Approval
Our immigration specialists streamline your application process by clearly identifying which evidence and strategies will strengthen your case.
By aligning your unique circumstances with Home Office requirements, we help you focus on high-impact preparations while addressing any potential weaknesses in your application.
Maximising Your Approval Chances
Our goal is to maximise the chances of your visa being approved the first time. By carefully reviewing your circumstances, identifying potential weaknesses, and preparing strong supporting evidence, we significantly reduce the risk of refusals. Every application is checked by senior immigration solicitors who apply their expertise to make your case as clear, accurate, and persuasive as possible. This attention to detail is what improves success rates and helps our clients move forward with confidence.
Success Rate Optimisation
We carefully analyse every detail of your application to maximise the chances of approval. By addressing weaknesses, strengthening supporting evidence, and ensuring full compliance with Home Office rules, we optimise your case for success. This thorough approach significantly improves approval rates and gives you confidence throughout the process.
Risk Mitigation Strategies
We identify potential risks in your application early and put safeguards in place to address them. By preparing strong evidence, clarifying complex points, and anticipating Home Office concerns, we minimise the chance of delays or refusals.
-
Evidence-based case preparation
-
Home Office compliance checks
-
Success rate optimisation
-
Risk mitigation strategies
From Consultation to Visa Approval
Our immigration specialists streamline your application process by clearly identifying which evidence and strategies will strengthen your case.
By aligning your unique circumstances with Home Office requirements, we help you focus on high-impact preparations while addressing any potential weaknesses in your application.
Maximising Your Approval Chances
Our goal is to maximise the chances of your visa being approved the first time. By carefully reviewing your circumstances, identifying potential weaknesses, and preparing strong supporting evidence, we significantly reduce the risk of refusals. Every application is checked by senior immigration solicitors who apply their expertise to make your case as clear, accurate, and persuasive as possible. This attention to detail is what improves success rates and helps our clients move forward with confidence.
Success Rate Optimisation
We carefully analyse every detail of your application to maximise the chances of approval. By addressing weaknesses, strengthening supporting evidence, and ensuring full compliance with Home Office rules, we optimise your case for success. This thorough approach significantly improves approval rates and gives you confidence throughout the process.
Risk Mitigation Strategies
We identify potential risks in your application early and put safeguards in place to address them. By preparing strong evidence, clarifying complex points, and anticipating Home Office concerns, we minimise the chance of delays or refusals.
Work With Trusted, SRA-Regulated UK Immigration Experts
Your immigration journey is too important to risk on unqualified or unregulated help. Every case we handle is prepared by SRA-regulated solicitors who apply structured legal reasoning, precise documentation checks and full compliance with Home Office and UKVI rules.
Our accreditations are your assurance that you are working with a reputable, experienced and highly trained legal team. We combine decades of immigration expertise with strict professional standards to give you clarity, confidence and complete peace of mind — no matter which visa or application route you are pursuing.
What is a Visitor Visa UK? and who needs It?
The UK Standard Visitor Visa is a short-term visa that allows individuals to stay in the UK for up to six months. The visa is granted for specific permitted purposes and does not allow long-term residence. Visitors may enter the UK during the validity of their visa, provided they continue to meet the Visitor Rules and do not use repeated or frequent visits to live in the UK.
Fun
If you are travelling to the UK for tourism, holidays, or to visit family or friends, you may need to apply for a Standard Visitor Visa. This route allows short stays of up to six months for leisure travel and personal visits. Whether you need a visa depends on your nationality, as some travellers may be able to enter the UK using an Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) instead of a visa.
Business
If you need to visit the UK for short-term business purposes, such as attending meetings, conferences, or events, the Standard Visitor Visa permits stays of up to six months. This visa does not allow paid or unpaid work for a UK business. If your activities go beyond permitted business visits, a different immigration route may be required.
Research
Visitors may undertake short-term study or research activities in the UK, provided these meet the Visitor Rules and are not part of a long-term course of study. Evidence of acceptance or invitation may be required, depending on the activity.
For other reasons
A Standard Visitor Visa may also be used to travel to the UK for private medical treatment, subject to meeting the relevant requirements.
Most travellers who are not British or Irish citizens must apply online via the GOV.UK website before travelling, unless they are eligible to enter the UK without a visa or using an ETA. Visa requirements depend on nationality and individual circumstances, and official Home Office guidance should always be checked.
What a Visitor Visa allows and does not allow?
While you are in the UK with a Visitor Visa, you may carry out the following permitted activities for up to six months, provided you meet the Visitor Rules:
- Tourism, such as holidays or sightseeing
- Visiting family or friends
- Attending business meetings, conferences, interviews, or events
- Taking part in a permitted short-term study or training
- Recreational courses lasting no more than 30 days
- Volunteering with a registered UK charity for up to 30 days
- Attending permitted academic activities as a visiting academic, examiner, or expert
- Receiving private medical treatment
- Transiting through the UK to another country
If you hold a Visitor Visa, you are not permitted to:
- Take paid or unpaid employment in the UK
- Work for or provide services to a UK business or organisation
- Access public funds or benefits
- Live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
- Switch to another visa route from within the UK
To get married, register a civil partnership, or give notice of marriage or civil partnership in the UK, you must apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa.
What are UK Visit Visa requirements?
To meet the UK Visitor Visa requirements, applicants must show that:
- They genuinely intend to leave the UK at the end of their visit
- They have sufficient funds to support themselves during their stay
- They can pay for their onward or return journey
- They will not live in the UK through frequent or successive visits
Additional requirements may apply depending on the purpose of the visit, such as study, permitted academic activities, clinical attachments, PLAB tests, or private medical treatment. These must be met where relevant under the Visitor Rules.
Real plans to leave the UK
The Home Office will assess whether you are a genuine visitor by considering your reason for travel, previous immigration history, length and frequency of past visits, and your personal, professional, and financial ties to your home country. They may also look at how long you intend to stay, how recently you last visited the UK, and whether your overall travel pattern suggests an intention to live in the UK through repeated visits.
Enough money for support
When assessing a Visitor Visa application, the Home Office does not set a fixed amount of funds required. Instead, they consider whether you have enough money to cover the cost of your trip, including accommodation, living expenses, and travel, without relying on public funds. They may also review your financial circumstances, income, savings, and any financial commitments to determine whether your stay in the UK is affordable.
Plans to not live in the UK
The Home Office will want to be sure that you are not coming to the UK on a Visitor Visa and then staying there by making more trips. They’ll look at your travel history, the reason you’re going, how long you plan to stay, how many times you’ve been to the UK in the last 12 months (and how long you stayed each time), how long it’s been since your last visit, and whether you’ve spent more time in the UK than in your home country.
Documents Required for UK Visit Visa
When applying for a UK Visitor Visa, you must provide evidence to show that you meet the Visitor Rules. This may include:
- A valid passport or other travel document
- Evidence of your travel plans, including intended dates and purpose of visit
- Proof that you can pay for your travel, accommodation, and living expenses during your stay
- Bank statements or other financial evidence
- Details of where you will stay in the UK
- A letter from a sponsor or host in the UK, if applicable
You may also be asked to provide information about your immigration history and previous travel. Any documents not in English or Welsh must be accompanied by a certified translation.
Additional documents may be required depending on the reason for your visit, such as business activities, study, or private medical treatment.
There are strict rules about immigration, and the Home Office turns down many visas because there isn’t enough proof. It’s our job at UK Immigration Solicitors to help you understand the process, including UK Visitor Visa fees and documentation expectations
How to apply for a Visitor Visa for UK?
To apply for a UK Visitor Visa, you must:
- Check whether you need a Visitor Visa based on your nationality
- Complete and submit an online application via GOV.UK
- Pay the application fee
- Book and attend an appointment at a Visa Application Centre (VAC)
- Provide biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) and submit supporting documents
Most applicants receive a decision within three weeks, although processing times may vary depending on location and whether priority services are used.
UK Visitor Visa Refusal
A UK Visitor Visa may be refused if the Home Office is not satisfied that you meet the Visitor Rules. Common reasons include:
- You want to live in the UK and have a Visitor Visa.
- You are a threat to the country’s safety.
- Moreover, you have broken visa rules before.
- You have pending criminal charges.
- It looks like you’re not a real user.
- There aren’t enough funds for you to live on in the UK
In most cases, there is no right of appeal against a Visitor Visa refusal. Applicants are usually advised to submit a new application addressing the refusal reasons and providing clearer supporting evidence.
Can I extend my Visitor Visa UK?
A UK Visitor Visa is granted for a short stay only. In limited circumstances, it may be possible to apply for an extension of stay, such as for private medical treatment, certain academic activities, or to retake the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test or complete a clinical attachment.
Extensions are subject to strict requirements and must be applied for from within the UK before the current visa expires. Application fees and eligibility depend on the reason for the extension.
Types of UK Visitor Visas
The UK Visitor route allows foreign nationals to come to the UK for a short stay for a range of permitted purposes under the Standard Visitor Visa and related visitor routes.
Family Visit Visa
Visitors may come to the UK to visit family members for up to six months under the Standard Visitor Visa. This route does not allow work or access to public funds. Each visitor must meet the requirements individually and apply separately.
Child Visitor Visa
Children under the age of 18 can apply for a Standard Visitor Visa to visit the UK. The application must show suitable care arrangements during the stay, consent from parents or guardians, and sufficient funds to support the visit.
Student Visitor Visa
You’ll need to apply for a student visitor visa if you are a visitor to the UK and want to learn for a short time. People from other countries can study in the UK for longer than six months with a student visa. A points-based method is used to measure it. You can go to the UK to study for longer with a short-term study visa, but you have to take an English language course.
To put it simply, the student traveller visa won’t help you if you or the applicant wants to go to the UK to study for an undergraduate degree or another long-term course.
However, if you are an international student looking to study for no more than six months to get a short-term qualification, this is the visa you need to apply for.
Business Visitor Visa
Do not mix up the business visitor visa with other job and business visas for the UK, like the investor visa, the skilled worker visa, or the tier 1 entrepreneur visa. You can stay in the UK for up to six months with a Business Visitor Visa, and you can only do certain business-related things while you’re there.
For instance, some things that can be done with a business visitor visa are:
- Attend training and conferences
- Take part in some sports events
- Deal with and sign contracts and deals
- Perform inspections
For example, you can’t get paid to work, work for a UK company, or get money from the UK government. There is no difference between working for someone else and being self-employed when it comes to the business visitor visa.
If you’re going to the UK on a “stopover flight,” you should check the UK Home Office page to see what visa requirements you need. Different rules apply to visitors who are just passing through.
Visitor In Transit Visa
A visitor-in-transit visa is likely what you’ll need if you’re just stopping over in the UK and plan to leave the airport while you wait for your next trip.
You’ll need to show immigration officials that you have the right to stay in the UK for up to 48 hours before your next flight. You’ll also need to show them that you plan to leave. For this type of visa, UK immigration laws say you need to show proof of your travel papers and plans for getting into the country and going on to another country.
The normal visitor visa for the UK lets people do this kind of travel, which is called “transiting landside.” You need this visa if you want to go through customs before leaving the UK in the next 48 hours.
A lot of different things are taken into account by UK immigration rules when it comes to transit visas. The types of visas you need for the UK depend on your country, the airline you’re flying with, and the length of your stay (whether it’s on land or in the air). If you come to the UK just to pass through without permission, an immigration worker might not let you in.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQs
You can support a visitor to the UK by providing financial support and accommodation, if required. The visitor can name you as their sponsor in the application. Sponsors may be family members, friends, or business contacts with a genuine relationship to the applicant. The Home Office may consider the nature of the relationship and any previous sponsorship history when assessing the application.
No. You cannot switch from a Visitor Visa to another visa category from within the UK.
You must apply for a Marriage Visitor Visa if you intend to marry or register a civil partnership in the UK. The ceremony must take place within six months of arrival and at a licensed venue.
You must show that you genuinely intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit, have sufficient funds to support yourself, and have a clear and lawful purpose for your trip, supported by appropriate evidence.
You must apply online via GOV.UK by completing the application form, paying the fee, submitting supporting documents, and attending a biometrics appointment.
Common documents include proof of identity, financial evidence, travel plans, and documents supporting the purpose of your visit. Required documents may vary depending on individual circumstances.
UK Visitor Visa fees are set by the Home Office and depend on the visa length and whether priority processing is used.
Standard processing times are usually around three weeks, although priority services may be available for faster decisions.
Yes. You must show strong ties to your home country, such as employment, family, property, or other commitments, to demonstrate that you genuinely intend to leave the UK at the end of your visit.
Yes. A Visitor Visa can still be refused if the Home Office is not satisfied that you meet the Visitor Rules or doubts the credibility of your application, even where documents have been submitted.
Blog
Read Our Latest Blogs
Anyone wishing to travel, study, work, or settle in the United Kingdom must comprehend the procedure for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), …
If you want to marry someone in the UK, you may get a UK fiancé visa to do so. There are, however, …
Introduction The path that the UK took to legalise gay marriage shows how the country’s views on LGBTQ+ rights are changing. There …
Services
Services You Might be Interested In
Request a Free Case Review Appointment
Start your free case review by booking a quick assessment so our team can understand your situation and guide you to the right next steps.
Speak directly with an immigration specialist at a time that works for you.
Call Us Now
020 3384 4389 Our lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year.